Narrative:

After engine start, first officer called for taxi clearance. We were cleared 'to runway 30L hold short of alpha'. I turned left on ramp. I had airport diagram on the yoke to check the way to alpha. I noticed the ramp went to alpha and a note that the ramp was good to 300000 pounds. As I reached taxiway bravo, ground control said 'air carrier X, turn right on bravo.' but I had already passed it so ground controller said, 'continue on the ramp turn right on alpha but where you are the ramp is only stressed for 75000 pounds.' our weight was 151000. I was reluctant to touch the brakes so we sailed right on through the ramp and had no problem. While holding on alpha, short of runway 30L, I reread the fine print note and realized that indeed the ramp was good for 300000 pounds but between bravo and alpha only 75000. I was very lucky this time and will read those ambiguous notes with the small print much closer in the future. However, I do think that an arrow defining the border between 300000 and 75000 pound capacity would have been a help to me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT TAXIS ON TXWY NOT STRESSED FOR HIS WEIGHT OF ACFT AND SO NOTED ON ARPT CHART.

Narrative: AFTER ENG START, F/O CALLED FOR TAXI CLRNC. WE WERE CLRED 'TO RWY 30L HOLD SHORT OF ALPHA'. I TURNED L ON RAMP. I HAD ARPT DIAGRAM ON THE YOKE TO CHK THE WAY TO ALPHA. I NOTICED THE RAMP WENT TO ALPHA AND A NOTE THAT THE RAMP WAS GOOD TO 300000 LBS. AS I REACHED TXWY BRAVO, GND CTL SAID 'ACR X, TURN R ON BRAVO.' BUT I HAD ALREADY PASSED IT SO GND CTLR SAID, 'CONTINUE ON THE RAMP TURN R ON ALPHA BUT WHERE YOU ARE THE RAMP IS ONLY STRESSED FOR 75000 LBS.' OUR WT WAS 151000. I WAS RELUCTANT TO TOUCH THE BRAKES SO WE SAILED R ON THROUGH THE RAMP AND HAD NO PROB. WHILE HOLDING ON ALPHA, SHORT OF RWY 30L, I REREAD THE FINE PRINT NOTE AND REALIZED THAT INDEED THE RAMP WAS GOOD FOR 300000 LBS BUT BTWN BRAVO AND ALPHA ONLY 75000. I WAS VERY LUCKY THIS TIME AND WILL READ THOSE AMBIGUOUS NOTES WITH THE SMALL PRINT MUCH CLOSER IN THE FUTURE. HOWEVER, I DO THINK THAT AN ARROW DEFINING THE BORDER BTWN 300000 AND 75000 LB CAPACITY WOULD HAVE BEEN A HELP TO ME.

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