Narrative:

We were cleared to taxi from the cargo ramp via txwys K, west, south, hold short of runway 4L. After being cleared across runway 4L, the captain failed to see the slight right turn onto taxiway south and continued straight ahead on taxiway west. At that point the ground controller advised us to make a right turn on taxiway west which didn't make sense. We were then cleared to continue straight ahead on taxiway west, turn right on runway 27 and do a 180 degree turn at the end for departure on runway 9. Once we got to the end of runway 27 we found we were unable to turn around because there was not enough room, particularly in light of the poor taxiway lights and markings. At this point our nose is protruding into the overrun. Now being unable to make a safe turn left or right, we decide the most prudent thing to do is to taxi into the overrun, which is much wider to do our 180 degree turn. Ground now recognizes this and advises us of our position, then tells us to continue straight ahead on the overrun, turn left on taxiway B then taxiway V back to runway 9, which we do. There are no markings on the airport diagram to indicate the type of overruns on either runway 9/27, or runway 4L. It was not until after we were in the overrun that we could see the markings, which are chevrons, which mean not authority/authorized for use. As a crew we should have been more vigilant of our position when taxiing, but I feel very strongly that the taxiway lighting and markings at bos airport, particularly in that area, are poorly marked and poorly lit. To the best of my recollection the ctrlines of the txwys are very difficult to see at times, and taxiway edges are poorly marked. Although that's no excuse for our error, I do feel that improvements should be made.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A TAXIING DC10 FREIGHTER TURNS ONTO THE WRONG TXWY AND GETS TRAPPED INTO HAVING TO EXIT RWY 27 AT THE OVERRUN FOR A RE-ENTRY TO RWY 9. COMPLAINS OF LIGHTING AND MARKINGS BEING INADEQUATE.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI FROM THE CARGO RAMP VIA TXWYS K, W, S, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4L. AFTER BEING CLRED ACROSS RWY 4L, THE CAPT FAILED TO SEE THE SLIGHT R TURN ONTO TXWY S AND CONTINUED STRAIGHT AHEAD ON TXWY W. AT THAT POINT THE GND CTLR ADVISED US TO MAKE A R TURN ON TXWY W WHICH DIDN'T MAKE SENSE. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO CONTINUE STRAIGHT AHEAD ON TXWY W, TURN R ON RWY 27 AND DO A 180 DEG TURN AT THE END FOR DEP ON RWY 9. ONCE WE GOT TO THE END OF RWY 27 WE FOUND WE WERE UNABLE TO TURN AROUND BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH ROOM, PARTICULARLY IN LIGHT OF THE POOR TXWY LIGHTS AND MARKINGS. AT THIS POINT OUR NOSE IS PROTRUDING INTO THE OVERRUN. NOW BEING UNABLE TO MAKE A SAFE TURN L OR R, WE DECIDE THE MOST PRUDENT THING TO DO IS TO TAXI INTO THE OVERRUN, WHICH IS MUCH WIDER TO DO OUR 180 DEG TURN. GND NOW RECOGNIZES THIS AND ADVISES US OF OUR POS, THEN TELLS US TO CONTINUE STRAIGHT AHEAD ON THE OVERRUN, TURN L ON TXWY B THEN TXWY V BACK TO RWY 9, WHICH WE DO. THERE ARE NO MARKINGS ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM TO INDICATE THE TYPE OF OVERRUNS ON EITHER RWY 9/27, OR RWY 4L. IT WAS NOT UNTIL AFTER WE WERE IN THE OVERRUN THAT WE COULD SEE THE MARKINGS, WHICH ARE CHEVRONS, WHICH MEAN NOT AUTH FOR USE. AS A CREW WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE VIGILANT OF OUR POS WHEN TAXIING, BUT I FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT THE TXWY LIGHTING AND MARKINGS AT BOS ARPT, PARTICULARLY IN THAT AREA, ARE POORLY MARKED AND POORLY LIT. TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION THE CTRLINES OF THE TXWYS ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE AT TIMES, AND TXWY EDGES ARE POORLY MARKED. ALTHOUGH THAT'S NO EXCUSE FOR OUR ERROR, I DO FEEL THAT IMPROVEMENTS SHOULD BE MADE.

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.