Pilot missed turn and taxied onto active runway.

Attributes
ACN	165513
Time
Date	199012
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent other landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
ASRS Report	165513
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 7000 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

In regards to the accident at dtw between the medium large transport and large transport, I would like to bring to light another confusing piece of concrete (I was a controller at dtw tower (cabin) for 8 yrs and I am now assigned to another ATC facility). The are southwest of the firehall where txwys wolf, outer, runway 27, runway 3L and taxiway yankee all merge together is a potential problem. The area is poorly defined. There is a diagonal there which, like the diagonal at taxiway 04 which sucked the medium large transport onto runway 3C, has drawn aircraft onto runway 3L. Last winter a widebody transport X was issued taxi instructions to runway 3L via wolf to yankee. The diagonal sucked him onto 3L with a widebody transport Y on very short final. Visibility was 1/4 mi or less. The widebody transport X pilot alerted the ground controller who quickly told the local controller to send widebody transport Y around (over the approach lights). Luckily the widebody transport X pilot got through to the west ground controller on first try, considering the congestion on that frequency. A second or third attempt might have been too late. Considering the proximity of the aircraft and the visibility, a collision would have been a sure thing had widebody transport X not gone around.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT MISSED TURN AND TAXIED ONTO ACTIVE RWY.

Narrative: IN REGARDS TO THE ACCIDENT AT DTW BTWN THE MLG AND LGT, I WOULD LIKE TO BRING TO LIGHT ANOTHER CONFUSING PIECE OF CONCRETE (I WAS A CTLR AT DTW TWR (CABIN) FOR 8 YRS AND I AM NOW ASSIGNED TO ANOTHER ATC FAC). THE ARE SW OF THE FIREHALL WHERE TXWYS WOLF, OUTER, RWY 27, RWY 3L AND TXWY YANKEE ALL MERGE TOGETHER IS A POTENTIAL PROB. THE AREA IS POORLY DEFINED. THERE IS A DIAGONAL THERE WHICH, LIKE THE DIAGONAL AT TXWY 04 WHICH SUCKED THE MLG ONTO RWY 3C, HAS DRAWN ACFT ONTO RWY 3L. LAST WINTER A WDB X WAS ISSUED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO RWY 3L VIA WOLF TO YANKEE. THE DIAGONAL SUCKED HIM ONTO 3L WITH A WDB Y ON VERY SHORT FINAL. VISIBILITY WAS 1/4 MI OR LESS. THE WDB X PLT ALERTED THE GND CTLR WHO QUICKLY TOLD THE LCL CTLR TO SEND WDB Y AROUND (OVER THE APCH LIGHTS). LUCKILY THE WDB X PLT GOT THROUGH TO THE W GND CTLR ON FIRST TRY, CONSIDERING THE CONGESTION ON THAT FREQ. A SECOND OR THIRD ATTEMPT MIGHT HAVE BEEN TOO LATE. CONSIDERING THE PROX OF THE ACFT AND THE VISIBILITY, A COLLISION WOULD HAVE BEEN A SURE THING HAD WDB X NOT GONE AROUND.

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.