Narrative:

We had landed after a night visual approach and landing to runway 8L at atlanta. The first officer was the pilot flying the approach. He had anticipated exiting the runway after landing at taxiway B7; but actually exited runway 8L at taxiway B11. We both had atl chart airport diagram charts out and readily available. Atlanta tower; frequency 119.1; immediately instructed us to hold short of runway 8R at B10 and monitor tower on frequency 125.32; which we did. Our 'after landing' checklist items were accomplished; and we stopped the aircraft on B10; holding short of runway 8R as instructed. The aircraft heading in this holding position was approximately 230 degrees. Just after we came to a complete stop; atl tower instructed us to cross runway 8R; join taxiway east and contact ground control. We acknowledged the clearance; turned on all our exterior lights (per company policy for crossing an active runway); and began to cross runway 8R. As we started across the runway; neither I nor the first officer could see any taxiway lights directly ahead of us. This was due to the crown of the runway (we were still on the 'uphill' side) and the confign of the taxiway. Also; we observed an aircraft on taxiway east near E10. It was under tow; and was either stopped or moving very slowly. At night; as we started across runway 8R; it appeared to us our path to taxiway east was blocked. Not wanting to stop on the runway; we kept moving and spotted green taxiway centerline lights to our right; and we turned to join them. At this point; we were facing a westerly direction on the runway and still could not see the taxiway directly across from B10. We had passed the access to E11. Rather than delay while maneuvering on the runway; we promptly continued in the direction we were going and exited runway 8R at taxiway dixie. Tower queried us as to our intentions. We replied we had missed E11 and were exiting at dixie. Several factors contributed. Night operations complicated our picking up visual references. Holding at B10 can leave an aircraft at an angle to runway 8R; making it difficult to see directly across. The runway crown combined with our own bright lights at night makes it hard to see features on the far side of the runway. Taxiway B10 does not continue across runway 8R. The exiting high speed taxiway for runway 8R is designated E11. Tower instructions did not include 'join E11.' taxiway E11 is a high speed exit for runway 8R; with lights for such exit beginning well west of B10's location. A large airplane on taxiway east going eastbound near E10 can appear to block access to taxiway east from a vantage point on B10. The atl chart incorrectly depicts runways 8R/26L as closed. This shows runway 8R as light grey rather than the solid black depiction of an open runway. We were aware of this (via NOTAM); but it does make it harder to glance at the chart at night and quickly orient yourself. Finally; clrer instructions could also help. For example; a clearance to 'cross runway 8R; join E11; contact ground' would be more specific. This was a mistake that did not cause a conflict; but it did increase our time crossing the runway in a busy environment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 CREW MISSES TXWY WHILE XING RWY 8R AT ATL.

Narrative: WE HAD LANDED AFTER A NIGHT VISUAL APCH AND LNDG TO RWY 8L AT ATLANTA. THE FO WAS THE PLT FLYING THE APCH. HE HAD ANTICIPATED EXITING THE RWY AFTER LNDG AT TXWY B7; BUT ACTUALLY EXITED RWY 8L AT TXWY B11. WE BOTH HAD ATL CHART ARPT DIAGRAM CHARTS OUT AND READILY AVAILABLE. ATLANTA TWR; FREQ 119.1; IMMEDIATELY INSTRUCTED US TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 8R AT B10 AND MONITOR TWR ON FREQ 125.32; WHICH WE DID. OUR 'AFTER LNDG' CHKLIST ITEMS WERE ACCOMPLISHED; AND WE STOPPED THE ACFT ON B10; HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 8R AS INSTRUCTED. THE ACFT HDG IN THIS HOLDING POS WAS APPROX 230 DEGS. JUST AFTER WE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP; ATL TWR INSTRUCTED US TO CROSS RWY 8R; JOIN TXWY E AND CONTACT GND CTL. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC; TURNED ON ALL OUR EXTERIOR LIGHTS (PER COMPANY POLICY FOR XING AN ACTIVE RWY); AND BEGAN TO CROSS RWY 8R. AS WE STARTED ACROSS THE RWY; NEITHER I NOR THE FO COULD SEE ANY TXWY LIGHTS DIRECTLY AHEAD OF US. THIS WAS DUE TO THE CROWN OF THE RWY (WE WERE STILL ON THE 'UPHILL' SIDE) AND THE CONFIGN OF THE TXWY. ALSO; WE OBSERVED AN ACFT ON TXWY E NEAR E10. IT WAS UNDER TOW; AND WAS EITHER STOPPED OR MOVING VERY SLOWLY. AT NIGHT; AS WE STARTED ACROSS RWY 8R; IT APPEARED TO US OUR PATH TO TXWY E WAS BLOCKED. NOT WANTING TO STOP ON THE RWY; WE KEPT MOVING AND SPOTTED GREEN TXWY CTRLINE LIGHTS TO OUR R; AND WE TURNED TO JOIN THEM. AT THIS POINT; WE WERE FACING A WESTERLY DIRECTION ON THE RWY AND STILL COULD NOT SEE THE TXWY DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM B10. WE HAD PASSED THE ACCESS TO E11. RATHER THAN DELAY WHILE MANEUVERING ON THE RWY; WE PROMPTLY CONTINUED IN THE DIRECTION WE WERE GOING AND EXITED RWY 8R AT TXWY DIXIE. TWR QUERIED US AS TO OUR INTENTIONS. WE REPLIED WE HAD MISSED E11 AND WERE EXITING AT DIXIE. SEVERAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTED. NIGHT OPS COMPLICATED OUR PICKING UP VISUAL REFS. HOLDING AT B10 CAN LEAVE AN ACFT AT AN ANGLE TO RWY 8R; MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE DIRECTLY ACROSS. THE RWY CROWN COMBINED WITH OUR OWN BRIGHT LIGHTS AT NIGHT MAKES IT HARD TO SEE FEATURES ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE RWY. TXWY B10 DOES NOT CONTINUE ACROSS RWY 8R. THE EXITING HIGH SPD TXWY FOR RWY 8R IS DESIGNATED E11. TWR INSTRUCTIONS DID NOT INCLUDE 'JOIN E11.' TXWY E11 IS A HIGH SPD EXIT FOR RWY 8R; WITH LIGHTS FOR SUCH EXIT BEGINNING WELL W OF B10'S LOCATION. A LARGE AIRPLANE ON TXWY E GOING EBOUND NEAR E10 CAN APPEAR TO BLOCK ACCESS TO TXWY E FROM A VANTAGE POINT ON B10. THE ATL CHART INCORRECTLY DEPICTS RWYS 8R/26L AS CLOSED. THIS SHOWS RWY 8R AS LIGHT GREY RATHER THAN THE SOLID BLACK DEPICTION OF AN OPEN RWY. WE WERE AWARE OF THIS (VIA NOTAM); BUT IT DOES MAKE IT HARDER TO GLANCE AT THE CHART AT NIGHT AND QUICKLY ORIENT YOURSELF. FINALLY; CLRER INSTRUCTIONS COULD ALSO HELP. FOR EXAMPLE; A CLRNC TO 'CROSS RWY 8R; JOIN E11; CONTACT GND' WOULD BE MORE SPECIFIC. THIS WAS A MISTAKE THAT DID NOT CAUSE A CONFLICT; BUT IT DID INCREASE OUR TIME XING THE RWY IN A BUSY ENVIRONMENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.