Narrative:

After landing runway 32 at pit, slowing to taxi speed I transferred control to captain. Local controller asked us what our gate was, I responded, after captain reminded me, gate xyz. Local instructed us exit end of runway to the left and contact ground. After we cleared runway I contacted and taxi instructions were p-r-east and other txwys to the gate. After I wrote and responded back the instructions to ground, we then realized we already passed taxiway 'P' and were on 'N5', which led us to a vacated hangar area. Ground advised us that earlier in that evening an MD80 did the same thing, he did a 180 degree and taxied out of the area, after we both evaluated and assessed the situation we decided the area was too tight to complete a 180 degree, we called for maintenance. They met us approximately in 15 min and used a tug with tow bar to back us up to an angle, maintenance disconnected the tow bar and we taxied out on our own to the gate. After reviewing this situation again I realized that taxiway 'P' is an immediate left turn after exiting runway. (Tail of aircraft is still on active runway as we make that immediate turn.) also I did not observe any taxiway/runway holding position markings or runway safety area markings as we exited runway 32 to make sure our aircraft was totally clear of runway. Corrective actions of ways to prevent this from future occurrences (since it happened at least twice that same evening and possibly more in the past) is to have taxiway markings/lights or a sign to advise flight crewmembers that taxiway 'N5' is not for air carrier operations, especially if this taxiway only leads to a vacated hangar.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A-321 CREW MISSED TXWY P TURNING OFF TO THE L. AT THE END OF RWY 32 AT PIT. CREW DID NOT SEE RWY HOLD SHORT MARKINGS OR TXWY SIGNS IN THE AREA.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG RWY 32 AT PIT, SLOWING TO TAXI SPEED I TRANSFERRED CONTROL TO CAPT. LOCAL CTLR ASKED US WHAT OUR GATE WAS, I RESPONDED, AFTER CAPT REMINDED ME, GATE XYZ. LOCAL INSTRUCTED US EXIT END OF RWY TO THE L AND CONTACT GND. AFTER WE CLRED RWY I CONTACTED AND TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WERE P-R-E AND OTHER TXWYS TO THE GATE. AFTER I WROTE AND RESPONDED BACK THE INSTRUCTIONS TO GND, WE THEN REALIZED WE ALREADY PASSED TXWY 'P' AND WERE ON 'N5', WHICH LED US TO A VACATED HANGAR AREA. GND ADVISED US THAT EARLIER IN THAT EVENING AN MD80 DID THE SAME THING, HE DID A 180 DEG AND TAXIED OUT OF THE AREA, AFTER WE BOTH EVALUATED AND ASSESSED THE SIT WE DECIDED THE AREA WAS TOO TIGHT TO COMPLETE A 180 DEG, WE CALLED FOR MAINT. THEY MET US APPROX IN 15 MIN AND USED A TUG WITH TOW BAR TO BACK US UP TO AN ANGLE, MAINT DISCONNECTED THE TOW BAR AND WE TAXIED OUT ON OUR OWN TO THE GATE. AFTER REVIEWING THIS SIT AGAIN I REALIZED THAT TXWY 'P' IS AN IMMEDIATE LEFT TURN AFTER EXITING RWY. (TAIL OF ACFT IS STILL ON ACTIVE RWY AS WE MAKE THAT IMMEDIATE TURN.) ALSO I DID NOT OBSERVE ANY TXWY/RWY HOLDING POSITION MARKINGS OR RWY SAFETY AREA MARKINGS AS WE EXITED RWY 32 TO MAKE SURE OUR ACFT WAS TOTALLY CLR OF RWY. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS OF WAYS TO PREVENT THIS FROM FUTURE OCCURRENCES (SINCE IT HAPPENED AT LEAST TWICE THAT SAME EVENING AND POSSIBLY MORE IN THE PAST) IS TO HAVE TXWY MARKINGS/LIGHTS OR A SIGN TO ADVISE FLT CREWMEMBERS THAT TXWY 'N5' IS NOT FOR ACR OPS, ESPECIALLY IF THIS TXWY ONLY LEADS TO A VACATED HANGAR.

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.