Narrative:

Flight ord-atl. Contributing factors: lack of airport signage; early morning pickup; bad WX; runway change; numerous MEL items. Ord had (as always) numerous runways in use; including runways 9L and 4L. We were #1 for takeoff; holding short of runway 4L on taxiway west. Tower informed us we now had a 15 min delay for atl; and we were told to taxi down runway 4L; left on taxiway H; left on taxiway east; hold short of runway 4L. I took a quick glance at the runway diagram to see where taxiway H was; and taxied slowly (it was raining quite hard) down runway 4L looking for taxiway H signage. We did not see an H taxi marker; we saw a taxiway right sign shortly followed by the red runway 9L; 27R runway sign and dimly made out runway edge lights which caught our attention. (No wigwags; no hold line markings since this was the intersection of 2 runways and not a runway/taxiway intersection.) realizing we had somehow missed taxiway H (we knew from the airport diagram it was prior to runway 9L) and we were about to taxi onto a runway; we stopped immediately; just in time to watch an rj land directly in front of us. The way the runways are aligned (150 degree offset) combined with the WX; the rj was not visible from the cockpit. Tower then informed us we had apparently missed our turn; and to turn left on runway 9L; left on taxiway east; hold short of runway 4L. We did as instructed; and while holding short of runway 4L (again) we looked to where we now knew taxiway H intersected with runway 4L for a taxiway sign. There is none. We called tower; explained the situation and told them there was no taxiway H sign. The first officer requested that tower send an airport official out to check for taxiway H signage. An air carrier flight; now on hold on runway 4L; confirmed that there is no taxiway H sign directing you toward that taxiway from runway 4L. If we had not been taxiing so slowly due to the WX conditions; and had not noticed the red runway 9L sign off to the side; this story could have ended much more tragically.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW REPORTS LACK OF TAXI WAY H SIGNAGE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF RWY 4L AT ORD.

Narrative: FLT ORD-ATL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: LACK OF ARPT SIGNAGE; EARLY MORNING PICKUP; BAD WX; RWY CHANGE; NUMEROUS MEL ITEMS. ORD HAD (AS ALWAYS) NUMEROUS RWYS IN USE; INCLUDING RWYS 9L AND 4L. WE WERE #1 FOR TKOF; HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 4L ON TXWY W. TWR INFORMED US WE NOW HAD A 15 MIN DELAY FOR ATL; AND WE WERE TOLD TO TAXI DOWN RWY 4L; L ON TXWY H; L ON TXWY E; HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4L. I TOOK A QUICK GLANCE AT THE RWY DIAGRAM TO SEE WHERE TXWY H WAS; AND TAXIED SLOWLY (IT WAS RAINING QUITE HARD) DOWN RWY 4L LOOKING FOR TXWY H SIGNAGE. WE DID NOT SEE AN H TAXI MARKER; WE SAW A TXWY R SIGN SHORTLY FOLLOWED BY THE RED RWY 9L; 27R RWY SIGN AND DIMLY MADE OUT RWY EDGE LIGHTS WHICH CAUGHT OUR ATTN. (NO WIGWAGS; NO HOLD LINE MARKINGS SINCE THIS WAS THE INTXN OF 2 RWYS AND NOT A RWY/TXWY INTXN.) REALIZING WE HAD SOMEHOW MISSED TXWY H (WE KNEW FROM THE ARPT DIAGRAM IT WAS PRIOR TO RWY 9L) AND WE WERE ABOUT TO TAXI ONTO A RWY; WE STOPPED IMMEDIATELY; JUST IN TIME TO WATCH AN RJ LAND DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US. THE WAY THE RWYS ARE ALIGNED (150 DEG OFFSET) COMBINED WITH THE WX; THE RJ WAS NOT VISIBLE FROM THE COCKPIT. TWR THEN INFORMED US WE HAD APPARENTLY MISSED OUR TURN; AND TO TURN L ON RWY 9L; L ON TXWY E; HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4L. WE DID AS INSTRUCTED; AND WHILE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 4L (AGAIN) WE LOOKED TO WHERE WE NOW KNEW TXWY H INTERSECTED WITH RWY 4L FOR A TXWY SIGN. THERE IS NONE. WE CALLED TWR; EXPLAINED THE SITUATION AND TOLD THEM THERE WAS NO TXWY H SIGN. THE FO REQUESTED THAT TWR SEND AN ARPT OFFICIAL OUT TO CHK FOR TXWY H SIGNAGE. AN ACR FLT; NOW ON HOLD ON RWY 4L; CONFIRMED THAT THERE IS NO TXWY H SIGN DIRECTING YOU TOWARD THAT TXWY FROM RWY 4L. IF WE HAD NOT BEEN TAXIING SO SLOWLY DUE TO THE WX CONDITIONS; AND HAD NOT NOTICED THE RED RWY 9L SIGN OFF TO THE SIDE; THIS STORY COULD HAVE ENDED MUCH MORE TRAGICALLY.

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.