Narrative:

Leg was to ont. Landing on runway 26R at ontario. The taxiway north was closed from txwys P to K. Our landing roll took us beyond taxiway P and tower gave us a left turn off at taxiway K to turn east on taxiway M. As we were turning off the tower advised there were no lights on the taxiway but there were reflectors. After clearing the runway, I initiated the 'cleanup' checklist and turned off the landing lights but left the turn off light on. I was looking for the taxiway reflectors but did not see them as I slowed. I then picked up the white centerline light on runway 26L and thinking they were the reflectors I continued to roll forward. I recognized something was wrong about the time the first officer advised me we were taxiing onto runway 26L. Tower immediately sent around a twin on short final and told us to taxi up the runway to taxiway P and cross runway 26R and proceed to the gate. I called tower after parking and explained I did not see the reflectors. Subsequent aircraft who passed taxiway P were directed to back taxi on the runway. I believe the problem was three-fold. First the taxiway wasn't lighted and there were no runway hold short lights on taxiway K short of runway 26L. Second, it is a very short distance from runway 26R to taxiway M. Third, I took my attention off taxiing to turn off the lights before I had the taxiway idented. I should have stopped right after clearing the runway until I had my bearings and was sure of the proper taxiway. Supplemental information from acn 573447: visual to runway 26R at ont, ca. Landing uneventful. Tower asked us to turn left at F to join taxiway M. As we are taxiing off the runway, captain asks for flaps up clean up. As we are turning, tower informs us that taxiway M is unlit and difficult to see. I look down at my 10-9 page then look outside. As I bring my eyes to what is in front of us, I cannot see any signs or markings for taxiway M. As we approach what seemed like a lighted taxiway, I look left and see an aircraft on final for runway 26L and tell the captain to stop. I tell him we are on runway 26L. Tower then directs a go around for a twin aircraft on final. The runway intersection of F and runway 26L did not have the normal runway incursion lights to grab our attention. It was the centerline lights that I could first see. Tower told us it looked like we were on 26L and to stop. Then they directed us to taxi down runway 26L to K, and turn left between the runways. Then we taxied back without further event. Tower said nothing more. The captain called tower after arriving at the gate. Tower said there would be no complaint filed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter indicated that taxiway 'M' at ont is not lighted and only served by edge and centerline reflectors. The close proximity of the taxiway to the landing runway plus the turn off angle, made sighting the reflectors very difficult. He also revealed that the taxi route assigned to his aircraft was nonstandard and subsequent landing aircraft were issued different instructions. The reporter reflected that airports serving air carriers should have lighted txwys and improved markings, especially when near active runways.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER LNDG AT ONT ON RWY 26R, A B737 CREW MISTAKENLY TAXIED ONTO THE PARALLEL RWY 26L, DURING A NIGHT OP.

Narrative: LEG WAS TO ONT. LNDG ON RWY 26R AT ONTARIO. THE TXWY N WAS CLOSED FROM TXWYS P TO K. OUR LNDG ROLL TOOK US BEYOND TXWY P AND TWR GAVE US A L TURN OFF AT TXWY K TO TURN E ON TXWY M. AS WE WERE TURNING OFF THE TWR ADVISED THERE WERE NO LIGHTS ON THE TXWY BUT THERE WERE REFLECTORS. AFTER CLRING THE RWY, I INITIATED THE 'CLEANUP' CHKLIST AND TURNED OFF THE LNDG LIGHTS BUT LEFT THE TURN OFF LIGHT ON. I WAS LOOKING FOR THE TXWY REFLECTORS BUT DID NOT SEE THEM AS I SLOWED. I THEN PICKED UP THE WHITE CTRLINE LIGHT ON RWY 26L AND THINKING THEY WERE THE REFLECTORS I CONTINUED TO ROLL FORWARD. I RECOGNIZED SOMETHING WAS WRONG ABOUT THE TIME THE FO ADVISED ME WE WERE TAXIING ONTO RWY 26L. TWR IMMEDIATELY SENT AROUND A TWIN ON SHORT FINAL AND TOLD US TO TAXI UP THE RWY TO TXWY P AND CROSS RWY 26R AND PROCEED TO THE GATE. I CALLED TWR AFTER PARKING AND EXPLAINED I DID NOT SEE THE REFLECTORS. SUBSEQUENT ACFT WHO PASSED TXWY P WERE DIRECTED TO BACK TAXI ON THE RWY. I BELIEVE THE PROB WAS THREE-FOLD. FIRST THE TXWY WASN'T LIGHTED AND THERE WERE NO RWY HOLD SHORT LIGHTS ON TXWY K SHORT OF RWY 26L. SECOND, IT IS A VERY SHORT DISTANCE FROM RWY 26R TO TXWY M. THIRD, I TOOK MY ATTN OFF TAXIING TO TURN OFF THE LIGHTS BEFORE I HAD THE TXWY IDENTED. I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED RIGHT AFTER CLRING THE RWY UNTIL I HAD MY BEARINGS AND WAS SURE OF THE PROPER TXWY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 573447: VISUAL TO RWY 26R AT ONT, CA. LNDG UNEVENTFUL. TWR ASKED US TO TURN LEFT AT F TO JOIN TXWY M. AS WE ARE TAXIING OFF THE RWY, CAPT ASKS FOR FLAPS UP CLEAN UP. AS WE ARE TURNING, TWR INFORMS US THAT TXWY M IS UNLIT AND DIFFICULT TO SEE. I LOOK DOWN AT MY 10-9 PAGE THEN LOOK OUTSIDE. AS I BRING MY EYES TO WHAT IS IN FRONT OF US, I CANNOT SEE ANY SIGNS OR MARKINGS FOR TXWY M. AS WE APCH WHAT SEEMED LIKE A LIGHTED TXWY, I LOOK LEFT AND SEE AN ACFT ON FINAL FOR RWY 26L AND TELL THE CAPT TO STOP. I TELL HIM WE ARE ON RWY 26L. TWR THEN DIRECTS A GAR FOR A TWIN ACFT ON FINAL. THE RWY INTXN OF F AND RWY 26L DID NOT HAVE THE NORMAL RWY INCURSION LIGHTS TO GRAB OUR ATTENTION. IT WAS THE CENTERLINE LIGHTS THAT I COULD FIRST SEE. TWR TOLD US IT LOOKED LIKE WE WERE ON 26L AND TO STOP. THEN THEY DIRECTED US TO TAXI DOWN RWY 26L TO K, AND TURN L BTWN THE RWYS. THEN WE TAXIED BACK WITHOUT FURTHER EVENT. TWR SAID NOTHING MORE. THE CAPT CALLED TWR AFTER ARRIVING AT THE GATE. TWR SAID THERE WOULD BE NO COMPLAINT FILED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR INDICATED THAT TXWY 'M' AT ONT IS NOT LIGHTED AND ONLY SERVED BY EDGE AND CENTERLINE REFLECTORS. THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE TXWY TO THE LNDG RWY PLUS THE TURN OFF ANGLE, MADE SIGHTING THE REFLECTORS VERY DIFFICULT. HE ALSO REVEALED THAT THE TAXI RTE ASSIGNED TO HIS ACFT WAS NONSTANDARD AND SUBSEQUENT LNDG ACFT WERE ISSUED DIFFERENT INSTRUCTIONS. THE RPTR REFLECTED THAT ARPTS SERVING AIR CARRIERS SHOULD HAVE LIGHTED TXWYS AND IMPROVED MARKINGS, ESPECIALLY WHEN NEAR ACTIVE RWYS.

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.