Narrative:

We were given taxi out instructions from terminal C at sjc to runway 12R via taxiway Z. While taxiing out, the relatively new first officer was finishing his taxi out duties and I was devoting my attention to taxiing and periodically reviewing the airport/taxiway diagram page since I'd never taxied to this runway before. When I looked ahead, I didn't see where the hard surface ended at taxiway Z. So I continued taxiing until I came to a dimly lit hold short sign. I stopped the aircraft and then realized we had taxied slightly past taxiway K. What confused me was the hard surface of taxiway Z continues to the northwest past taxiway K all the way to a rectangular shape pad on the north side of the field. This does not agree with the airport diagram which shows the pavement ending slightly past taxiway K. I was counting on seeing the end of taxiway Z and turning before that point. Since I never saw the end of the hard surface, I missed the turn. Fortunately, I stopped at the hold short sign on taxiway Z. Unfortunately, we were in a position which we couldn't make a 180 degree turn to get back to taxiway Z/K intersection. We did the smart thing and called for a tug to push us back a few ft so we could turn left on taxiway K. Lessons learned: use all available resources for taxi at unfamiliar/new airports to determine your route. Make sure the first officer is following/double checking your taxi progress. If needed, ask for a 'progressive taxi' or ground control help. Advice for sjc airport diagram page: show the correct depiction of hard surface continuing on taxiway Z to the north pad with a note stating this is not a taxiway north of taxiway K. Advice for sjc airport: make the hold short sign at the end of taxiway Z bigger and brighter and place it further south on taxiway Z so an aircraft still has time to react and make a turn after seeing it. Where it sits now, it places crews at a dead end. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter revealed that the taxi clearance given was a clearance to the runway without any direction as to the route to be taken. Taxiway Z ends at the end of the terminal ramp with a service road continuing on to the freight ramp that can be seen in the distance. There are inadequate directional signs indicating that a turn is needed to proceed to the runway when you can see aircraft straight ahead on the freight ramp and what appears to be a taxiway ahead. Construction is in progress at the airport but the nonstandard signs in use appear to be permanent and not involved with construction or a temporary condition.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 PLT MISTAKES ROADWAY FOR TXWY AT SJC.

Narrative: WE WERE GIVEN TAXI OUT INSTRUCTIONS FROM TERMINAL C AT SJC TO RWY 12R VIA TXWY Z. WHILE TAXIING OUT, THE RELATIVELY NEW FO WAS FINISHING HIS TAXI OUT DUTIES AND I WAS DEVOTING MY ATTENTION TO TAXIING AND PERIODICALLY REVIEWING THE ARPT/TXWY DIAGRAM PAGE SINCE I'D NEVER TAXIED TO THIS RWY BEFORE. WHEN I LOOKED AHEAD, I DIDN'T SEE WHERE THE HARD SURFACE ENDED AT TXWY Z. SO I CONTINUED TAXIING UNTIL I CAME TO A DIMLY LIT HOLD SHORT SIGN. I STOPPED THE ACFT AND THEN REALIZED WE HAD TAXIED SLIGHTLY PAST TXWY K. WHAT CONFUSED ME WAS THE HARD SURFACE OF TXWY Z CONTINUES TO THE NW PAST TXWY K ALL THE WAY TO A RECTANGULAR SHAPE PAD ON THE N SIDE OF THE FIELD. THIS DOES NOT AGREE WITH THE ARPT DIAGRAM WHICH SHOWS THE PAVEMENT ENDING SLIGHTLY PAST TXWY K. I WAS COUNTING ON SEEING THE END OF TXWY Z AND TURNING BEFORE THAT POINT. SINCE I NEVER SAW THE END OF THE HARD SURFACE, I MISSED THE TURN. FORTUNATELY, I STOPPED AT THE HOLD SHORT SIGN ON TXWY Z. UNFORTUNATELY, WE WERE IN A POS WHICH WE COULDN'T MAKE A 180 DEG TURN TO GET BACK TO TXWY Z/K INTXN. WE DID THE SMART THING AND CALLED FOR A TUG TO PUSH US BACK A FEW FT SO WE COULD TURN L ON TXWY K. LESSONS LEARNED: USE ALL AVAILABLE RESOURCES FOR TAXI AT UNFAMILIAR/NEW ARPTS TO DETERMINE YOUR ROUTE. MAKE SURE THE FO IS FOLLOWING/DOUBLE CHECKING YOUR TAXI PROGRESS. IF NEEDED, ASK FOR A 'PROGRESSIVE TAXI' OR GND CTL HELP. ADVICE FOR SJC ARPT DIAGRAM PAGE: SHOW THE CORRECT DEPICTION OF HARD SURFACE CONTINUING ON TXWY Z TO THE N PAD WITH A NOTE STATING THIS IS NOT A TXWY N OF TXWY K. ADVICE FOR SJC ARPT: MAKE THE HOLD SHORT SIGN AT THE END OF TXWY Z BIGGER AND BRIGHTER AND PLACE IT FURTHER S ON TXWY Z SO AN ACFT STILL HAS TIME TO REACT AND MAKE A TURN AFTER SEEING IT. WHERE IT SITS NOW, IT PLACES CREWS AT A DEAD END. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR REVEALED THAT THE TAXI CLRNC GIVEN WAS A CLRNC TO THE RWY WITHOUT ANY DIRECTION AS TO THE ROUTE TO BE TAKEN. TXWY Z ENDS AT THE END OF THE TERMINAL RAMP WITH A SVC ROAD CONTINUING ON TO THE FREIGHT RAMP THAT CAN BE SEEN IN THE DISTANCE. THERE ARE INADEQUATE DIRECTIONAL SIGNS INDICATING THAT A TURN IS NEEDED TO PROCEED TO THE RWY WHEN YOU CAN SEE ACFT STRAIGHT AHEAD ON THE FREIGHT RAMP AND WHAT APPEARS TO BE A TXWY AHEAD. CONSTRUCTION IS IN PROGRESS AT THE ARPT BUT THE NONSTANDARD SIGNS IN USE APPEAR TO BE PERMANENT AND NOT INVOLVED WITH CONSTRUCTION OR A TEMPORARY CONDITION.

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.