Narrative:

During night landing at phx (a routine operation for me and an airport I have landed at during day and night), I turned off the runway and thought I was on a taxiway, but had actually turned off into a paved 'intermediate' area between runway and taxiway. No damage occurred. All the signs and markings are really meant for large aircraft which have relatively high cockpits. With runways/txwys so wide, ctrlines so huge, lights spaced out so far apart, and low area lighting, it is to easy to accidentally mistake txwys. It is difficult to discern what one is turning onto. Consider: landing at phx is high stress! One is not doing a standard approach to landing. The aircraft is normally landing at a speed a vast amount higher than typical due to the need to maintain maximum forward velocity on final. (I've crossed the threshold at well over 120 KTS, once, while normally landing v-spd is approximately 62 KTS.) also, one must realize the pilot knows he has several very large planes behind him rushing in to land. While there are maps of the airport runways/txwys, no one can memorize every single taxiway. Simply: there needs to be a more 'obvious' way to indicate a runway exit, such as a taxiway, at night. Even with landing lights on, it is hard to discern txwys. An element of doubt exists when one sees the taxiway junction sign but can't see what he/she is turning into. Suggestion: perhaps class B airports should utilize the green centerline lights that are used for larger aircraft to assist them in finding the txwys during IMC. Having the green lights (perhaps a pair) 'show' us the way off the runway will help expedite the process safely and quickly as we would now have something to 'shoot for' during landing phase.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW TIME PVT PLT TAXIES OFF RWY AT A POINT THAT IS NOT A TXWY AT PHX, AZ.

Narrative: DURING NIGHT LNDG AT PHX (A ROUTINE OP FOR ME AND AN ARPT I HAVE LANDED AT DURING DAY AND NIGHT), I TURNED OFF THE RWY AND THOUGHT I WAS ON A TXWY, BUT HAD ACTUALLY TURNED OFF INTO A PAVED 'INTERMEDIATE' AREA BTWN RWY AND TXWY. NO DAMAGE OCCURRED. ALL THE SIGNS AND MARKINGS ARE REALLY MEANT FOR LARGE ACFT WHICH HAVE RELATIVELY HIGH COCKPITS. WITH RWYS/TXWYS SO WIDE, CTRLINES SO HUGE, LIGHTS SPACED OUT SO FAR APART, AND LOW AREA LIGHTING, IT IS TO EASY TO ACCIDENTALLY MISTAKE TXWYS. IT IS DIFFICULT TO DISCERN WHAT ONE IS TURNING ONTO. CONSIDER: LNDG AT PHX IS HIGH STRESS! ONE IS NOT DOING A STANDARD APCH TO LNDG. THE ACFT IS NORMALLY LNDG AT A SPD A VAST AMOUNT HIGHER THAN TYPICAL DUE TO THE NEED TO MAINTAIN MAX FORWARD VELOCITY On FINAL. (I'VE CROSSED THE THRESHOLD AT WELL OVER 120 KTS, ONCE, WHILE NORMALLY LNDG V-SPD IS APPROX 62 KTS.) ALSO, ONE MUST REALIZE THE PLT KNOWS HE HAS SEVERAL VERY LARGE PLANES BEHIND HIM RUSHING IN TO LAND. WHILE THERE ARE MAPS OF THE ARPT RWYS/TXWYS, NO ONE CAN MEMORIZE EVERY SINGLE TXWY. SIMPLY: THERE NEEDS TO BE A MORE 'OBVIOUS' WAY TO INDICATE A RWY EXIT, SUCH AS A TXWY, AT NIGHT. EVEN WITH LNDG LIGHTS ON, IT IS HARD TO DISCERN TXWYS. AN ELEMENT OF DOUBT EXISTS WHEN ONE SEES THE TXWY JUNCTION SIGN BUT CAN'T SEE WHAT HE/SHE IS TURNING INTO. SUGGESTION: PERHAPS CLASS B ARPTS SHOULD UTILIZE THE GREEN CTRLINE LIGHTS THAT ARE USED FOR LARGER ACFT TO ASSIST THEM IN FINDING THE TXWYS DURING IMC. HAVING THE GREEN LIGHTS (PERHAPS A PAIR) 'SHOW' US THE WAY OFF THE RWY WILL HELP EXPEDITE THE PROCESS SAFELY AND QUICKLY AS WE WOULD NOW HAVE SOMETHING TO 'SHOOT FOR' DURING LNDG PHASE.

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.