Narrative:

While taxiing to spot 11, we became disoriented and ended up just prior to spot 14. We notified ramp tower and they told us that it was ok and we went over to ground frequency. My concern is this, there is just not enough visual reference to taxi safely around this airport. The taxi lines are faded and there are no lit taxi lines to these spots. Even without lit taxiway lines, the 'hold pads' are non existent at night. We would truly be better off using 'time distance and heading' to make our way accurately around this airport. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the discussion with the reporter elicited no significant additional information on the marking problem. What was of interest was the mutual discovery during the discussion that the ramp 'spots' to which he refers, while present on the commercial chart airport page, are nowhere to be found on the FAA published naco airport page.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-400 CREW RPTS RAMP MARKINGS AT LAS ARE INADEQUATE OR IN SUCH A STATE OF DISREPAIR THAT SAFE NAVIGATION TO HOLDING 'SPOTS' IS DIFFICULT.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING TO SPOT 11, WE BECAME DISORIENTED AND ENDED UP JUST PRIOR TO SPOT 14. WE NOTIFIED RAMP TWR AND THEY TOLD US THAT IT WAS OK AND WE WENT OVER TO GND FREQ. MY CONCERN IS THIS, THERE IS JUST NOT ENOUGH VISUAL REFERENCE TO TAXI SAFELY AROUND THIS ARPT. THE TAXI LINES ARE FADED AND THERE ARE NO LIT TAXI LINES TO THESE SPOTS. EVEN WITHOUT LIT TXWY LINES, THE 'HOLD PADS' ARE NON EXISTENT AT NIGHT. WE WOULD TRULY BE BETTER OFF USING 'TIME DISTANCE AND HDG' TO MAKE OUR WAY ACCURATELY AROUND THIS ARPT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE DISCUSSION WITH THE RPTR ELICITED NO SIGNIFICANT ADDITIONAL INFO ON THE MARKING PROB. WHAT WAS OF INTEREST WAS THE MUTUAL DISCOVERY DURING THE DISCUSSION THAT THE RAMP 'SPOTS' TO WHICH HE REFERS, WHILE PRESENT ON THE COMMERCIAL CHART ARPT PAGE, ARE NOWHERE TO BE FOUND ON THE FAA PUBLISHED NACO ARPT PAGE.

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.