GA small transport taxied onto airport service road looking for runway 31L at dfw.

Attributes
ACN	105666
Time
Date	198903
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Transport
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	105666
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

While taxiing south on the west inner taxiway at dfw airport, I taxied the aircraft onto the airport service road. There was no room to turn around, so I had to be escorted by security on the road to the other side of the airport. Security personnel said this happens quite often. There are no signs pointing to the runway, or telling you that the road is not a taxiway. There is an X painted on it, but it was covered up by ice! The airport plate does not show the road and one is led to believe it is part of the taxiway. Callback conversation with reporter revealed following information. Reporter was unfamiliar with dfw airport and somewhat confused by the complex of txwys and runways. Ice on untravelled spots was snow that had frozen, covering most painted markings. It was a long taxi on the airport service road to 31L.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMT TAXIED ONTO ARPT SERVICE ROAD LOOKING FOR RWY 31L AT DFW.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING SOUTH ON THE WEST INNER TXWY AT DFW ARPT, I TAXIED THE ACFT ONTO THE ARPT SVC ROAD. THERE WAS NO ROOM TO TURN AROUND, SO I HAD TO BE ESCORTED BY SECURITY ON THE ROAD TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ARPT. SECURITY PERSONNEL SAID THIS HAPPENS QUITE OFTEN. THERE ARE NO SIGNS POINTING TO THE RWY, OR TELLING YOU THAT THE ROAD IS NOT A TXWY. THERE IS AN X PAINTED ON IT, BUT IT WAS COVERED UP BY ICE! THE ARPT PLATE DOES NOT SHOW THE ROAD AND ONE IS LED TO BELIEVE IT IS PART OF THE TXWY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH DFW ARPT AND SOMEWHAT CONFUSED BY THE COMPLEX OF TXWYS AND RWYS. ICE ON UNTRAVELLED SPOTS WAS SNOW THAT HAD FROZEN, COVERING MOST PAINTED MARKINGS. IT WAS A LONG TAXI ON THE ARPT SVC ROAD TO 31L.

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.