Narrative:

Before departure we briefed on all available information about construction at mlb. The captain even called the dispatcher to see if any new information was received. When we arrived at mlb, the tower was closed and construction was in progress. We landed on runway 27R and followed our green pages to the letter. We left all the lights on and both engines running. As we continued on taxiway C, we realized that we were not entering the terminal ramp but entering a GA ramp by noticing the light GA aircraft and hangars in the area. The taxiway is too narrow to turn around but there was enough room on the ramp area to do a 180 degree turn. We started the turn to the left and at about 90 des of turn realize it is not going to work. Then we turned to the right 270 degrees and there was no problem with that. After parking at the terminal, I did a postflt walkaround as per fom and found no discrepancies. The problems were: 1) control tower was closed. 2) poor and inaccurate directions on the green pages. 3) poor diagram of airport txwys. Corrective actions could be: 1) tower being open until the last air carrier arrives. 2) better directions on the green pages. 3) better airport diagram showing GA ramps and fit ramps. Supplemental information from acn 430239: I followed the taxi instructions in the company special pages page 10-0 for mlb (green pages). The instructions told me to taxi via taxiway C to the ramp. Following taxiway C, I entered the GA ramp. The taxi problem was generated by inadequate taxi instructions in the company special pages, a very small airport diagram in the flight operations pages, poor signage, nighttime and a complete lack of ability to communicate and ask questions. It is very difficult to read a small airport diagram.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A TAXIING MD88 IN A NIGHT OP ENDS UP AT THE GA RAMP RATHER THAN THE TERMINAL RAMP AS EXPECTED.

Narrative: BEFORE DEP WE BRIEFED ON ALL AVAILABLE INFO ABOUT CONSTRUCTION AT MLB. THE CAPT EVEN CALLED THE DISPATCHER TO SEE IF ANY NEW INFO WAS RECEIVED. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT MLB, THE TWR WAS CLOSED AND CONSTRUCTION WAS IN PROGRESS. WE LANDED ON RWY 27R AND FOLLOWED OUR GREEN PAGES TO THE LETTER. WE LEFT ALL THE LIGHTS ON AND BOTH ENGS RUNNING. AS WE CONTINUED ON TXWY C, WE REALIZED THAT WE WERE NOT ENTERING THE TERMINAL RAMP BUT ENTERING A GA RAMP BY NOTICING THE LIGHT GA ACFT AND HANGARS IN THE AREA. THE TXWY IS TOO NARROW TO TURN AROUND BUT THERE WAS ENOUGH ROOM ON THE RAMP AREA TO DO A 180 DEG TURN. WE STARTED THE TURN TO THE L AND AT ABOUT 90 DES OF TURN REALIZE IT IS NOT GOING TO WORK. THEN WE TURNED TO THE R 270 DEGS AND THERE WAS NO PROB WITH THAT. AFTER PARKING AT THE TERMINAL, I DID A POSTFLT WALKAROUND AS PER FOM AND FOUND NO DISCREPANCIES. THE PROBS WERE: 1) CTL TWR WAS CLOSED. 2) POOR AND INACCURATE DIRECTIONS ON THE GREEN PAGES. 3) POOR DIAGRAM OF ARPT TXWYS. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS COULD BE: 1) TWR BEING OPEN UNTIL THE LAST ACR ARRIVES. 2) BETTER DIRECTIONS ON THE GREEN PAGES. 3) BETTER ARPT DIAGRAM SHOWING GA RAMPS AND FIT RAMPS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 430239: I FOLLOWED THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS IN THE COMPANY SPECIAL PAGES PAGE 10-0 FOR MLB (GREEN PAGES). THE INSTRUCTIONS TOLD ME TO TAXI VIA TXWY C TO THE RAMP. FOLLOWING TXWY C, I ENTERED THE GA RAMP. THE TAXI PROB WAS GENERATED BY INADEQUATE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS IN THE COMPANY SPECIAL PAGES, A VERY SMALL ARPT DIAGRAM IN THE FLT OPS PAGES, POOR SIGNAGE, NIGHTTIME AND A COMPLETE LACK OF ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE AND ASK QUESTIONS. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO READ A SMALL ARPT DIAGRAM.

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.