Narrative:

Aircraft pushed off gate abc tail south. An airbus pushed off approximately cde at the same time tail north. ATC instructions were to turn left on K to Y to runway 22L. The airbus continued to push back further to the north exposing what appeared to be K-12. We made the left turn per ATC with the taxi lights initially off as a courtesy to the other aircraft. As the turn was made the taxi light was turned on revealing that we were heading towards the closed hard surface taxiway between K-11 and K-12. The blue taxi light/reflector on the right side was missing making it appear to be an entry onto the taxiway. The aircraft was brought to a stop so as to not disturb the passengers or the flight attendant's. We notified ground control of our position and called operations for a marshaller/tug to ensure clearance from any potential obstacles. The aircraft was pushed back onto K taxiway, tail south. Maintenance verified that the aircraft was good to go and that nothing was damaged on the taxiway or aircraft. Dispatch was consulted via radio to update fuel status and the flight continued onto mke. Passengers were briefed during the entire delay which resulted in a 39 min late arrival in mke. Better lighting and/or markings in that area for night operations would help eliminate this from happening again. The tug driver indicated to us that this had happened a number of times before. Dtw NOTAMS did not indicate taxi lights/reflector outages in the vicinity of K-11 or K-12. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the PIC remarked that the airbus blocked his view of the K-12 taxiway sign. That, along with the missing reflector to the right of the taxiway center line at K-12 led his aircraft to be steered too far to the left, encroaching upon the non-taxi area left of K-12. He had his taxi lights off so as not to blind other traffic and did not get them on until turning too far to the left. The PIC had notified his company, who said they will now keep track of any events parallel to this one. He had also notified his union. So far as airport reactions, he said that there was another reflector placed by K-12, but that is not enough. He says a light is needed there to keep this from being another 'sucker hole.' he also recommended a series of markings on the taxiway for improved guidance.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC-9-50 PIC EXPERIENCES A TXWY EXCURSION WHEN BECOMING DISORIENTATED DURING NIGHT OP AT DTW, MI.

Narrative: ACFT PUSHED OFF GATE ABC TAIL S. AN AIRBUS PUSHED OFF APPROX CDE AT THE SAME TIME TAIL N. ATC INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO TURN L ON K TO Y TO RWY 22L. THE AIRBUS CONTINUED TO PUSH BACK FURTHER TO THE N EXPOSING WHAT APPEARED TO BE K-12. WE MADE THE L TURN PER ATC WITH THE TAXI LIGHTS INITIALLY OFF AS A COURTESY TO THE OTHER ACFT. AS THE TURN WAS MADE THE TAXI LIGHT WAS TURNED ON REVEALING THAT WE WERE HEADING TOWARDS THE CLOSED HARD SURFACE TXWY BTWN K-11 AND K-12. THE BLUE TAXI LIGHT/REFLECTOR ON THE RIGHT SIDE WAS MISSING MAKING IT APPEAR TO BE AN ENTRY ONTO THE TXWY. THE ACFT WAS BROUGHT TO A STOP SO AS TO NOT DISTURB THE PASSENGERS OR THE FA'S. WE NOTIFIED GND CTL OF OUR POSITION AND CALLED OPS FOR A MARSHALLER/TUG TO ENSURE CLRNC FROM ANY POTENTIAL OBSTACLES. THE ACFT WAS PUSHED BACK ONTO K TXWY, TAIL S. MAINT VERIFIED THAT THE ACFT WAS GOOD TO GO AND THAT NOTHING WAS DAMAGED ON THE TXWY OR ACFT. DISPATCH WAS CONSULTED VIA RADIO TO UPDATE FUEL STATUS AND THE FLT CONTINUED ONTO MKE. PASSENGERS WERE BRIEFED DURING THE ENTIRE DELAY WHICH RESULTED IN A 39 MIN LATE ARR IN MKE. BETTER LIGHTING AND/OR MARKINGS IN THAT AREA FOR NIGHT OPS WOULD HELP ELIMINATE THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. THE TUG DRIVER INDICATED TO US THAT THIS HAD HAPPENED A NUMBER OF TIMES BEFORE. DTW NOTAMS DID NOT INDICATE TAXI LIGHTS/REFLECTOR OUTAGES IN THE VICINITY OF K-11 OR K-12. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE PIC REMARKED THAT THE AIRBUS BLOCKED HIS VIEW OF THE K-12 TXWY SIGN. THAT, ALONG WITH THE MISSING REFLECTOR TO THE R OF THE TXWY CENTER LINE AT K-12 LED HIS ACFT TO BE STEERED TOO FAR TO THE LEFT, ENCROACHING UPON THE NON-TAXI AREA LEFT OF K-12. HE HAD HIS TAXI LIGHTS OFF SO AS NOT TO BLIND OTHER TFC AND DID NOT GET THEM ON UNTIL TURNING TOO FAR TO THE LEFT. THE PIC HAD NOTIFIED HIS COMPANY, WHO SAID THEY WILL NOW KEEP TRACK OF ANY EVENTS PARALLEL TO THIS ONE. HE HAD ALSO NOTIFIED HIS UNION. SO FAR AS ARPT REACTIONS, HE SAID THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER REFLECTOR PLACED BY K-12, BUT THAT IS NOT ENOUGH. HE SAYS A LIGHT IS NEEDED THERE TO KEEP THIS FROM BEING ANOTHER 'SUCKER HOLE.' HE ALSO RECOMMENDED A SERIES OF MARKINGS ON THE TXWY FOR IMPROVED GUIDANCE.

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.