Narrative:

After a normal landing and slow to taxi speed on runway 31R at dal, the captain turned left to clear the runway at the first taxiway following the runway 18/36 intersection. As the aircraft turned into the late day sun, I saw an 'X' on the taxiway that, due to the bright sun, looked as if it had been painted over black. Looking further down the taxiway, I spotted a radio tower that I perceived we would not be able to taxi past. I immediately pointed it out to the captain and told him to stop the aircraft. Realizing we had entered a closed taxiway (verified by the airport page), we coordinated with tower and began to reposition the aircraft to re-enter runway 31R to continue taxiing to the gate. During the reposition, I noticed a taxi light at/slightly ahead of my seated position. Since I thought it could be a hazard to continue the right hand turn, I told the captain to stop the aircraft. He looked and agreed the light could be a hazard, so we coordinated with tower and maintenance for a tug to reposition us, informed our passenger, and then shut down the engines. After a short delay, we were repositioned by the tug, restarted the engines and taxied to the gate uneventfully. This event occurred on the last leg of a 4 day trip, up to this point, neither of us had let our guard down during any phase of the trip. I believe I allowed myself to momentarily drop my guard as the pilot monitoring at a seemingly benign point. Bad idea! As on our other legs, I had planned to back up our taxi with the airport page once we were clear of the runway, just not at the point we were at. From now on, I will re-verify the status of all potential txwys and runways before we approach them. As for the closed taxiway, I believe it is insufficiently marked for a first officer in the right seat to effectively visually discern its status, while turning into a bright sun background, until it's too late. Consideration should be given for additional signage to be placed in the clear zone on either side of the runway 31R and taxiway intersection. This may help prevent another incident similar to ours and will provide a visual supplement to the airport page. Supplemental information from acn 641102: I misidentified the taxiway just past runway 18/36 on the west side of the runway as an open taxiway and started to make the turnoff. A very alert first officer cautioned me that there was a runway edge light we could impact if I continued the turn. This was a slow speed incident and no abrupt stops were made. The aircraft never left a prepared surface. A possible contributor to the difficulty identifying the taxiway was the sun which was low on the west horizon and the resultant glare. Even after coming to a full stop and repositioning for taxi I noted (as well as my first officer) no obvious markings for a taxiway closure (during night operations the lighting would be obvious). In retrospect, I believe a turn may have been made to clear the runway edge lights, this was not the safest or most conservative option. Examining the intersection of the runway and closed taxiway may be in order. Also, if feasible, this taxiway should not even exist any longer as it is not likely to ever be opened again (I believe the obstructions are permanent). Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter said there were no raised markings on a permanently closed taxiway. There was no signage for the closed taxiway. It was painted out with black paint. The pilot suggested it should be just like sna at taxiway east. Pilot said, 'you can't miss it.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW TURNED OFF ONTO A PERMANENTLY CLOSED TXWY NW OF RWY 18/36 ON RWY 31R AT DAL.

