Narrative:

We were asked to keep our speed up on final due to a B737 behind us. On landing, I assumed control of the aircraft passing through 80 KTS (per normal procedures -- the tiller is only on the captain's side). Tower asked us to expedite off the runway as traffic was very short final behind us. I was planning on exiting at taxiway P, but our speed was still too high to make the turn. I added some power to expedite to the next exit at taxiway north. Upon turning off onto taxiway north, I discovered that the portion of taxiway north we were on was X'ed out. We were passing over the X's and onto taxiway B, the parallel to the runway taxiway when I saw the X's. Taxiway B is quite close to the runway, so the taxiway exits are very short. We turned onto taxiway B without incident and continued to our gate. Contributing factors: 1) no runway edge lights along the newly closed portion of taxiway north. Looked the same as before. 2) ground markings are impossible to see at night until you are passing over them. 3) no NOTAMS regarding the change. The commercial airport diagram still shows taxiway north as being very wide compared to the other txwys. 4) new to the aircraft and new as captain and taxiing pilot. 5) fatigue -- we were on our third night of continuous duty overnights.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A DEHAVILLAND DHC8 TAXIED ON X'ED OUT TXWY WHILE TURNING OFF RWY AND CLRING THE RWY FOR LNDG TFC.

Narrative: WE WERE ASKED TO KEEP OUR SPD UP ON FINAL DUE TO A B737 BEHIND US. ON LNDG, I ASSUMED CTL OF THE ACFT PASSING THROUGH 80 KTS (PER NORMAL PROCS -- THE TILLER IS ONLY ON THE CAPT'S SIDE). TWR ASKED US TO EXPEDITE OFF THE RWY AS TFC WAS VERY SHORT FINAL BEHIND US. I WAS PLANNING ON EXITING AT TXWY P, BUT OUR SPD WAS STILL TOO HIGH TO MAKE THE TURN. I ADDED SOME PWR TO EXPEDITE TO THE NEXT EXIT AT TXWY N. UPON TURNING OFF ONTO TXWY N, I DISCOVERED THAT THE PORTION OF TXWY N WE WERE ON WAS X'ED OUT. WE WERE PASSING OVER THE X'S AND ONTO TXWY B, THE PARALLEL TO THE RWY TXWY WHEN I SAW THE X'S. TXWY B IS QUITE CLOSE TO THE RWY, SO THE TXWY EXITS ARE VERY SHORT. WE TURNED ONTO TXWY B WITHOUT INCIDENT AND CONTINUED TO OUR GATE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) NO RWY EDGE LIGHTS ALONG THE NEWLY CLOSED PORTION OF TXWY N. LOOKED THE SAME AS BEFORE. 2) GND MARKINGS ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE AT NIGHT UNTIL YOU ARE PASSING OVER THEM. 3) NO NOTAMS REGARDING THE CHANGE. THE COMMERCIAL ARPT DIAGRAM STILL SHOWS TXWY N AS BEING VERY WIDE COMPARED TO THE OTHER TXWYS. 4) NEW TO THE ACFT AND NEW AS CAPT AND TAXIING PLT. 5) FATIGUE -- WE WERE ON OUR THIRD NIGHT OF CONTINUOUS DUTY OVERNIGHTS.

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.