Narrative:

Last flight returning to station. NOTAM: taxiway za turnoff closed. Issued in jfk arrival ATIS information prior to our arrival. Station arrival spacing to runway 13L at 5 NM. Traffic ahead and behind us. We expected the need to be expeditious in clearing the runway. I failed to remind captain of the closure of taxiway za after tower cleared us to land. I normally try to make a point of reminding the PF of any pertinent operational items for landing when tower issues landing clearance. On rollout, we initiated the turn onto taxiway za and stopped as tower called to inform us that the taxiway was closed. We informed tower upon their query that we required marshaller assistance or tug. They closed runway 13R and sent ground personnel to assist. They removed the traffic cones after inspecting the taxiway and marshalled us on taxiway za to taxiway B. We taxied to our gate. While waiting for assistance, we queried ground why the taxiway lights for taxiway za were illuminated. They indicated that they are hard-wired to the same circuit that serves runway 13L. With limited visibility at night, and using traffic cones with reflective tape as a visible reminder/barrier, opportunity overcomes one's oversight when exiting the runway. An illuminated set of barrier lights during night operations would offset those appealing illuminated lights of a closed high speed taxiway. Supplemental information from acn 629296: the high speed taxiway centerline lights and blue taxiway edge lights were illuminated so I elected to take the high speed taxiway like I normally do on runway 13L. Just as I was about to exit the runway, I was informed by tower that taxiway za was closed. Sure enough, there were unlit cones barricading the taxiway. I had to come to a complete stop. I couldn't clear the runway or turn around. I had to wait for wing walkers to assist me. The flight behind me had to go around, and the runway was subsequently closed for 20 mins until I could taxi clear. The taxiway closure was not mentioned in the flight plan NOTAMS but was referenced in the ATIS report. We were fairly busy during the approach and missed the significance of taxiway za being closed. We should have picked up the closure in our approach briefing, but a quick advisement call from the tower notifying us that the high speed was lit but was closed and unusable would have sure helped.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 CREW BEGAN A TURNOFF OF RWY 13L INTO TXWY ZA. TXWY ZA WAS NOTAMED CLOSED.

Narrative: LAST FLT RETURNING TO STATION. NOTAM: TXWY ZA TURNOFF CLOSED. ISSUED IN JFK ARR ATIS INFO PRIOR TO OUR ARR. STATION ARR SPACING TO RWY 13L AT 5 NM. TFC AHEAD AND BEHIND US. WE EXPECTED THE NEED TO BE EXPEDITIOUS IN CLRING THE RWY. I FAILED TO REMIND CAPT OF THE CLOSURE OF TXWY ZA AFTER TWR CLRED US TO LAND. I NORMALLY TRY TO MAKE A POINT OF REMINDING THE PF OF ANY PERTINENT OPERATIONAL ITEMS FOR LNDG WHEN TWR ISSUES LNDG CLRNC. ON ROLLOUT, WE INITIATED THE TURN ONTO TXWY ZA AND STOPPED AS TWR CALLED TO INFORM US THAT THE TXWY WAS CLOSED. WE INFORMED TWR UPON THEIR QUERY THAT WE REQUIRED MARSHALLER ASSISTANCE OR TUG. THEY CLOSED RWY 13R AND SENT GND PERSONNEL TO ASSIST. THEY REMOVED THE TFC CONES AFTER INSPECTING THE TXWY AND MARSHALLED US ON TXWY ZA TO TXWY B. WE TAXIED TO OUR GATE. WHILE WAITING FOR ASSISTANCE, WE QUERIED GND WHY THE TXWY LIGHTS FOR TXWY ZA WERE ILLUMINATED. THEY INDICATED THAT THEY ARE HARD-WIRED TO THE SAME CIRCUIT THAT SERVES RWY 13L. WITH LIMITED VISIBILITY AT NIGHT, AND USING TFC CONES WITH REFLECTIVE TAPE AS A VISIBLE REMINDER/BARRIER, OPPORTUNITY OVERCOMES ONE'S OVERSIGHT WHEN EXITING THE RWY. AN ILLUMINATED SET OF BARRIER LIGHTS DURING NIGHT OPS WOULD OFFSET THOSE APPEALING ILLUMINATED LIGHTS OF A CLOSED HIGH SPD TXWY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 629296: THE HIGH SPD TXWY CTRLINE LIGHTS AND BLUE TXWY EDGE LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED SO I ELECTED TO TAKE THE HIGH SPD TXWY LIKE I NORMALLY DO ON RWY 13L. JUST AS I WAS ABOUT TO EXIT THE RWY, I WAS INFORMED BY TWR THAT TXWY ZA WAS CLOSED. SURE ENOUGH, THERE WERE UNLIT CONES BARRICADING THE TXWY. I HAD TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. I COULDN'T CLR THE RWY OR TURN AROUND. I HAD TO WAIT FOR WING WALKERS TO ASSIST ME. THE FLT BEHIND ME HAD TO GO AROUND, AND THE RWY WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CLOSED FOR 20 MINS UNTIL I COULD TAXI CLR. THE TXWY CLOSURE WAS NOT MENTIONED IN THE FLT PLAN NOTAMS BUT WAS REFED IN THE ATIS RPT. WE WERE FAIRLY BUSY DURING THE APCH AND MISSED THE SIGNIFICANCE OF TXWY ZA BEING CLOSED. WE SHOULD HAVE PICKED UP THE CLOSURE IN OUR APCH BRIEFING, BUT A QUICK ADVISEMENT CALL FROM THE TWR NOTIFYING US THAT THE HIGH SPD WAS LIT BUT WAS CLOSED AND UNUSABLE WOULD HAVE SURE HELPED.

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.