Narrative:

Tower at syr was working ground also. We lnded to the east and used taxiway H to the FBO. Unknown to us, this taxiway has a 'jog,' you must take taxiway H to taxiway north to taxiway H to avoid a 'dead end' sign at the FBO. Once you are there, it is too late! You cannot turn around. There is no warning sign at the taxiway north and taxiway H intersection to tell you not to proceed to taxi wbound. You must turn north on taxiway north, then west on taxiway H to get to the FBO ramp. Tower did not warn us of this but they did tell us, 'you should not be there.' we shut down, discharged our passenger, pinned the gear and had aircraft towed to parking ramp. Observations: 1) nothing on ATIS or NOTAMS: no help from tower until we were trapped. 2) line service told us 'it happens all the time, you are the 5TH giv we've towed.' 3) tower did tell us not to try to turn around. 'Another giv dropped his nose gear in the mud trying to turn around.' 4) line service told us it was a problem due to airport management not being happy with FBO so, no sign has been erected to warn pilots of the pitfall. 5) we talked to the unicom on the way in and when we paid the fuel bill, talked to her about the 'dead end.' asked why she didn't caution us on radio. She said, ' it's not my job,' and she is correct. 6) this 'dead end' won't be a problem to me in the future. I took many digital images and emailed them to our chief pilot. I also notified our dispatchers (they added an 'airport note' to our paperwork which will print for any of our aircraft and crew going to syr.) callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter indicates that the new standard signage exists, but it is not clear until past the intersection that taxiway H essentially becomes a ramp. The informational sign is too far into the ramp area to be seen easily in low visibility conditions, which were 220 ft ceiling, 1/2 mi visibility for his approach. The area involved has been converted to a ramp and parking area and construction has been in progress but is suspended for the winter months in that area. Reporter indicated that his clearance was 'cleared to the ramp, stay with me,' and suggests that at a less busy time ground would probably have given him a taxi route of taxiway H, taxiway north and taxiway H to the ramp which would have solved the problem. Reporter is also concerned that there is a conflict reported between the FBO and the airport management over other issues that may be preventing the installation of signs that may prevent a further occurrence of this problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORPORATE PLT RPTS A DEAD END TXWY THAT IS NOT ADEQUATELY MARKED. THIS ALLOWS ACFT TO ENTER AND HAVE TO BE TOWED OUT.

Narrative: TWR AT SYR WAS WORKING GND ALSO. WE LNDED TO THE E AND USED TXWY H TO THE FBO. UNKNOWN TO US, THIS TXWY HAS A 'JOG,' YOU MUST TAKE TXWY H TO TXWY N TO TXWY H TO AVOID A 'DEAD END' SIGN AT THE FBO. ONCE YOU ARE THERE, IT IS TOO LATE! YOU CANNOT TURN AROUND. THERE IS NO WARNING SIGN AT THE TXWY N AND TXWY H INTERSECTION TO TELL YOU NOT TO PROCEED TO TAXI WBOUND. YOU MUST TURN N ON TXWY N, THEN W ON TXWY H TO GET TO THE FBO RAMP. TWR DID NOT WARN US OF THIS BUT THEY DID TELL US, 'YOU SHOULD NOT BE THERE.' WE SHUT DOWN, DISCHARGED OUR PAX, PINNED THE GEAR AND HAD ACFT TOWED TO PARKING RAMP. OBSERVATIONS: 1) NOTHING ON ATIS OR NOTAMS: NO HELP FROM TWR UNTIL WE WERE TRAPPED. 2) LINE SVC TOLD US 'IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME, YOU ARE THE 5TH GIV WE'VE TOWED.' 3) TWR DID TELL US NOT TO TRY TO TURN AROUND. 'ANOTHER GIV DROPPED HIS NOSE GEAR IN THE MUD TRYING TO TURN AROUND.' 4) LINE SVC TOLD US IT WAS A PROB DUE TO ARPT MANAGEMENT NOT BEING HAPPY WITH FBO SO, NO SIGN HAS BEEN ERECTED TO WARN PLTS OF THE PITFALL. 5) WE TALKED TO THE UNICOM ON THE WAY IN AND WHEN WE PAID THE FUEL BILL, TALKED TO HER ABOUT THE 'DEAD END.' ASKED WHY SHE DIDN'T CAUTION US ON RADIO. SHE SAID, ' IT'S NOT MY JOB,' AND SHE IS CORRECT. 6) THIS 'DEAD END' WON'T BE A PROB TO ME IN THE FUTURE. I TOOK MANY DIGITAL IMAGES AND EMAILED THEM TO OUR CHIEF PLT. I ALSO NOTIFIED OUR DISPATCHERS (THEY ADDED AN 'ARPT NOTE' TO OUR PAPERWORK WHICH WILL PRINT FOR ANY OF OUR ACFT AND CREW GOING TO SYR.) CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR INDICATES THAT THE NEW STANDARD SIGNAGE EXISTS, BUT IT IS NOT CLEAR UNTIL PAST THE INTERSECTION THAT TXWY H ESSENTIALLY BECOMES A RAMP. THE INFORMATIONAL SIGN IS TOO FAR INTO THE RAMP AREA TO BE SEEN EASILY IN LOW VISIBILITY CONDITIONS, WHICH WERE 220 FT CEILING, 1/2 MI VISIBILITY FOR HIS APCH. THE AREA INVOLVED HAS BEEN CONVERTED TO A RAMP AND PARKING AREA AND CONSTRUCTION HAS BEEN IN PROGRESS BUT IS SUSPENDED FOR THE WINTER MONTHS IN THAT AREA. RPTR INDICATED THAT HIS CLRNC WAS 'CLRED TO THE RAMP, STAY WITH ME,' AND SUGGESTS THAT AT A LESS BUSY TIME GND WOULD PROBABLY HAVE GIVEN HIM A TAXI ROUTE OF TXWY H, TXWY N AND TXWY H TO THE RAMP WHICH WOULD HAVE SOLVED THE PROB. RPTR IS ALSO CONCERNED THAT THERE IS A CONFLICT RPTED BETWEEN THE FBO AND THE ARPT MANAGEMENT OVER OTHER ISSUES THAT MAY BE PREVENTING THE INSTALLATION OF SIGNS THAT MAY PREVENT A FURTHER OCCURRENCE OF THIS PROB.

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.