Narrative:

Upon landing runway 4R at jfk, we exited at taxiway fb high speed. The captain taxied forward to clear us off the active, passing taxiway flight attendant. Ground control cleared us to taxi via txwys flight attendant, Y, J to the ramp. We were just figuring out that we had already passed the flight attendant intersection when ground informed us that we had passed it, and revised our taxi clearance to proceed via txwys fb, Y, cross runway 31R, taxiway J to the ramp. The captain and I discussed this taxi routing, and then I proceeded to complete the after landing checklist. The captain then used communication #1 to monitor ground control, while I used communication #2 to contact our operations to inform them of our arrival and retrieve gate assignment. Upon approaching runway 31R, the captain confirmed on communication #1 clearance to cross the runway, and ground controller confirmed this. As I looked up, I noticed 3 cones spaced about 2 ft apart, with the center cone on the taxi line. I applied the brakes and said, 'cones. There are cones ahead,' over the intercom. The captain replied that we were cleared to cross, and proceeded ahead, thinking that I had braked to prevent a runway incursion. Upon reaching the northwest hold short lines of the runway on taxiway Y, we spotted 3 more cones, also spaced narrowly across the middle of the taxiway. The captain stopped and called ground control to inform them we had cones blocking the way. After several seconds, ground radioed back stating that he had not been informed of the closure of runway 31R for taxi by maintenance, and would send a truck out to clear the cones. Maintenance arrived shortly after and removed the cones. We taxied to the ramp via txwys J, a, la without further incident. Ground control should have been informed of this maintenance, so that the taxi clearance would route us around the closed area. Also, the cones used were not very visible and were narrowly spaced such that unless you happened to be looking right down the centerline, you wouldn't see them. More visible devices used for temporary closures would have helped as well.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL65 CREW WAS CLRED TO TAXI ON A CLOSED RWY 31.

Narrative: UPON LNDG RWY 4R AT JFK, WE EXITED AT TXWY FB HIGH SPD. THE CAPT TAXIED FORWARD TO CLR US OFF THE ACTIVE, PASSING TXWY FA. GND CTL CLRED US TO TAXI VIA TXWYS FA, Y, J TO THE RAMP. WE WERE JUST FIGURING OUT THAT WE HAD ALREADY PASSED THE FA INTXN WHEN GND INFORMED US THAT WE HAD PASSED IT, AND REVISED OUR TAXI CLRNC TO PROCEED VIA TXWYS FB, Y, CROSS RWY 31R, TXWY J TO THE RAMP. THE CAPT AND I DISCUSSED THIS TAXI ROUTING, AND THEN I PROCEEDED TO COMPLETE THE AFTER LNDG CHKLIST. THE CAPT THEN USED COM #1 TO MONITOR GND CTL, WHILE I USED COM #2 TO CONTACT OUR OPS TO INFORM THEM OF OUR ARR AND RETRIEVE GATE ASSIGNMENT. UPON APCHING RWY 31R, THE CAPT CONFIRMED ON COM #1 CLRNC TO CROSS THE RWY, AND GND CTLR CONFIRMED THIS. AS I LOOKED UP, I NOTICED 3 CONES SPACED ABOUT 2 FT APART, WITH THE CTR CONE ON THE TAXI LINE. I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND SAID, 'CONES. THERE ARE CONES AHEAD,' OVER THE INTERCOM. THE CAPT REPLIED THAT WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS, AND PROCEEDED AHEAD, THINKING THAT I HAD BRAKED TO PREVENT A RWY INCURSION. UPON REACHING THE NW HOLD SHORT LINES OF THE RWY ON TXWY Y, WE SPOTTED 3 MORE CONES, ALSO SPACED NARROWLY ACROSS THE MIDDLE OF THE TXWY. THE CAPT STOPPED AND CALLED GND CTL TO INFORM THEM WE HAD CONES BLOCKING THE WAY. AFTER SEVERAL SECONDS, GND RADIOED BACK STATING THAT HE HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF THE CLOSURE OF RWY 31R FOR TAXI BY MAINT, AND WOULD SEND A TRUCK OUT TO CLR THE CONES. MAINT ARRIVED SHORTLY AFTER AND REMOVED THE CONES. WE TAXIED TO THE RAMP VIA TXWYS J, A, LA WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. GND CTL SHOULD HAVE BEEN INFORMED OF THIS MAINT, SO THAT THE TAXI CLRNC WOULD RTE US AROUND THE CLOSED AREA. ALSO, THE CONES USED WERE NOT VERY VISIBLE AND WERE NARROWLY SPACED SUCH THAT UNLESS YOU HAPPENED TO BE LOOKING RIGHT DOWN THE CTRLINE, YOU WOULDN'T SEE THEM. MORE VISIBLE DEVICES USED FOR TEMPORARY CLOSURES WOULD HAVE HELPED AS WELL.

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.