Narrative: AFTER A NORMAL LNDG AND SLOW TO TAXI SPD ON RWY 31R AT DAL, THE CAPT TURNED L TO CLR THE RWY AT THE FIRST TXWY FOLLOWING THE RWY 18/36 INTXN. AS THE ACFT TURNED INTO THE LATE DAY SUN, I SAW AN 'X' ON THE TXWY THAT, DUE TO THE BRIGHT SUN, LOOKED AS IF IT HAD BEEN PAINTED OVER BLACK. LOOKING FURTHER DOWN THE TXWY, I SPOTTED A RADIO TWR THAT I PERCEIVED WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TAXI PAST. I IMMEDIATELY POINTED IT OUT TO THE CAPT AND TOLD HIM TO STOP THE ACFT. REALIZING WE HAD ENTERED A CLOSED TXWY (VERIFIED BY THE ARPT PAGE), WE COORDINATED WITH TWR AND BEGAN TO REPOSITION THE ACFT TO RE-ENTER RWY 31R TO CONTINUE TAXIING TO THE GATE. DURING THE REPOSITION, I NOTICED A TAXI LIGHT AT/SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF MY SEATED POS. SINCE I THOUGHT IT COULD BE A HAZARD TO CONTINUE THE R HAND TURN, I TOLD THE CAPT TO STOP THE ACFT. HE LOOKED AND AGREED THE LIGHT COULD BE A HAZARD, SO WE COORDINATED WITH TWR AND MAINT FOR A TUG TO REPOSITION US, INFORMED OUR PAX, AND THEN SHUT DOWN THE ENGS. AFTER A SHORT DELAY, WE WERE REPOSITIONED BY THE TUG, RESTARTED THE ENGS AND TAXIED TO THE GATE UNEVENTFULLY. THIS EVENT OCCURRED ON THE LAST LEG OF A 4 DAY TRIP, UP TO THIS POINT, NEITHER OF US HAD LET OUR GUARD DOWN DURING ANY PHASE OF THE TRIP. I BELIEVE I ALLOWED MYSELF TO MOMENTARILY DROP MY GUARD AS THE PLT MONITORING AT A SEEMINGLY BENIGN POINT. BAD IDEA! AS ON OUR OTHER LEGS, I HAD PLANNED TO BACK UP OUR TAXI WITH THE ARPT PAGE ONCE WE WERE CLR OF THE RWY, JUST NOT AT THE POINT WE WERE AT. FROM NOW ON, I WILL RE-VERIFY THE STATUS OF ALL POTENTIAL TXWYS AND RWYS BEFORE WE APCH THEM. AS FOR THE CLOSED TXWY, I BELIEVE IT IS INSUFFICIENTLY MARKED FOR A FO IN THE R SEAT TO EFFECTIVELY VISUALLY DISCERN ITS STATUS, WHILE TURNING INTO A BRIGHT SUN BACKGROUND, UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE. CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN FOR ADDITIONAL SIGNAGE TO BE PLACED IN THE CLR ZONE ON EITHER SIDE OF THE RWY 31R AND TXWY INTXN. THIS MAY HELP PREVENT ANOTHER INCIDENT SIMILAR TO OURS AND WILL PROVIDE A VISUAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE ARPT PAGE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 641102: I MISIDENTIFIED THE TXWY JUST PAST RWY 18/36 ON THE W SIDE OF THE RWY AS AN OPEN TXWY AND STARTED TO MAKE THE TURNOFF. A VERY ALERT FO CAUTIONED ME THAT THERE WAS A RWY EDGE LIGHT WE COULD IMPACT IF I CONTINUED THE TURN. THIS WAS A SLOW SPD INCIDENT AND NO ABRUPT STOPS WERE MADE. THE ACFT NEVER LEFT A PREPARED SURFACE. A POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTOR TO THE DIFFICULTY IDENTIFYING THE TXWY WAS THE SUN WHICH WAS LOW ON THE W HORIZON AND THE RESULTANT GLARE. EVEN AFTER COMING TO A FULL STOP AND REPOSITIONING FOR TAXI I NOTED (AS WELL AS MY FO) NO OBVIOUS MARKINGS FOR A TXWY CLOSURE (DURING NIGHT OPS THE LIGHTING WOULD BE OBVIOUS). IN RETROSPECT, I BELIEVE A TURN MAY HAVE BEEN MADE TO CLR THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS, THIS WAS NOT THE SAFEST OR MOST CONSERVATIVE OPTION. EXAMINING THE INTXN OF THE RWY AND CLOSED TXWY MAY BE IN ORDER. ALSO, IF FEASIBLE, THIS TXWY SHOULD NOT EVEN EXIST ANY LONGER AS IT IS NOT LIKELY TO EVER BE OPENED AGAIN (I BELIEVE THE OBSTRUCTIONS ARE PERMANENT). CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID THERE WERE NO RAISED MARKINGS ON A PERMANENTLY CLOSED TXWY. THERE WAS NO SIGNAGE FOR THE CLOSED TXWY. IT WAS PAINTED OUT WITH BLACK PAINT. THE PLT SUGGESTED IT SHOULD BE JUST LIKE SNA AT TXWY E. PLT SAID, 'YOU CAN'T MISS IT.'

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.