B777 flight crew reports confusion over taxi way oscar on the north ramp at rjaa.

Attributes
ACN	739413
Time
Date	200705
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rjaa.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B777 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	739413
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
Events
Anomaly	incursion : taxiway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Chart Or Publication Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Approaching the taxiway B hold line on taxi in to gate X; we contacted ramp control and were told to taxi via taxiway O to gate X. Commercial chart shows taxiway O near the center of the ramp with an apparent 90 degree turn south. Believing this the case; I taxied west on taxiway O and then turned south on what I thought was the continuation of taxiway O and then turned right to the gate. As difficult to understand english; the ramp controller was upset that I had not followed the yellow line. What I perceived as taxiway O was nothing more than lead-in lines to gates. Taxiway O continues straight west to lead-in lines to gates. The first officer said this same confusion had happened on previous flts he had flown. In retrospect; I should had stopped the aircraft and confirmed the taxi instructions. Possibly the chart could be clarified to make these taxi instructions more clear.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777 FLT CREW REPORTS CONFUSION OVER TAXI WAY OSCAR ON THE NORTH RAMP AT RJAA.

Narrative: APCHING THE TXWY B HOLD LINE ON TAXI IN TO GATE X; WE CONTACTED RAMP CTL AND WERE TOLD TO TAXI VIA TXWY O TO GATE X. COMMERCIAL CHART SHOWS TXWY O NEAR THE CTR OF THE RAMP WITH AN APPARENT 90 DEG TURN S. BELIEVING THIS THE CASE; I TAXIED W ON TXWY O AND THEN TURNED S ON WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE CONTINUATION OF TXWY O AND THEN TURNED R TO THE GATE. AS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND ENGLISH; THE RAMP CTLR WAS UPSET THAT I HAD NOT FOLLOWED THE YELLOW LINE. WHAT I PERCEIVED AS TXWY O WAS NOTHING MORE THAN LEAD-IN LINES TO GATES. TXWY O CONTINUES STRAIGHT W TO LEAD-IN LINES TO GATES. THE FO SAID THIS SAME CONFUSION HAD HAPPENED ON PREVIOUS FLTS HE HAD FLOWN. IN RETROSPECT; I SHOULD HAD STOPPED THE ACFT AND CONFIRMED THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. POSSIBLY THE CHART COULD BE CLARIFIED TO MAKE THESE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS MORE CLR.

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.