A cargo pilot notes that the den airport diagram constraint for aircraft turning at taxiways M and M...

Narrative:

After landing on den runway 35L we exited the runway on taxiway M6. Tower cleared us to taxi 'M; sc; to the ramp with me; contact city ramp on sc.' captain maneuvered the aircraft to join taxiway M and taxi sbound. I completed the after landing checklist and contacted the cargo ramp as requested during the in-range call. After completing the call I again reviewed the airport diagram to ensure we were following our taxi instructions. It was during this review that I noticed the note 'there is insufficient twy corner fillet pavement in the southeast corner of txwys M and M2 intersection for aircraft with wingspan over 107 ft.' I mentioned the note to the captain; by this time we were approaching taxiway ea which is the last available turnoff prior to the intersection mentioned in the note above. I tried to contact the tower as the captain slowed the aircraft. My first transmission went out over the ramp frequency; as I had not switched back to VHF 1 after I had made the on deck call. After I realized my mistake I switched back to radio #1 and asked the tower about the note. They didn't know what we were talking about and asked where we had gotten our information. I replied that the note was on our ground chart. Tower explained to us that the note only applied to aircraft exiting runway 35L on M2 and then turning sbound on taxiway M (this information is not listed on the airport diagram). During this conversation we had begun to maneuver the aircraft onto taxiway ea to meet the clearance we 'expected' to receive from tower. The tower then transmitted 'next time check with me before you deviate from your cleared taxi route.' uh oh. It certainly was never our intention to deviate from the correct taxi routing. Even with the best of intentions we found ourselves in this predicament. Lessons learned: 1) when you work flying freight fatigue is always a factor. It was the last portion of our first night of a week of hub turns. Early am local. We were safe. We were legal. We were tired. 2) if in doubt about taxi instructions say the word 'stop.' suggestion: 1) the note on the commercial chart is confusing. The note should be deleted or corrected to reflect ATC's intentions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CARGO PILOT NOTES THAT THE DEN AIRPORT DIAGRAM CONSTRAINT FOR AIRCRAFT TURNING AT TAXIWAYS M AND M2 IS MISLEADING AND ONLY APPLIES TO AIRCRAFT EXITING RWY 17R/35L ON M2.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON DEN RWY 35L WE EXITED THE RWY ON TXWY M6. TWR CLRED US TO TAXI 'M; SC; TO THE RAMP WITH ME; CONTACT CITY RAMP ON SC.' CAPT MANEUVERED THE ACFT TO JOIN TXWY M AND TAXI SBOUND. I COMPLETED THE AFTER LNDG CHKLIST AND CONTACTED THE CARGO RAMP AS REQUESTED DURING THE IN-RANGE CALL. AFTER COMPLETING THE CALL I AGAIN REVIEWED THE ARPT DIAGRAM TO ENSURE WE WERE FOLLOWING OUR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. IT WAS DURING THIS REVIEW THAT I NOTICED THE NOTE 'THERE IS INSUFFICIENT TWY CORNER FILLET PAVEMENT IN THE SE CORNER OF TXWYS M AND M2 INTXN FOR ACFT WITH WINGSPAN OVER 107 FT.' I MENTIONED THE NOTE TO THE CAPT; BY THIS TIME WE WERE APCHING TXWY EA WHICH IS THE LAST AVAILABLE TURNOFF PRIOR TO THE INTXN MENTIONED IN THE NOTE ABOVE. I TRIED TO CONTACT THE TWR AS THE CAPT SLOWED THE ACFT. MY FIRST XMISSION WENT OUT OVER THE RAMP FREQ; AS I HAD NOT SWITCHED BACK TO VHF 1 AFTER I HAD MADE THE ON DECK CALL. AFTER I REALIZED MY MISTAKE I SWITCHED BACK TO RADIO #1 AND ASKED THE TWR ABOUT THE NOTE. THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT AND ASKED WHERE WE HAD GOTTEN OUR INFO. I REPLIED THAT THE NOTE WAS ON OUR GND CHART. TWR EXPLAINED TO US THAT THE NOTE ONLY APPLIED TO ACFT EXITING RWY 35L ON M2 AND THEN TURNING SBOUND ON TXWY M (THIS INFO IS NOT LISTED ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM). DURING THIS CONVERSATION WE HAD BEGUN TO MANEUVER THE ACFT ONTO TXWY EA TO MEET THE CLRNC WE 'EXPECTED' TO RECEIVE FROM TWR. THE TWR THEN XMITTED 'NEXT TIME CHK WITH ME BEFORE YOU DEVIATE FROM YOUR CLRED TAXI RTE.' UH OH. IT CERTAINLY WAS NEVER OUR INTENTION TO DEVIATE FROM THE CORRECT TAXI ROUTING. EVEN WITH THE BEST OF INTENTIONS WE FOUND OURSELVES IN THIS PREDICAMENT. LESSONS LEARNED: 1) WHEN YOU WORK FLYING FREIGHT FATIGUE IS ALWAYS A FACTOR. IT WAS THE LAST PORTION OF OUR FIRST NIGHT OF A WEEK OF HUB TURNS. EARLY AM LCL. WE WERE SAFE. WE WERE LEGAL. WE WERE TIRED. 2) IF IN DOUBT ABOUT TAXI INSTRUCTIONS SAY THE WORD 'STOP.' SUGGESTION: 1) THE NOTE ON THE COMMERCIAL CHART IS CONFUSING. THE NOTE SHOULD BE DELETED OR CORRECTED TO REFLECT ATC'S INTENTIONS.

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.

Attributes
ACN	811593
Time
Date	200811
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den.airport
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody Transport
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi ground : maintenance
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 117 flight time total : 2450 flight time type : 478
ASRS Report	811593
Events
Anomaly	incursion : taxiway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Chart Or Publication Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Chart Or Publication
Situations
Publication	DEN ARPT DIAGRAM CHART

A cargo pilot notes that the den airport diagram constraint for aircraft turning at taxiways M and M2 is misleading and only applies to aircraft exiting runway 17R/35L on M2.