Narrative:

I cleared the runway after landing and contacted the ground controller. I told him that I wanted to taxi to corporate air but was unfamiliar with the field and that I would need progressive directions to get there. He told me to turn right and then taxi straight ahead. Later he came on the radio again and told me to turn left ahead on the tango taxiway. That was the last contact from the ground controller. I taxied ahead and came to a sign with a 'T' and an arrow pointing left. I turned left believing that I was turning onto tango. It wasn't till a bit later after I parked the aircraft that a security guard told me that I had taxied on an internal road instead of tango. I was further told that the tower wanted to talk to me which I did. I should add that I encountered no vehicles or personnel on the road. Several things are important to note here if a future reoccurrence is to be avoided: when a pilot tells the ground controller that he is totally unfamiliar with the field and needs his guidance to an ultimate destination, the controller should stay with the pilot until he actually reaches his destination. The placement of the tango taxiway sign is poor because it seems to be much nearer the internal road than the taxiway further on. Those who are familiar with where the tango taxiway is will have no problem, but those who are unfamiliar and who receive no guidance at a critical time when some ground maneuvering of the aircraft is needed, can easily go astray. I would not under any circumstances taxi my aircraft in a location where it isn't allowed or where my passengers and I or persons nearby would be endangered in any way. I have learned some valuable lessons which include: if in need of assistance, ask for help, but analyze the help you are getting every step of the way. It may be incomplete or wrong. The same goes for airport signs. After all they were placed there by people who are totally familiar with the area. They were certainly not placed by someone who needs unambiguous information. Callback conversation with reporter revealed following. Airport was under going an FAA facility inspection at the time of the incident. Tower was very belligerent during the discussion of the incursion on the roadway. Reporter does feel the area is not very visible from the tower and they had lost track of him. Is reluctant to have a contact made with the airport manager since he would be so readily identified with the incident. Was required to give total I.D. During the discussion. Does feel a sign cautioning of the perimeter road would help, 'no taxiway' or something to that effect. As the sign is now positioned, taxiway 'T' looks like the road. His airport diagram also does not show taxiway tango. Commercial chart is the only guide showing tango. Again does not want to get the controller in trouble reference the incident. Roadway does have painted 'X in yellow but the tie down area at his homebase is an abandoned runway and marked with yellow 'X' so this marking did not mean anything to him.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT UNFAMILIAR WITH ARPT TAXIED SMA ON PERIMETER ROADWAY.

Narrative: I CLRED THE RWY AFTER LNDG AND CONTACTED THE GND CTLR. I TOLD HIM THAT I WANTED TO TAXI TO CORPORATE AIR BUT WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE FIELD AND THAT I WOULD NEED PROGRESSIVE DIRECTIONS TO GET THERE. HE TOLD ME TO TURN R AND THEN TAXI STRAIGHT AHEAD. LATER HE CAME ON THE RADIO AGAIN AND TOLD ME TO TURN L AHEAD ON THE TANGO TXWY. THAT WAS THE LAST CONTACT FROM THE GND CTLR. I TAXIED AHEAD AND CAME TO A SIGN WITH A 'T' AND AN ARROW POINTING L. I TURNED L BELIEVING THAT I WAS TURNING ONTO TANGO. IT WASN'T TILL A BIT LATER AFTER I PARKED THE ACFT THAT A SECURITY GUARD TOLD ME THAT I HAD TAXIED ON AN INTERNAL ROAD INSTEAD OF TANGO. I WAS FURTHER TOLD THAT THE TWR WANTED TO TALK TO ME WHICH I DID. I SHOULD ADD THAT I ENCOUNTERED NO VEHICLES OR PERSONNEL ON THE ROAD. SEVERAL THINGS ARE IMPORTANT TO NOTE HERE IF A FUTURE REOCCURRENCE IS TO BE AVOIDED: WHEN A PLT TELLS THE GND CTLR THAT HE IS TOTALLY UNFAMILIAR WITH THE FIELD AND NEEDS HIS GUIDANCE TO AN ULTIMATE DEST, THE CTLR SHOULD STAY WITH THE PLT UNTIL HE ACTUALLY REACHES HIS DEST. THE PLACEMENT OF THE TANGO TXWY SIGN IS POOR BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO BE MUCH NEARER THE INTERNAL ROAD THAN THE TXWY FURTHER ON. THOSE WHO ARE FAMILIAR WITH WHERE THE TANGO TXWY IS WILL HAVE NO PROB, BUT THOSE WHO ARE UNFAMILIAR AND WHO RECEIVE NO GUIDANCE AT A CRITICAL TIME WHEN SOME GND MANEUVERING OF THE ACFT IS NEEDED, CAN EASILY GO ASTRAY. I WOULD NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES TAXI MY ACFT IN A LOCATION WHERE IT ISN'T ALLOWED OR WHERE MY PAXS AND I OR PERSONS NEARBY WOULD BE ENDANGERED IN ANY WAY. I HAVE LEARNED SOME VALUABLE LESSONS WHICH INCLUDE: IF IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE, ASK FOR HELP, BUT ANALYZE THE HELP YOU ARE GETTING EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. IT MAY BE INCOMPLETE OR WRONG. THE SAME GOES FOR ARPT SIGNS. AFTER ALL THEY WERE PLACED THERE BY PEOPLE WHO ARE TOTALLY FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. THEY WERE CERTAINLY NOT PLACED BY SOMEONE WHO NEEDS UNAMBIGUOUS INFO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED FOLLOWING. ARPT WAS UNDER GOING AN FAA FAC INSPECTION AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. TWR WAS VERY BELLIGERENT DURING THE DISCUSSION OF THE INCURSION ON THE ROADWAY. RPTR DOES FEEL THE AREA IS NOT VERY VISIBLE FROM THE TWR AND THEY HAD LOST TRACK OF HIM. IS RELUCTANT TO HAVE A CONTACT MADE WITH THE ARPT MGR SINCE HE WOULD BE SO READILY IDENTIFIED WITH THE INCIDENT. WAS REQUIRED TO GIVE TOTAL I.D. DURING THE DISCUSSION. DOES FEEL A SIGN CAUTIONING OF THE PERIMETER ROAD WOULD HELP, 'NO TXWY' OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT. AS THE SIGN IS NOW POSITIONED, TXWY 'T' LOOKS LIKE THE ROAD. HIS ARPT DIAGRAM ALSO DOES NOT SHOW TXWY TANGO. COMMERCIAL CHART IS THE ONLY GUIDE SHOWING TANGO. AGAIN DOES NOT WANT TO GET THE CTLR IN TROUBLE REFERENCE THE INCIDENT. ROADWAY DOES HAVE PAINTED 'X IN YELLOW BUT THE TIE DOWN AREA AT HIS HOMEBASE IS AN ABANDONED RWY AND MARKED WITH YELLOW 'X' SO THIS MARKING DID NOT MEAN ANYTHING TO HIM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.