MD80 crew missed the cleared taxiway on taxi in at dfw.

Attributes
ACN	578036
Time
Date	200303
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : dfw.tower
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
ASRS Report	578036
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	incursion : taxiway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Airport
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On landing at dfw, runway 17C, after exiting on taxiway M3, tower cleared flight to cross runway 17R on taxiway el and contact ground on 121.65. Ground instructed crew to turn left on taxiway left and taxi to the southwest hold pad. As we started our left turn, ground instructed us to find a taxiing aircraft on the right of our aircraft that was reversing his taxi direction (north to south), to go to the hold pad and to now follow that traffic to the pad. I immediately stopped my 'after landing and taxi' checklist, and tried to acquire the ground traffic. Being successful, I turned back to monitor the progress of our taxi, and immediately realized that we had turned the aircraft 135 degrees instead of the 90 degrees required to end up on taxiway left. We were facing southwest on taxiway left. We immediately stopped the aircraft short of the runway and told ground we had inadvertently turned onto taxiway L4. He immediately cleared us to taxi onto runway 17R, taxi south and exit back onto taxiway left, then proceed to the southwest hold pad -- which we did with no further events. The WX was clear, and the lights on the airfield appeared to be at high intensity.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW MISSED THE CLRED TXWY ON TAXI IN AT DFW.

Narrative: ON LNDG AT DFW, RWY 17C, AFTER EXITING ON TXWY M3, TWR CLRED FLT TO CROSS RWY 17R ON TXWY EL AND CONTACT GND ON 121.65. GND INSTRUCTED CREW TO TURN L ON TXWY L AND TAXI TO THE SW HOLD PAD. AS WE STARTED OUR L TURN, GND INSTRUCTED US TO FIND A TAXIING ACFT ON THE R OF OUR ACFT THAT WAS REVERSING HIS TAXI DIRECTION (N TO S), TO GO TO THE HOLD PAD AND TO NOW FOLLOW THAT TFC TO THE PAD. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED MY 'AFTER LNDG AND TAXI' CHKLIST, AND TRIED TO ACQUIRE THE GND TFC. BEING SUCCESSFUL, I TURNED BACK TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF OUR TAXI, AND IMMEDIATELY REALIZED THAT WE HAD TURNED THE ACFT 135 DEGS INSTEAD OF THE 90 DEGS REQUIRED TO END UP ON TXWY L. WE WERE FACING SW ON TXWY L. WE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE ACFT SHORT OF THE RWY AND TOLD GND WE HAD INADVERTENTLY TURNED ONTO TXWY L4. HE IMMEDIATELY CLRED US TO TAXI ONTO RWY 17R, TAXI S AND EXIT BACK ONTO TXWY L, THEN PROCEED TO THE SW HOLD PAD -- WHICH WE DID WITH NO FURTHER EVENTS. THE WX WAS CLR, AND THE LIGHTS ON THE AIRFIELD APPEARED TO BE AT HIGH INTENSITY.

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.