Narrative:

Cleared to taxi by ground control from gate area to runway 31 at lga. Clearance was to depart ramp and taxi via taxiway north, left on taxiway a, and hold short of taxiway M. Taxi out requires you to cross taxiway M prior to entry onto taxiway north, thus you cross taxiway M once prior to the final hold short of taxiway M. Had 2 air carrier aircraft already stopped on taxiway M that I had to taxi between to get to taxiway north. Ramp departure placed me at a 90 degree angle to taxiway signage. As a result, I taxied across a concrete pad between txwys V and north. Saw no yellow taxiway edge markings that would indicate that I was actually leaving the active taxiway. Concrete pad was about the width of the other txwys. Did not notice error until turning onto taxiway a. Taxiway edge marking on lights would have certainly precluded this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 CREW TAXIED ACROSS CONCRETE PAD BTWN TXWYS AT LGA.

Narrative: CLRED TO TAXI BY GND CTL FROM GATE AREA TO RWY 31 AT LGA. CLRNC WAS TO DEPART RAMP AND TAXI VIA TXWY N, L ON TXWY A, AND HOLD SHORT OF TXWY M. TAXI OUT REQUIRES YOU TO CROSS TXWY M PRIOR TO ENTRY ONTO TXWY N, THUS YOU CROSS TXWY M ONCE PRIOR TO THE FINAL HOLD SHORT OF TXWY M. HAD 2 ACR ACFT ALREADY STOPPED ON TXWY M THAT I HAD TO TAXI BTWN TO GET TO TXWY N. RAMP DEP PLACED ME AT A 90 DEG ANGLE TO TXWY SIGNAGE. AS A RESULT, I TAXIED ACROSS A CONCRETE PAD BTWN TXWYS V AND N. SAW NO YELLOW TXWY EDGE MARKINGS THAT WOULD INDICATE THAT I WAS ACTUALLY LEAVING THE ACTIVE TXWY. CONCRETE PAD WAS ABOUT THE WIDTH OF THE OTHER TXWYS. DID NOT NOTICE ERROR UNTIL TURNING ONTO TXWY A. TXWY EDGE MARKING ON LIGHTS WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY PRECLUDED THIS.

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.