Narrative:

Cleared to taxi to holding point runway 27. Taxiing eastbound on taxiway B, told to remain on taxiway B, which is furthest parallel from runway 27 and normally for opposite direction. Taxiway signage and lighting was very poor. We missed our turn to runway 27, fooled by a bright white light that we thought was an aircraft in position to take off on runway 27. We continued eastbound and realized that we had missed our turn. The bright white light was not an aircraft, but some sort of construction lighting. We switched radio back to ground control and informed them of our position on taxiway Q. I was approaching a circular bypass taxiway midway on taxiway Q. I saw an opportunity to turn around. I turned right approximately 45 degrees and then left. At the same time, ground advised us to continue on taxiway Q to runway 26R. We complied and taxied to runway 26R and took off. Upon shutdown in frankfurt, the mechanic noticed gouges on tires number 3 and 7. I went to look. Blue glass was in 1 gouge. I believe we ran over a corner taxiway light when I taxied to the right on taxiway Q in paris. 2 tires were changed in frankfurt. We flew back to paris that night. I reported the taxi incident to the company. Supplemental information from acn 483790: during taxi from our cdg ramp to runway 27 using taxiway B (more distant parallel taxiway from the runway), we missed the left turn that would have led us to the approach end of the runway. Despite having taxi diagrams open, the nighttime conditions, unfamiliarity, poor signage, and a bright white light ahead and to the left (which we believed to be a departing aircraft) led us to believe that the end of runway 27 was still ahead. Continuing straight ahead on taxiway Q, when we crested a small rise in the taxiway and saw a curve to the right ahead we realized we had missed our turn. I switched the radio back from tower to ground who informed us that we had missed our turn and would provide further instructions momentarily. Aching the right turn on taxiway Q and seeing the split in the taxiway at that point, the captain steered the aircraft toward the right in anticipation of a possible 180 degree turn at that wider portion of the taxiway. Ground control then instructed us to continue straight ahead, expect runway 26R departure. Remainder of flight uneventful. Upon landing in fra, maintenance informed us that the 2 inboard tires on the right main gear would have to be changed. There was found to be a gouge and some mud in each tire and blue glass in 1 tire. We assumed that it was during the maneuvering on taxiway Q in cdg that this occurred.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD11 CREW MISSED A TXWY TURN AT LFPG AND HAD TIRE DAMAGE OFF THE HARD SURFACE.

Narrative: CLRED TO TAXI TO HOLDING POINT RWY 27. TAXIING EBOUND ON TXWY B, TOLD TO REMAIN ON TXWY B, WHICH IS FURTHEST PARALLEL FROM RWY 27 AND NORMALLY FOR OPPOSITE DIRECTION. TXWY SIGNAGE AND LIGHTING WAS VERY POOR. WE MISSED OUR TURN TO RWY 27, FOOLED BY A BRIGHT WHITE LIGHT THAT WE THOUGHT WAS AN ACFT IN POS TO TAKE OFF ON RWY 27. WE CONTINUED EBOUND AND REALIZED THAT WE HAD MISSED OUR TURN. THE BRIGHT WHITE LIGHT WAS NOT AN ACFT, BUT SOME SORT OF CONSTRUCTION LIGHTING. WE SWITCHED RADIO BACK TO GND CTL AND INFORMED THEM OF OUR POS ON TXWY Q. I WAS APCHING A CIRCULAR BYPASS TXWY MIDWAY ON TXWY Q. I SAW AN OPPORTUNITY TO TURN AROUND. I TURNED R APPROX 45 DEGS AND THEN L. AT THE SAME TIME, GND ADVISED US TO CONTINUE ON TXWY Q TO RWY 26R. WE COMPLIED AND TAXIED TO RWY 26R AND TOOK OFF. UPON SHUTDOWN IN FRANKFURT, THE MECH NOTICED GOUGES ON TIRES NUMBER 3 AND 7. I WENT TO LOOK. BLUE GLASS WAS IN 1 GOUGE. I BELIEVE WE RAN OVER A CORNER TXWY LIGHT WHEN I TAXIED TO THE R ON TXWY Q IN PARIS. 2 TIRES WERE CHANGED IN FRANKFURT. WE FLEW BACK TO PARIS THAT NIGHT. I RPTED THE TAXI INCIDENT TO THE COMPANY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 483790: DURING TAXI FROM OUR CDG RAMP TO RWY 27 USING TXWY B (MORE DISTANT PARALLEL TXWY FROM THE RWY), WE MISSED THE L TURN THAT WOULD HAVE LED US TO THE APCH END OF THE RWY. DESPITE HAVING TAXI DIAGRAMS OPEN, THE NIGHTTIME CONDITIONS, UNFAMILIARITY, POOR SIGNAGE, AND A BRIGHT WHITE LIGHT AHEAD AND TO THE L (WHICH WE BELIEVED TO BE A DEPARTING ACFT) LED US TO BELIEVE THAT THE END OF RWY 27 WAS STILL AHEAD. CONTINUING STRAIGHT AHEAD ON TXWY Q, WHEN WE CRESTED A SMALL RISE IN THE TXWY AND SAW A CURVE TO THE R AHEAD WE REALIZED WE HAD MISSED OUR TURN. I SWITCHED THE RADIO BACK FROM TWR TO GND WHO INFORMED US THAT WE HAD MISSED OUR TURN AND WOULD PROVIDE FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS MOMENTARILY. ACHING THE R TURN ON TXWY Q AND SEEING THE SPLIT IN THE TXWY AT THAT POINT, THE CAPT STEERED THE ACFT TOWARD THE R IN ANTICIPATION OF A POSSIBLE 180 DEG TURN AT THAT WIDER PORTION OF THE TXWY. GND CTL THEN INSTRUCTED US TO CONTINUE STRAIGHT AHEAD, EXPECT RWY 26R DEP. REMAINDER OF FLT UNEVENTFUL. UPON LNDG IN FRA, MAINT INFORMED US THAT THE 2 INBOARD TIRES ON THE R MAIN GEAR WOULD HAVE TO BE CHANGED. THERE WAS FOUND TO BE A GOUGE AND SOME MUD IN EACH TIRE AND BLUE GLASS IN 1 TIRE. WE ASSUMED THAT IT WAS DURING THE MANEUVERING ON TXWY Q IN CDG THAT THIS OCCURRED.

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.