Narrative:

We landed and taxied into the apron. Very low visibility and we followed green lights. We were told to follow green lights to gate. First officer and I did not see any green lights go to the right which we were supposed to follow. We reconfirmed our instructions to follow green lights and crossed a stop bar. We were told to hold our position as other aircraft had taxied onto our line. The ground controller's instructions were not very clear and lights were very misleading. All aircraft were told to hold their position and we were given proper instructions to get to our gate. Supplemental information from acn 810812: we were told to hold at N4. We turned onto N4 and held short of the ramp. The apron controller told us to follow the green line to the gate. There was a green line in front of us and we got on that line. We crossed a red stop bar to taxi on that line. The controller told us to stop. She said we were supposed to be on the green line behind us. However; we (the captain and I) did not see the green line she was talking about -- possibly because we were too far onto N4 -- I'm not sure; because later the relief pilot said he saw that green line. The visibility was better such that we could see about halfway down the ramp and from the west line we could see the terminal on the right. I could see a green line on W2; C2; and O2. It was confusing; since we saw a green line straight in front of us. As we were told to stop another airplane on the ramp was also told to stop because he was not on the green line -- however; I could see that airplane and I could see the green line he was on; the lights were lit. After we parked the controller asked me if I had anything to say. I told her the lights were lit on W2 O2 and D2 (I misspoke as the D2 should have been C2). I could see 3 taxi lines all with the green lights lit. She said that was impossible because the system was automatic. But we did cross a red stop bar. I do not know why we did that. No excuse. That was the green line we saw and we should have questioned why the stop bar was lit. When she gave us our further instructions to our gate it was still confusing because again she said to follow the green line. This time I questioned her as to the name of the taxi lines so I would not be mistaken again -- because I could still see more than 1 green line -- but she did not agree with the directions I told her and again said to follow the green line. At that point we went straight ahead and followed the green line ahead of us until it turned and got to the gate. I think this was confusing because several lines were lit; and we could see the ramp fairly well. If the visibility had been such that we could only see immediately in front of us we would not have seen the line straight in front of us and perhaps the one to the side would have stood out more. Supplemental information from acn 810809: visibility 350 meters; holding at N4 on ramp. Told to taxi to gate X via the 'green lights.' approaching the stop point I observed a stop bar and green lights beyond as well as green lights leading off to the right. We stopped at the N4 point and then began taxi while I was talking to operations. We were told to stop by ramp who said we taxied over the stop bar and should have followed the green lights. I looked up and saw illuminated green lights ahead as well as to the right.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 FLIGHT CREW REPORTS CONFUSION OVER INSTRUCTIONS TO FOLLOW GREEN LIGHTS TO PARKING FROM EDDM APRON 2 CONTROLLER. CREW SEES ALL THREE ROUTES' LIGHTS ILLUMINATED.

