Narrative:

We landed on runway 5R in providence (pvd). We did a CAT ii approach autoland RVR touchdown 1200 ft rollout 1400 ft. While still on the runway the controller gave us our taxi clearance: left turn north cross runway 16, let me know when you cross runway 16, stay with me. We taxied off the runway onto taxiway north. While taxiing I then told the captain I was off of #1 radio and going over to company to get the gate information. I called company and had to wait for a min for them to answer they came back and told me the gate. I then told the captain I was back on radio #1. At that time I was not sure where we were and was looking for a taxi sign. I then asked the captain and he didn't answer. I then saw that the blue taxi edge lights were disappearing and we were entering white lights. I then told the captain to stop the plane. I believed we were entering a runway. He then went to turn right to get off, but I told him to stop because there was grass on the right side of me and we would go into the grass. At that point the captain got on the radio and told the tower we were on runway 23R. I then told the captain that I could see a sign runway 23L right in front of me with a taxiway K sign off my right. The controller then cleared an air jet to take off of runway 5R. I came on the radio and told the controller we were on runways 5R/23L. The captain came on the radio and told the controller we were at runway 23R. (I was trying to show the captain the sign that said runway 23L and to explain to him where we were at.) the controller then cleared the air carrier a jet to take off runway 5R again. The air carrier a asked the controller where the air carrier B jet was and the controller told them we were at runway 23R and that was not an active runway in this kind of WX. I came back on the radio and told the controller we were at runways 5R/23L at that point the air carrier a jet said they were not taking off until 'we knew where air carrier B is.' I then told the controller I had a sign for runway 23L and a taxi sign on my right and left. She then told us to taxi to taxiway K left K1 up runway 16 left taxiway C to the gate and let me know when you are at the gate. We taxied and I told the tower when we were at the gate. I believe the problem was caused by low visibility, RVR 1200 ft poor layout of airport signs not well lit, the fact that I called the company and put my head down when I should have stayed with the captain taxiing, also when the captain wasn't sure he should have stopped and asked me or the tower and not continued to taxi. I should not have put my head down to call the company especially in the low visibility. I should have stayed with the captain while he was taxiing. Had I done that I would have seen he was taking a wrong turn. Also the captain should have stopped and asked when he was no longer sure where he was. To prevent a recurrence, 1) better airport signs lighting, 2) both of you stay heads out and taxiing till at the apron, 3) when not sure of taxiing instruction or where you are at, stop the plane and ask for instruction. Supplemental information from acn 456754: flew a CAT ii ILS runway 5R at pvd. Low visibility at night. Airport pvd. Turned off on taxiway north. Turned south on taxiway B. Stopped with nose of aircraft estimated 3-4 ft into runway 5R. Did not see hold short line, just past blue lights (last one). We called the tower and advised. My copilot was with heads down from the time prior to my turning onto taxiway B. I became uncertain of my position on the airport due to poor visibility, darkness and lack of visual cues. Contributing factor is 2 man crew, with 1 pilot out of the loop, check and balance not in existence due to copilot calling ramp to get gate information. I feel if copilot was available to back me up, this situation could have been averted. Also, if the runway number painted on a hold short line would have made runway identify easy. A bucket of paint would have done it. Supplemental information from acn 456581: at departure end of runway 5R pvd, we heard enough of a conversation between an air carrier Y flight and tower to know that the air carrier Y aircraft was confused and could be on or near runway 5R. We were then issued a takeoff clearance, which we refused to take until the aircraft was safely at the gate. The aircraft was at some point on runway 5R.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B737-200 REFUSED TKOF CLRNC SINCE THEY HAD OVERHEARD ANOTHER ACR ACFT THAT HAD JUST LANDED FROM A CAT II APCH, TRYING TO FIND THEIR WAY TO PARKING AND INDICATED THAT THEY HAD PASSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR THE RWY ON WHICH THEY HAD JUST BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF.

