Narrative:

After landing on runway 22 at fay, and while rolling out near the end of the runway, the tower operator gave us some taxi instructions which were only partially received and understood. It seems like it has become quite common place at some airports for a rather long set of instructions to be given to the crew while still being in the process of landing and rolling out. In our case, we copied the clearance to turn right on runway 28, which we did, but we did not see any taxiway signs for taxi 'a', which is what we thought the taxi clearance then included. With our gate clearly in sight a short distance away, and with a taxiway a short distance in front of us leading to our gate (which turned out to be taxiway K). We proceeded to taxi the short distance on runway 28 to taxi K, although we were not sure it was 'a' or 'K'. The tower controller told us too late that we had missed 'a' and were now on a runway which was not capable of bearing our weight. In retrospect, I should have stopped after clearing the runway and made sure we had our bearings and a clear taxi instruction, but it is very difficult at many airports to find taxi signs that tell you what taxiways are being signified. The accident at detroit metropolitan was supposed to signal a review of all airports to make sure that taxiways were clearly designated with signs visible to a taxiing pilot, but in my opinion this is still an area that is clearly a hazard potential.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF MLG MISUNDERSTOOD TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. MISSED ASSIGNED TAXIWAY AND TAXIED ON AREA NOT STRESSED FOR THEIR WEIGHT ACFT.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 22 AT FAY, AND WHILE ROLLING OUT NEAR THE END OF THE RWY, THE TWR OPERATOR GAVE US SOME TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WHICH WERE ONLY PARTIALLY RECEIVED AND UNDERSTOOD. IT SEEMS LIKE IT HAS BECOME QUITE COMMON PLACE AT SOME ARPTS FOR A RATHER LONG SET OF INSTRUCTIONS TO BE GIVEN TO THE CREW WHILE STILL BEING IN THE PROCESS OF LNDG AND ROLLING OUT. IN OUR CASE, WE COPIED THE CLRNC TO TURN R ON RWY 28, WHICH WE DID, BUT WE DID NOT SEE ANY TAXIWAY SIGNS FOR TAXI 'A', WHICH IS WHAT WE THOUGHT THE TAXI CLRNC THEN INCLUDED. WITH OUR GATE CLRLY IN SIGHT A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY, AND WITH A TAXIWAY A SHORT DISTANCE IN FRONT OF US LEADING TO OUR GATE (WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE TAXIWAY K). WE PROCEEDED TO TAXI THE SHORT DISTANCE ON RWY 28 TO TAXI K, ALTHOUGH WE WERE NOT SURE IT WAS 'A' OR 'K'. THE TWR CTLR TOLD US TOO LATE THAT WE HAD MISSED 'A' AND WERE NOW ON A RWY WHICH WAS NOT CAPABLE OF BEARING OUR WEIGHT. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED AFTER CLRING THE RWY AND MADE SURE WE HAD OUR BEARINGS AND A CLR TAXI INSTRUCTION, BUT IT IS VERY DIFFICULT AT MANY ARPTS TO FIND TAXI SIGNS THAT TELL YOU WHAT TAXIWAYS ARE BEING SIGNIFIED. THE ACCIDENT AT DETROIT METRO WAS SUPPOSED TO SIGNAL A REVIEW OF ALL ARPTS TO MAKE SURE THAT TAXIWAYS WERE CLRLY DESIGNATED WITH SIGNS VISIBLE TO A TAXIING PLT, BUT IN MY OPINION THIS IS STILL AN AREA THAT IS CLRLY A HAZARD POTENTIAL.

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.