Narrative:

Flying the morning after a minimum crew rest (and the morning after our airline declared chapter 2 bankruptcy), we landed in ewr after a flight up from dca in marginal VFR conditions. I was tired and the captain had seemed quite distracted during the whole trip (day 3 of 3 day trip). There are 2 taxiway entering our ramp from the inner--rh and rk. The sign marking rk is between rk and rh (when approaching from south), and sign marking rh is south of rh, both on the concrete median. Many times before my capts have entered the ramp via rh after being assigned rk, as this captain did twice previously during this trip. This is seldom a problem as both txwys enter the same ramp. This time we were assigned rh to enter. My head was down momentarily while reading the after landing checklist, and when I looked up the captain was taxiing the aircraft across the concrete medial south of rh. Momentarily disoriented, I asked, 'is this a taxiway?' he slowed, looked around, and replied, 'I guess it isn't,' and continued across to the ramp. Fortunately, the aircraft was light and the concrete did not buckle. Nor was the aircraft damaged and nothing further happened. While we were fatigue and somewhat distracted, I feel there is a major problem with taxiway markings and (especially) lighting at ewr. Signs are poorly placed and most txwys are marked with reflectors rather than lights for night operations. If a landing light or taxi light is burned out, maneuvering is very difficult. This means greater potential for a similar accident to the recent one in dtw.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG TAXIED ONTO CONCRETE MEDIAN WHILE TAXIING TO PARKING AREA.

Narrative: FLYING THE MORNING AFTER A MINIMUM CREW REST (AND THE MORNING AFTER OUR AIRLINE DECLARED CHAPTER 2 BANKRUPTCY), WE LANDED IN EWR AFTER A FLT UP FROM DCA IN MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS. I WAS TIRED AND THE CAPT HAD SEEMED QUITE DISTRACTED DURING THE WHOLE TRIP (DAY 3 OF 3 DAY TRIP). THERE ARE 2 TXWY ENTERING OUR RAMP FROM THE INNER--RH AND RK. THE SIGN MARKING RK IS BTWN RK AND RH (WHEN APCHING FROM S), AND SIGN MARKING RH IS S OF RH, BOTH ON THE CONCRETE MEDIAN. MANY TIMES BEFORE MY CAPTS HAVE ENTERED THE RAMP VIA RH AFTER BEING ASSIGNED RK, AS THIS CAPT DID TWICE PREVIOUSLY DURING THIS TRIP. THIS IS SELDOM A PROB AS BOTH TXWYS ENTER THE SAME RAMP. THIS TIME WE WERE ASSIGNED RH TO ENTER. MY HEAD WAS DOWN MOMENTARILY WHILE READING THE AFTER LNDG CHKLIST, AND WHEN I LOOKED UP THE CAPT WAS TAXIING THE ACFT ACROSS THE CONCRETE MEDIAL S OF RH. MOMENTARILY DISORIENTED, I ASKED, 'IS THIS A TXWY?' HE SLOWED, LOOKED AROUND, AND REPLIED, 'I GUESS IT ISN'T,' AND CONTINUED ACROSS TO THE RAMP. FORTUNATELY, THE ACFT WAS LIGHT AND THE CONCRETE DID NOT BUCKLE. NOR WAS THE ACFT DAMAGED AND NOTHING FURTHER HAPPENED. WHILE WE WERE FATIGUE AND SOMEWHAT DISTRACTED, I FEEL THERE IS A MAJOR PROB WITH TXWY MARKINGS AND (ESPECIALLY) LIGHTING AT EWR. SIGNS ARE POORLY PLACED AND MOST TXWYS ARE MARKED WITH REFLECTORS RATHER THAN LIGHTS FOR NIGHT OPS. IF A LNDG LIGHT OR TAXI LIGHT IS BURNED OUT, MANEUVERING IS VERY DIFFICULT. THIS MEANS GREATER POTENTIAL FOR A SIMILAR ACCIDENT TO THE RECENT ONE IN DTW.

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.