Narrative: WE LANDED AND TAXIED INTO THE APRON. VERY LOW VISIBILITY AND WE FOLLOWED GREEN LIGHTS. WE WERE TOLD TO FOLLOW GREEN LIGHTS TO GATE. FO AND I DID NOT SEE ANY GREEN LIGHTS GO TO THE R WHICH WE WERE SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW. WE RECONFIRMED OUR INSTRUCTIONS TO FOLLOW GREEN LIGHTS AND CROSSED A STOP BAR. WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD OUR POS AS OTHER ACFT HAD TAXIED ONTO OUR LINE. THE GND CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS WERE NOT VERY CLR AND LIGHTS WERE VERY MISLEADING. ALL ACFT WERE TOLD TO HOLD THEIR POS AND WE WERE GIVEN PROPER INSTRUCTIONS TO GET TO OUR GATE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 810812: WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD AT N4. WE TURNED ONTO N4 AND HELD SHORT OF THE RAMP. THE APRON CTLR TOLD US TO FOLLOW THE GREEN LINE TO THE GATE. THERE WAS A GREEN LINE IN FRONT OF US AND WE GOT ON THAT LINE. WE CROSSED A RED STOP BAR TO TAXI ON THAT LINE. THE CTLR TOLD US TO STOP. SHE SAID WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE GREEN LINE BEHIND US. HOWEVER; WE (THE CAPT AND I) DID NOT SEE THE GREEN LINE SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT -- POSSIBLY BECAUSE WE WERE TOO FAR ONTO N4 -- I'M NOT SURE; BECAUSE LATER THE RELIEF PLT SAID HE SAW THAT GREEN LINE. THE VISIBILITY WAS BETTER SUCH THAT WE COULD SEE ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN THE RAMP AND FROM THE W LINE WE COULD SEE THE TERMINAL ON THE R. I COULD SEE A GREEN LINE ON W2; C2; AND O2. IT WAS CONFUSING; SINCE WE SAW A GREEN LINE STRAIGHT IN FRONT OF US. AS WE WERE TOLD TO STOP ANOTHER AIRPLANE ON THE RAMP WAS ALSO TOLD TO STOP BECAUSE HE WAS NOT ON THE GREEN LINE -- HOWEVER; I COULD SEE THAT AIRPLANE AND I COULD SEE THE GREEN LINE HE WAS ON; THE LIGHTS WERE LIT. AFTER WE PARKED THE CTLR ASKED ME IF I HAD ANYTHING TO SAY. I TOLD HER THE LIGHTS WERE LIT ON W2 O2 AND D2 (I MISSPOKE AS THE D2 SHOULD HAVE BEEN C2). I COULD SEE 3 TAXI LINES ALL WITH THE GREEN LIGHTS LIT. SHE SAID THAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE THE SYS WAS AUTO. BUT WE DID CROSS A RED STOP BAR. I DO NOT KNOW WHY WE DID THAT. NO EXCUSE. THAT WAS THE GREEN LINE WE SAW AND WE SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED WHY THE STOP BAR WAS LIT. WHEN SHE GAVE US OUR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS TO OUR GATE IT WAS STILL CONFUSING BECAUSE AGAIN SHE SAID TO FOLLOW THE GREEN LINE. THIS TIME I QUESTIONED HER AS TO THE NAME OF THE TAXI LINES SO I WOULD NOT BE MISTAKEN AGAIN -- BECAUSE I COULD STILL SEE MORE THAN 1 GREEN LINE -- BUT SHE DID NOT AGREE WITH THE DIRECTIONS I TOLD HER AND AGAIN SAID TO FOLLOW THE GREEN LINE. AT THAT POINT WE WENT STRAIGHT AHEAD AND FOLLOWED THE GREEN LINE AHEAD OF US UNTIL IT TURNED AND GOT TO THE GATE. I THINK THIS WAS CONFUSING BECAUSE SEVERAL LINES WERE LIT; AND WE COULD SEE THE RAMP FAIRLY WELL. IF THE VISIBILITY HAD BEEN SUCH THAT WE COULD ONLY SEE IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF US WE WOULD NOT HAVE SEEN THE LINE STRAIGHT IN FRONT OF US AND PERHAPS THE ONE TO THE SIDE WOULD HAVE STOOD OUT MORE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 810809: VISIBILITY 350 METERS; HOLDING AT N4 ON RAMP. TOLD TO TAXI TO GATE X VIA THE 'GREEN LIGHTS.' APCHING THE STOP POINT I OBSERVED A STOP BAR AND GREEN LIGHTS BEYOND AS WELL AS GREEN LIGHTS LEADING OFF TO THE R. WE STOPPED AT THE N4 POINT AND THEN BEGAN TAXI WHILE I WAS TALKING TO OPS. WE WERE TOLD TO STOP BY RAMP WHO SAID WE TAXIED OVER THE STOP BAR AND SHOULD HAVE FOLLOWED THE GREEN LIGHTS. I LOOKED UP AND SAW ILLUMINATED GREEN LIGHTS AHEAD AS WELL AS TO THE R.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.