Narrative:

We just landed at bwi runway 33L and cleared the runway at taxiway F. I talked to ground, and they quickly spouted off a clearance to, 'taxi a, P1, P to the ramp.' I said, 'could you say it again,' (since this is never a normal clearance to park at bwi). Ground said the clearance again, but much slower, 'taxi a, P1, P to the ramp. Basically, you just go around the backside of the firehouse.' we taxied slowly via alpha and went behind the firehouse (which on the commercial chart page is the white 'diamond' to the right of the a right P (airport reference point). I thought things were going well, and I decided to double check my 'after landing flow' check and put the APU on line. In these couple of seconds captain accidentally stayed on alpha, instead of turning right on papa one. He immediately stopped (we were taxiing slowly before). We saw far up ahead B737 just pushed back. ATC told us we messed up. The B737 was very gracious and quickly said they could turn a 270 degree to taxi out, and did. We were then cleared to park. The captain said the signage was confusing, and messed him up, and wished he stuck to the commercial chart. We flew to bwi 2 more times that week, and I wrote down the sign on alpha behind the firehouse. It is: a, P, a, P1. The captain was right, the sign is totally messed up. It would have you turn left for papa. Very messed up. It should be: a, a, P1, and P. What led to this: lousy FAA signage. I don't know if what ground said, just trying to be helpful, helped lead us somewhat the wrong way. He said, 'basically you just go around the backside of the firehouse.' just like the FAA sign was pointing. I wished I waited 4 seconds more to do my second after landing flow, to help back up the captain with my commercial chart page on our taxi in, at that confusing intersection. I had up to that point. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter said that he has been back numerous times since the incident and verifies that the signage has not been corrected and shows taxiway P to one direction only.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BWI GND CTL ISSUED TAXI CLRNC CONFUSES B737 WHEN EXITING RWY 33. SIGNAGE CONFUSION FOCUSED AT INTXN A, P1 AND P. RPTR CLAIMS SIGNAGE FOR P AND P1 AT TXWY A DIRECTS ACFT INCORRECTLY.

Narrative: WE JUST LANDED AT BWI RWY 33L AND CLRED THE RWY AT TXWY F. I TALKED TO GND, AND THEY QUICKLY SPOUTED OFF A CLRNC TO, 'TAXI A, P1, P TO THE RAMP.' I SAID, 'COULD YOU SAY IT AGAIN,' (SINCE THIS IS NEVER A NORMAL CLRNC TO PARK AT BWI). GND SAID THE CLRNC AGAIN, BUT MUCH SLOWER, 'TAXI A, P1, P TO THE RAMP. BASICALLY, YOU JUST GO AROUND THE BACKSIDE OF THE FIREHOUSE.' WE TAXIED SLOWLY VIA ALPHA AND WENT BEHIND THE FIREHOUSE (WHICH ON THE COMMERCIAL CHART PAGE IS THE WHITE 'DIAMOND' TO THE R OF THE A R P (ARPT REFERENCE POINT). I THOUGHT THINGS WERE GOING WELL, AND I DECIDED TO DOUBLE CHECK MY 'AFTER LNDG FLOW' CHECK AND PUT THE APU ON LINE. IN THESE COUPLE OF SECONDS CAPT ACCIDENTALLY STAYED ON ALPHA, INSTEAD OF TURNING R ON PAPA ONE. HE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED (WE WERE TAXIING SLOWLY BEFORE). WE SAW FAR UP AHEAD B737 JUST PUSHED BACK. ATC TOLD US WE MESSED UP. THE B737 WAS VERY GRACIOUS AND QUICKLY SAID THEY COULD TURN A 270 DEG TO TAXI OUT, AND DID. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO PARK. THE CAPT SAID THE SIGNAGE WAS CONFUSING, AND MESSED HIM UP, AND WISHED HE STUCK TO THE COMMERCIAL CHART. WE FLEW TO BWI 2 MORE TIMES THAT WEEK, AND I WROTE DOWN THE SIGN ON ALPHA BEHIND THE FIREHOUSE. IT IS: A, P, A, P1. THE CAPT WAS RIGHT, THE SIGN IS TOTALLY MESSED UP. IT WOULD HAVE YOU TURN LEFT FOR PAPA. VERY MESSED UP. IT SHOULD BE: A, A, P1, AND P. WHAT LED TO THIS: LOUSY FAA SIGNAGE. I DON'T KNOW IF WHAT GND SAID, JUST TRYING TO BE HELPFUL, HELPED LEAD US SOMEWHAT THE WRONG WAY. HE SAID, 'BASICALLY YOU JUST GO AROUND THE BACKSIDE OF THE FIREHOUSE.' JUST LIKE THE FAA SIGN WAS POINTING. I WISHED I WAITED 4 SECONDS MORE TO DO MY SECOND AFTER LNDG FLOW, TO HELP BACK UP THE CAPT WITH MY COMMERCIAL CHART PAGE ON OUR TAXI IN, AT THAT CONFUSING INTERSECTION. I HAD UP TO THAT POINT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID THAT HE HAS BEEN BACK NUMEROUS TIMES SINCE THE INCIDENT AND VERIFIES THAT THE SIGNAGE HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED AND SHOWS TXWY P TO ONE DIRECTION ONLY.

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.