Narrative: WE LANDED ON RWY 5R IN PROVIDENCE (PVD). WE DID A CAT II APCH AUTOLAND RVR TOUCHDOWN 1200 FT ROLLOUT 1400 FT. WHILE STILL ON THE RWY THE CTLR GAVE US OUR TAXI CLRNC: L TURN N CROSS RWY 16, LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU CROSS RWY 16, STAY WITH ME. WE TAXIED OFF THE RWY ONTO TXWY N. WHILE TAXIING I THEN TOLD THE CAPT I WAS OFF OF #1 RADIO AND GOING OVER TO COMPANY TO GET THE GATE INFO. I CALLED COMPANY AND HAD TO WAIT FOR A MIN FOR THEM TO ANSWER THEY CAME BACK AND TOLD ME THE GATE. I THEN TOLD THE CAPT I WAS BACK ON RADIO #1. AT THAT TIME I WAS NOT SURE WHERE WE WERE AND WAS LOOKING FOR A TAXI SIGN. I THEN ASKED THE CAPT AND HE DIDN'T ANSWER. I THEN SAW THAT THE BLUE TAXI EDGE LIGHTS WERE DISAPPEARING AND WE WERE ENTERING WHITE LIGHTS. I THEN TOLD THE CAPT TO STOP THE PLANE. I BELIEVED WE WERE ENTERING A RWY. HE THEN WENT TO TURN R TO GET OFF, BUT I TOLD HIM TO STOP BECAUSE THERE WAS GRASS ON THE R SIDE OF ME AND WE WOULD GO INTO THE GRASS. AT THAT POINT THE CAPT GOT ON THE RADIO AND TOLD THE TWR WE WERE ON RWY 23R. I THEN TOLD THE CAPT THAT I COULD SEE A SIGN RWY 23L RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME WITH A TXWY K SIGN OFF MY R. THE CTLR THEN CLRED AN AIR JET TO TAKE OFF OF RWY 5R. I CAME ON THE RADIO AND TOLD THE CTLR WE WERE ON RWYS 5R/23L. THE CAPT CAME ON THE RADIO AND TOLD THE CTLR WE WERE AT RWY 23R. (I WAS TRYING TO SHOW THE CAPT THE SIGN THAT SAID RWY 23L AND TO EXPLAIN TO HIM WHERE WE WERE AT.) THE CTLR THEN CLRED THE ACR A JET TO TAKE OFF RWY 5R AGAIN. THE ACR A ASKED THE CTLR WHERE THE ACR B JET WAS AND THE CTLR TOLD THEM WE WERE AT RWY 23R AND THAT WAS NOT AN ACTIVE RWY IN THIS KIND OF WX. I CAME BACK ON THE RADIO AND TOLD THE CTLR WE WERE AT RWYS 5R/23L AT THAT POINT THE ACR A JET SAID THEY WERE NOT TAKING OFF UNTIL 'WE KNEW WHERE ACR B IS.' I THEN TOLD THE CTLR I HAD A SIGN FOR RWY 23L AND A TAXI SIGN ON MY R AND L. SHE THEN TOLD US TO TAXI TO TXWY K L K1 UP RWY 16 L TXWY C TO THE GATE AND LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU ARE AT THE GATE. WE TAXIED AND I TOLD THE TWR WHEN WE WERE AT THE GATE. I BELIEVE THE PROB WAS CAUSED BY LOW VISIBILITY, RVR 1200 FT POOR LAYOUT OF ARPT SIGNS NOT WELL LIT, THE FACT THAT I CALLED THE COMPANY AND PUT MY HEAD DOWN WHEN I SHOULD HAVE STAYED WITH THE CAPT TAXIING, ALSO WHEN THE CAPT WASN'T SURE HE SHOULD HAVE STOPPED AND ASKED ME OR THE TWR AND NOT CONTINUED TO TAXI. I SHOULD NOT HAVE PUT MY HEAD DOWN TO CALL THE COMPANY ESPECIALLY IN THE LOW VISIBILITY. I SHOULD HAVE STAYED WITH THE CAPT WHILE HE WAS TAXIING. HAD I DONE THAT I WOULD HAVE SEEN HE WAS TAKING A WRONG TURN. ALSO THE CAPT SHOULD HAVE STOPPED AND ASKED WHEN HE WAS NO LONGER SURE WHERE HE WAS. TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE, 1) BETTER ARPT SIGNS LIGHTING, 2) BOTH OF YOU STAY HEADS OUT AND TAXIING TILL AT THE APRON, 3) WHEN NOT SURE OF TAXIING INSTRUCTION OR WHERE YOU ARE AT, STOP THE PLANE AND ASK FOR INSTRUCTION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 456754: FLEW A CAT II ILS RWY 5R AT PVD. LOW VISIBILITY AT NIGHT. ARPT PVD. TURNED OFF ON TXWY N. TURNED S ON TXWY B. STOPPED WITH NOSE OF ACFT ESTIMATED 3-4 FT INTO RWY 5R. DID NOT SEE HOLD SHORT LINE, JUST PAST BLUE LIGHTS (LAST ONE). WE CALLED THE TWR AND ADVISED. MY COPLT WAS WITH HEADS DOWN FROM THE TIME PRIOR TO MY TURNING ONTO TXWY B. I BECAME UNCERTAIN OF MY POS ON THE ARPT DUE TO POOR VISIBILITY, DARKNESS AND LACK OF VISUAL CUES. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS 2 MAN CREW, WITH 1 PLT OUT OF THE LOOP, CHK AND BAL NOT IN EXISTENCE DUE TO COPLT CALLING RAMP TO GET GATE INFO. I FEEL IF COPLT WAS AVAILABLE TO BACK ME UP, THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVERTED. ALSO, IF THE RWY NUMBER PAINTED ON A HOLD SHORT LINE WOULD HAVE MADE RWY IDENT EASY. A BUCKET OF PAINT WOULD HAVE DONE IT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 456581: AT DEP END OF RWY 5R PVD, WE HEARD ENOUGH OF A CONVERSATION BTWN AN ACR Y FLT AND TWR TO KNOW THAT THE ACR Y ACFT WAS CONFUSED AND COULD BE ON OR NEAR RWY 5R. WE WERE THEN ISSUED A TKOF CLRNC, WHICH WE REFUSED TO TAKE UNTIL THE ACFT WAS SAFELY AT THE GATE. THE ACFT WAS AT SOME POINT ON RWY 5R.

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.