Narrative:

As a line check airman, I was observing an annual line check. Situation: the crew was taxiing from the ramp in cdg to depart runway 8L. The captain had never flown from cdg and the first officer had flown from the airport a few times. However, he had never departed from runway 8L. It was an overcast night and no moonlight. The crew recognized the above limitations and were using excellent CRM to follow the very limited taxi instructions from ground control (taxi to holding point runway 8L). They asked ground control a couple of times to verify that they were following the correct route. On taxiway, the captain slowed the aircraft to almost a stop as the crew attempted to determine the correct taxiway. At that time the ground controller told us to turn right then left. In this area there are virtually no taxiway markings, lots of txwys in very close proximity, and on this flight it was very dark. The captain was aware of the possibility of getting on the wrong taxiway and asked everyone to help look outside and to not let him taxi onto the runway by mistake. As they approached the runway, they stopped the aircraft and contacted tower. Tower instructed them to line up and wait behind the landing aircraft. The crew saw the landing aircraft and did not move the aircraft. Shortly afterwards, the tower sent the landing aircraft around because he said we were too close to the runway. The first officer called the tower and said that we were clear of the runway. Tower responded that we had taxied past the hold point. The tower then told us to taxi into position and wait. He then cleared us for takeoff and we departed without incident. The crew never taxied past any visible hold point markings that any of us observed and were what appeared to be well clear of the runway when the landing aircraft was told to go around. Even though they were past the normal hold point, they were well clear of the runway at all times! Causes: taxi clearance, which did not specify which taxiway to use (normal at cdg). Virtually no taxiway markings on the south side of the airport at cdg and in the above area, lots of txwys in very close proximity to each other. No hold points marked on taxiway. A very dark night and very dark part of the airport. How to prevent a recurrence (in order of importance): 1) better taxiway markings. 2) more exact taxi instructions or published standard taxi routings. 3) more training/information for the crews about taxiing at cdg. Summary: I have been a line check airman in the A300/310 for over 6 yrs. Prior to that, I was a simulator instructor, FAA designee, and line check airman in the B727 for more than 10 yrs. As I observed this crew I saw an experienced crew (relatively new to this airport) using excellent CRM as they taxied the aircraft. I also had my taxi diagram out and felt they were following the proper route. I feel that they were well clear of the runway when the tower told the other aircraft to go around. The taxiway markings and taxi clrncs must be improved at cdg or incidents such as this will continue to occur. It is not unusual for aircraft to get on the wrong taxiway at cdg as I have flown from cdg a number of times and have heard ground control having to give progressive taxi instructions to aircraft from all airlines.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A310-200 CREW HAD RWY INCURSION AT LFPG.

Narrative: AS A LINE CHK AIRMAN, I WAS OBSERVING AN ANNUAL LINE CHK. SIT: THE CREW WAS TAXIING FROM THE RAMP IN CDG TO DEPART RWY 8L. THE CAPT HAD NEVER FLOWN FROM CDG AND THE FO HAD FLOWN FROM THE ARPT A FEW TIMES. HOWEVER, HE HAD NEVER DEPARTED FROM RWY 8L. IT WAS AN OVCST NIGHT AND NO MOONLIGHT. THE CREW RECOGNIZED THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS AND WERE USING EXCELLENT CRM TO FOLLOW THE VERY LIMITED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS FROM GND CTL (TAXI TO HOLDING POINT RWY 8L). THEY ASKED GND CTL A COUPLE OF TIMES TO VERIFY THAT THEY WERE FOLLOWING THE CORRECT RTE. ON TXWY, THE CAPT SLOWED THE ACFT TO ALMOST A STOP AS THE CREW ATTEMPTED TO DETERMINE THE CORRECT TXWY. AT THAT TIME THE GND CTLR TOLD US TO TURN R THEN L. IN THIS AREA THERE ARE VIRTUALLY NO TXWY MARKINGS, LOTS OF TXWYS IN VERY CLOSE PROX, AND ON THIS FLT IT WAS VERY DARK. THE CAPT WAS AWARE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF GETTING ON THE WRONG TXWY AND ASKED EVERYONE TO HELP LOOK OUTSIDE AND TO NOT LET HIM TAXI ONTO THE RWY BY MISTAKE. AS THEY APCHED THE RWY, THEY STOPPED THE ACFT AND CONTACTED TWR. TWR INSTRUCTED THEM TO LINE UP AND WAIT BEHIND THE LNDG ACFT. THE CREW SAW THE LNDG ACFT AND DID NOT MOVE THE ACFT. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, THE TWR SENT THE LNDG ACFT AROUND BECAUSE HE SAID WE WERE TOO CLOSE TO THE RWY. THE FO CALLED THE TWR AND SAID THAT WE WERE CLR OF THE RWY. TWR RESPONDED THAT WE HAD TAXIED PAST THE HOLD POINT. THE TWR THEN TOLD US TO TAXI INTO POS AND WAIT. HE THEN CLRED US FOR TKOF AND WE DEPARTED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE CREW NEVER TAXIED PAST ANY VISIBLE HOLD POINT MARKINGS THAT ANY OF US OBSERVED AND WERE WHAT APPEARED TO BE WELL CLR OF THE RWY WHEN THE LNDG ACFT WAS TOLD TO GO AROUND. EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE PAST THE NORMAL HOLD POINT, THEY WERE WELL CLR OF THE RWY AT ALL TIMES! CAUSES: TAXI CLRNC, WHICH DID NOT SPECIFY WHICH TXWY TO USE (NORMAL AT CDG). VIRTUALLY NO TXWY MARKINGS ON THE S SIDE OF THE ARPT AT CDG AND IN THE ABOVE AREA, LOTS OF TXWYS IN VERY CLOSE PROX TO EACH OTHER. NO HOLD POINTS MARKED ON TXWY. A VERY DARK NIGHT AND VERY DARK PART OF THE ARPT. HOW TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE (IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE): 1) BETTER TXWY MARKINGS. 2) MORE EXACT TAXI INSTRUCTIONS OR PUBLISHED STANDARD TAXI ROUTINGS. 3) MORE TRAINING/INFO FOR THE CREWS ABOUT TAXIING AT CDG. SUMMARY: I HAVE BEEN A LINE CHK AIRMAN IN THE A300/310 FOR OVER 6 YRS. PRIOR TO THAT, I WAS A SIMULATOR INSTRUCTOR, FAA DESIGNEE, AND LINE CHK AIRMAN IN THE B727 FOR MORE THAN 10 YRS. AS I OBSERVED THIS CREW I SAW AN EXPERIENCED CREW (RELATIVELY NEW TO THIS ARPT) USING EXCELLENT CRM AS THEY TAXIED THE ACFT. I ALSO HAD MY TAXI DIAGRAM OUT AND FELT THEY WERE FOLLOWING THE PROPER RTE. I FEEL THAT THEY WERE WELL CLR OF THE RWY WHEN THE TWR TOLD THE OTHER ACFT TO GO AROUND. THE TXWY MARKINGS AND TAXI CLRNCS MUST BE IMPROVED AT CDG OR INCIDENTS SUCH AS THIS WILL CONTINUE TO OCCUR. IT IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR ACFT TO GET ON THE WRONG TXWY AT CDG AS I HAVE FLOWN FROM CDG A NUMBER OF TIMES AND HAVE HEARD GND CTL HAVING TO GIVE PROGRESSIVE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO ACFT FROM ALL AIRLINES.

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.