Narrative:

Our flight called ground control for taxi exiting our company ramp at exit point #2 and taxiway D. (See commercial chart page 10-9 ind dated apr/xa/99.) ground instructed us to taxi to runway 23R via taxiway north, taxiway H, taxiway P. (Crew was not expecting this runway or taxiway route). The first officer read back the taxi clearance. At our position there was no taxiway north sign in sight. (Taxiway north was noted as being new and not on the airport diagram.) I told the first officer to ask ATC where taxiway north was located. The first officer looked on the airport diagram and said taxiway north was to the right. I started to taxi. I turned the aircraft right and taxied northeast on taxiway P. Up ahead in the distance I saw a lighted taxiway sign that looked like taxiway north. So I continued to taxi. (Sign turned out to be taxiway M.) as we continued to taxi northeast, it became apparent that we were taxiing up to the intersection of runway 32/14. I see the runway ahead and stopped short of runway 32/14! Just after we stopped short of runway 32/14, ground called saying that we missed taxiway north. He then instructed us to taxi to runway 23R via runway 32, to taxiway H to taxiway P. The flight continued as instructed and was uneventful from that point on. Contributing factors: 1) during preflight briefing, captain was aware of a new taxiway north. However, information was not provided as to where the new taxiway was located on the airport, was not on airport diagram. 2) crew briefed and expected to taxi and take off on a different runway. 3) company ramp tower did not advise of expected runway on pushback. Does at other locations. 4) taxiway north is essentially exit point 2 at taxiway D. However, there was no taxiway north sign at that location (poor taxiway lighting/marking). 5) taxiway north had been open for 2 weeks, so it was familiar to ind ground, so ind ground assumed all crews knew where it was. 6) it was the entire crew's first time to ind since the opening of new taxiway north. 7) ind ground could have given better taxi instructions, ie, 'taxi straight ahead on taxiway north to taxiway H, etc.' how to avoid in the future (bottom line): problem: captain was never completely sure of the location of taxiway north. Solution: therefore, never move/taxi the aircraft without being completely sure of the assigned taxi route. If in doubt, stop and ask! Note: we were never advised or felt that we caused a runway incursion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FINDS GND NAV DIFFICULT WHEN CHART DID NOT HAVE NEW TXWY SHOWN.

Narrative: OUR FLT CALLED GND CTL FOR TAXI EXITING OUR COMPANY RAMP AT EXIT POINT #2 AND TXWY D. (SEE COMMERCIAL CHART PAGE 10-9 IND DATED APR/XA/99.) GND INSTRUCTED US TO TAXI TO RWY 23R VIA TXWY N, TXWY H, TXWY P. (CREW WAS NOT EXPECTING THIS RWY OR TXWY RTE). THE FO READ BACK THE TAXI CLRNC. AT OUR POS THERE WAS NO TXWY N SIGN IN SIGHT. (TXWY N WAS NOTED AS BEING NEW AND NOT ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM.) I TOLD THE FO TO ASK ATC WHERE TXWY N WAS LOCATED. THE FO LOOKED ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM AND SAID TXWY N WAS TO THE R. I STARTED TO TAXI. I TURNED THE ACFT R AND TAXIED NE ON TXWY P. UP AHEAD IN THE DISTANCE I SAW A LIGHTED TXWY SIGN THAT LOOKED LIKE TXWY N. SO I CONTINUED TO TAXI. (SIGN TURNED OUT TO BE TXWY M.) AS WE CONTINUED TO TAXI NE, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT WE WERE TAXIING UP TO THE INTXN OF RWY 32/14. I SEE THE RWY AHEAD AND STOPPED SHORT OF RWY 32/14! JUST AFTER WE STOPPED SHORT OF RWY 32/14, GND CALLED SAYING THAT WE MISSED TXWY N. HE THEN INSTRUCTED US TO TAXI TO RWY 23R VIA RWY 32, TO TXWY H TO TXWY P. THE FLT CONTINUED AS INSTRUCTED AND WAS UNEVENTFUL FROM THAT POINT ON. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) DURING PREFLT BRIEFING, CAPT WAS AWARE OF A NEW TXWY N. HOWEVER, INFO WAS NOT PROVIDED AS TO WHERE THE NEW TXWY WAS LOCATED ON THE ARPT, WAS NOT ON ARPT DIAGRAM. 2) CREW BRIEFED AND EXPECTED TO TAXI AND TAKE OFF ON A DIFFERENT RWY. 3) COMPANY RAMP TWR DID NOT ADVISE OF EXPECTED RWY ON PUSHBACK. DOES AT OTHER LOCATIONS. 4) TXWY N IS ESSENTIALLY EXIT POINT 2 AT TXWY D. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO TXWY N SIGN AT THAT LOCATION (POOR TXWY LIGHTING/MARKING). 5) TXWY N HAD BEEN OPEN FOR 2 WKS, SO IT WAS FAMILIAR TO IND GND, SO IND GND ASSUMED ALL CREWS KNEW WHERE IT WAS. 6) IT WAS THE ENTIRE CREW'S FIRST TIME TO IND SINCE THE OPENING OF NEW TXWY N. 7) IND GND COULD HAVE GIVEN BETTER TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, IE, 'TAXI STRAIGHT AHEAD ON TXWY N TO TXWY H, ETC.' HOW TO AVOID IN THE FUTURE (BOTTOM LINE): PROB: CAPT WAS NEVER COMPLETELY SURE OF THE LOCATION OF TXWY N. SOLUTION: THEREFORE, NEVER MOVE/TAXI THE ACFT WITHOUT BEING COMPLETELY SURE OF THE ASSIGNED TAXI RTE. IF IN DOUBT, STOP AND ASK! NOTE: WE WERE NEVER ADVISED OR FELT THAT WE CAUSED A RWY INCURSION.

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.