Narrative:

We were told to taxi to runway 31 via taxiway echo. So we find taxiway echo and we get to the intersection of taxiway echo and alpha. There is a taxi sign that states taxiway echo straight ahead. I could see the airline ramp in front of me. But taxiway echo only lasted for about another 50 ft. I feel the sign is very misleading. Because of taxi instructions were taxi to runway 31 via taxiway echo and nothing else. So I assumed just like at a lot of other airports that the taxiway continue onto the airline ramp area to the perimeter. But I got to the edge of the airline ramp and taxiway echo stopped. So I stopped. Ground said he did not have authority/authorized to allow us to taxi onto the ramp but said continue and just stay at the edge of the ramp and continue to runway 31. Nothing else was said so I feel there will nothing else done about this but I wanted to cover myself. I feel the taxi instructions were not very good to begin with. It should have been said to taxi to runway 31 via taxiway east and a and B. The sign stating taxiway echo straight ahead is also misleading. We should of queried the controller especially since we did not see taxiway echo no more on the chart in the airline terminal area.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that after crossing runway 4/22 on taxiway 'east' at the intersection of 'east' and 'a' the sign indicates 'east' straight ahead with an arrow. Once the crew approached the end of 'east' at the air carrier ramp there appeared to be something resembling a hold short line. At that point they realized that taxiway 'east' did not become part of the ramp and subsequently called the spi ground controller. The reporter stated that the crew felt the 'east' straight ahead sign at 'a' on 'east' was confusing and deceiving. Reporter stated that the crew should have been more in tuned with one another and discussed the possible conflict prior to reaching the air carrier ramp.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CE560XL PLT COMMENTS THAT SPI'S TXWY 'E' SIGNAGE DOES NOT INDICATE TERMINATION AT THE ACR RAMP AND AN INCURSION RESULTED FROM POOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS.

Narrative: WE WERE TOLD TO TAXI TO RWY 31 VIA TXWY ECHO. SO WE FIND TXWY ECHO AND WE GET TO THE INTXN OF TXWY ECHO AND ALPHA. THERE IS A TAXI SIGN THAT STATES TXWY ECHO STRAIGHT AHEAD. I COULD SEE THE AIRLINE RAMP IN FRONT OF ME. BUT TXWY ECHO ONLY LASTED FOR ABOUT ANOTHER 50 FT. I FEEL THE SIGN IS VERY MISLEADING. BECAUSE OF TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WERE TAXI TO RWY 31 VIA TXWY ECHO AND NOTHING ELSE. SO I ASSUMED JUST LIKE AT A LOT OF OTHER ARPTS THAT THE TXWY CONTINUE ONTO THE AIRLINE RAMP AREA TO THE PERIMETER. BUT I GOT TO THE EDGE OF THE AIRLINE RAMP AND TXWY ECHO STOPPED. SO I STOPPED. GND SAID HE DID NOT HAVE AUTH TO ALLOW US TO TAXI ONTO THE RAMP BUT SAID CONTINUE AND JUST STAY AT THE EDGE OF THE RAMP AND CONTINUE TO RWY 31. NOTHING ELSE WAS SAID SO I FEEL THERE WILL NOTHING ELSE DONE ABOUT THIS BUT I WANTED TO COVER MYSELF. I FEEL THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WERE NOT VERY GOOD TO BEGIN WITH. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN SAID TO TAXI TO RWY 31 VIA TXWY E AND A AND B. THE SIGN STATING TXWY ECHO STRAIGHT AHEAD IS ALSO MISLEADING. WE SHOULD OF QUERIED THE CTLR ESPECIALLY SINCE WE DID NOT SEE TXWY ECHO NO MORE ON THE CHART IN THE AIRLINE TERMINAL AREA.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT AFTER CROSSING RWY 4/22 ON TXWY 'E' AT THE INTXN OF 'E' AND 'A' THE SIGN INDICATES 'E' STRAIGHT AHEAD WITH AN ARROW. ONCE THE CREW APCHED THE END OF 'E' AT THE ACR RAMP THERE APPEARED TO BE SOMETHING RESEMBLING A HOLD SHORT LINE. AT THAT POINT THEY REALIZED THAT TXWY 'E' DID NOT BECOME PART OF THE RAMP AND SUBSEQUENTLY CALLED THE SPI GND CTLR. THE RPTR STATED THAT THE CREW FELT THE 'E' STRAIGHT AHEAD SIGN AT 'A' ON 'E' WAS CONFUSING AND DECEIVING. RPTR STATED THAT THE CREW SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE IN TUNED WITH ONE ANOTHER AND DISCUSSED THE POSSIBLE CONFLICT PRIOR TO REACHING THE ACR RAMP.

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.