Narrative:

After landing on runway 20, we exited at taxiway C. The tower controller instructed us to 'make next right on taxiway a, left on taxiway right to company center.' the student read back the clearance as we cleaned up the airplane. We followed the taxiway line to the right and as we passed the next intersection, I realized we had mistakenly turned onto taxiway U instead of taxiway a. By that time, I could see taxiway a and where we were supposed to turn left on taxiway right. I pointed out to the student that we wre on taxiway U, and that if we turned left at the end, we would be on taxiway right as instructed. We turned onto taxiway right and taxied to the company center parking area without hearing anything from the controller. One contributing factor was the bright lights of the terminal, which tended to make it difficult to read the taxiway signs. A second contributing factor was the taxi instructions to 'make next right on taxiway...,' because our next right was in fact taxiway U. Taxiway a would have been our second right, and would have first required a slight left turn while following taxiway C. A third contributing factor was fatigue. I had instructed for almost 4 hours so far that day and was starting to feel tired. There was also an element of get thereitis, since we had reached our destination, and I needed to use the restroom. This was the second time that I had flown to ric as an instructor and I thought that I had a handle on the taxiway layout. The student and I were referring to the current airport diagram at the time. In retrospect, I should have had the student indicate that we were unfamiliar with the field, and ask for progressive taxi instructions. When I noticed that we were on the wrong taxiway, I should have had the student stop the airplane, admit our mistake and the source of the confusion, and ask the controller for further instructions. Had the airport been busy, we could have taxied into the path of another taxiing airplane. In the future, I will be more careful about allowing students to begin taxiing at unfamiliar airports if there is any question as to our assigned taxi route. I will also be sure to doublechk our position on the airport and make sure I get clarification from the controller if the taxi route assigned is unclr, even if the student thinks he knows where he's going. I will also place more instructional emphasis on looking for and interping runway/taxiway signage, rather than following the controller's directions 'make next right...' without visually verifying the proper runway/taxiway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 INSTRUCTOR PLT AND STUDENT TURNED ONTO THE WRONG TXWY AT NIGHT AT RIC.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 20, WE EXITED AT TXWY C. THE TWR CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO 'MAKE NEXT R ON TXWY A, L ON TXWY R TO COMPANY CTR.' THE STUDENT READ BACK THE CLRNC AS WE CLEANED UP THE AIRPLANE. WE FOLLOWED THE TXWY LINE TO THE R AND AS WE PASSED THE NEXT INTXN, I REALIZED WE HAD MISTAKENLY TURNED ONTO TXWY U INSTEAD OF TXWY A. BY THAT TIME, I COULD SEE TXWY A AND WHERE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO TURN L ON TXWY R. I POINTED OUT TO THE STUDENT THAT WE WRE ON TXWY U, AND THAT IF WE TURNED L AT THE END, WE WOULD BE ON TXWY R AS INSTRUCTED. WE TURNED ONTO TXWY R AND TAXIED TO THE COMPANY CTR PARKING AREA WITHOUT HEARING ANYTHING FROM THE CTLR. ONE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE BRIGHT LIGHTS OF THE TERMINAL, WHICH TENDED TO MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO READ THE TXWY SIGNS. A SECOND CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO 'MAKE NEXT R ON TXWY...,' BECAUSE OUR NEXT R WAS IN FACT TXWY U. TXWY A WOULD HAVE BEEN OUR SECOND R, AND WOULD HAVE FIRST REQUIRED A SLIGHT L TURN WHILE FOLLOWING TXWY C. A THIRD CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS FATIGUE. I HAD INSTRUCTED FOR ALMOST 4 HRS SO FAR THAT DAY AND WAS STARTING TO FEEL TIRED. THERE WAS ALSO AN ELEMENT OF GET THEREITIS, SINCE WE HAD REACHED OUR DEST, AND I NEEDED TO USE THE RESTROOM. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THAT I HAD FLOWN TO RIC AS AN INSTRUCTOR AND I THOUGHT THAT I HAD A HANDLE ON THE TXWY LAYOUT. THE STUDENT AND I WERE REFERRING TO THE CURRENT ARPT DIAGRAM AT THE TIME. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE HAD THE STUDENT INDICATE THAT WE WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE FIELD, AND ASK FOR PROGRESSIVE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. WHEN I NOTICED THAT WE WERE ON THE WRONG TXWY, I SHOULD HAVE HAD THE STUDENT STOP THE AIRPLANE, ADMIT OUR MISTAKE AND THE SOURCE OF THE CONFUSION, AND ASK THE CTLR FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. HAD THE ARPT BEEN BUSY, WE COULD HAVE TAXIED INTO THE PATH OF ANOTHER TAXIING AIRPLANE. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL BE MORE CAREFUL ABOUT ALLOWING STUDENTS TO BEGIN TAXIING AT UNFAMILIAR ARPTS IF THERE IS ANY QUESTION AS TO OUR ASSIGNED TAXI RTE. I WILL ALSO BE SURE TO DOUBLECHK OUR POS ON THE ARPT AND MAKE SURE I GET CLARIFICATION FROM THE CTLR IF THE TAXI RTE ASSIGNED IS UNCLR, EVEN IF THE STUDENT THINKS HE KNOWS WHERE HE'S GOING. I WILL ALSO PLACE MORE INSTRUCTIONAL EMPHASIS ON LOOKING FOR AND INTERPING RWY/TXWY SIGNAGE, RATHER THAN FOLLOWING THE CTLR'S DIRECTIONS 'MAKE NEXT R...' WITHOUT VISUALLY VERIFYING THE PROPER RWY/TXWY.

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.