Narrative:

Predawn taxi out, sjc, cleared to runway 30L. Approaching taxiway B, I noticed several red lights at the entrance to the taxiway, and an adjacent sign denoting approach area for runway 30R. Having been cleared to runway 30L, and seeing no alternative on the airport diagram, I turned onto taxiway B to join taxiway B1 at the end of runway 30L. Once entering taxiway B, I saw more red lights ahead, and since my nosewheel light was directed straight ahead, only now did I see that the red lights were mounted on short concrete blocks (approximately 2 inches high) and were designating a work area. By now, my main gear was passing over the lights and blocks behind me. Since I was 'boxed in,' I continued ahead and tried to carefully taxi clear of the obstacles. No harm was done to the aircraft. On the airport diagram chart, it shows no taxiway beyond taxiway B that would adjoin with taxiway B1 at the end of runway 30L. Continuing appears to run you into a deadend. This apparently is not the case. In the dark, it was difficult to determine if the red lights were hold short lights imbedded in the taxiway, or something else. The sign designating approach area for runway 30R added to my belief that there was no hazard, and that this was an acceptable and, according to the chart, the only approved method of reaching the end of the runway. No NOTAM or ATIS information specified any closed work area in this vicinity. May I suggest: better hazard lighting (flashing yellow road hazard signs as an example) would be easier to interpretation in the dark. Clrer delineation on the airport diagram would provide a viable alternative taxi route. Notification by tower, ATIS, and/or NOTAM would alert crews to the situation ahead.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B767 TAXIING TO RWY 30L AT SJC HAS DIFFICULTY DETERMINING WHAT THE FLASHING RED LIGHTS AHEAD INDICATE. WHEN TOO LATE THEY DISCOVER THESE ARE CONSTRUCTION AREA LIGHTS. THEY HAVE ALREADY TAXIED IN TO THE AREA AND OVER SOME OF THE LIGHTS.

Narrative: PREDAWN TAXI OUT, SJC, CLRED TO RWY 30L. APCHING TXWY B, I NOTICED SEVERAL RED LIGHTS AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE TXWY, AND AN ADJACENT SIGN DENOTING APCH AREA FOR RWY 30R. HAVING BEEN CLRED TO RWY 30L, AND SEEING NO ALTERNATIVE ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM, I TURNED ONTO TXWY B TO JOIN TXWY B1 AT THE END OF RWY 30L. ONCE ENTERING TXWY B, I SAW MORE RED LIGHTS AHEAD, AND SINCE MY NOSEWHEEL LIGHT WAS DIRECTED STRAIGHT AHEAD, ONLY NOW DID I SEE THAT THE RED LIGHTS WERE MOUNTED ON SHORT CONCRETE BLOCKS (APPROX 2 INCHES HIGH) AND WERE DESIGNATING A WORK AREA. BY NOW, MY MAIN GEAR WAS PASSING OVER THE LIGHTS AND BLOCKS BEHIND ME. SINCE I WAS 'BOXED IN,' I CONTINUED AHEAD AND TRIED TO CAREFULLY TAXI CLR OF THE OBSTACLES. NO HARM WAS DONE TO THE ACFT. ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM CHART, IT SHOWS NO TXWY BEYOND TXWY B THAT WOULD ADJOIN WITH TXWY B1 AT THE END OF RWY 30L. CONTINUING APPEARS TO RUN YOU INTO A DEADEND. THIS APPARENTLY IS NOT THE CASE. IN THE DARK, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE IF THE RED LIGHTS WERE HOLD SHORT LIGHTS IMBEDDED IN THE TXWY, OR SOMETHING ELSE. THE SIGN DESIGNATING APCH AREA FOR RWY 30R ADDED TO MY BELIEF THAT THERE WAS NO HAZARD, AND THAT THIS WAS AN ACCEPTABLE AND, ACCORDING TO THE CHART, THE ONLY APPROVED METHOD OF REACHING THE END OF THE RWY. NO NOTAM OR ATIS INFO SPECIFIED ANY CLOSED WORK AREA IN THIS VICINITY. MAY I SUGGEST: BETTER HAZARD LIGHTING (FLASHING YELLOW ROAD HAZARD SIGNS AS AN EXAMPLE) WOULD BE EASIER TO INTERP IN THE DARK. CLRER DELINEATION ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM WOULD PROVIDE A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE TAXI RTE. NOTIFICATION BY TWR, ATIS, AND/OR NOTAM WOULD ALERT CREWS TO THE SIT AHEAD.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.