Air carrier captain complaint about placement of taxiway signs at dtw.

Attributes
ACN	198236
Time
Date	199201
Day	Wed
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	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	198236
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

While taxiing to runway 21C for takeoff, we used the inner and transitioned to the outer 'X' at O3. The yellow 'outer-X' signs are located on the east side of 'outer-X' but adjacent and prior to runway 21C. They clearly indicate that 21C is the outer-X! Less than 1/2 mi farther down the runway 2 air carrier Y jets collided after one became confused at the taxiway/runway markings and entered the active runway! After entering the taxiway I asked ground to verify that we were actually on the outer. He replied that we were and that those signs are 'kind of confusing' out there! They are not confusing! They clearly are wrong! Lucky for us it was clear. The air carrier Y crews did not enjoy the good visibility. This is another accident waiting to happen.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CAPT COMPLAINT ABOUT PLACEMENT OF TAXIWAY SIGNS AT DTW.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING TO RWY 21C FOR TKOF, WE USED THE INNER AND TRANSITIONED TO THE OUTER 'X' AT O3. THE YELLOW 'OUTER-X' SIGNS ARE LOCATED ON THE E SIDE OF 'OUTER-X' BUT ADJACENT AND PRIOR TO RWY 21C. THEY CLRLY INDICATE THAT 21C IS THE OUTER-X! LESS THAN 1/2 MI FARTHER DOWN THE RWY 2 ACR Y JETS COLLIDED AFTER ONE BECAME CONFUSED AT THE TAXIWAY/RWY MARKINGS AND ENTERED THE ACTIVE RWY! AFTER ENTERING THE TAXIWAY I ASKED GND TO VERIFY THAT WE WERE ACTUALLY ON THE OUTER. HE REPLIED THAT WE WERE AND THAT THOSE SIGNS ARE 'KIND OF CONFUSING' OUT THERE! THEY ARE NOT CONFUSING! THEY CLRLY ARE WRONG! LUCKY FOR US IT WAS CLR. THE ACR Y CREWS DID NOT ENJOY THE GOOD VISIBILITY. THIS IS ANOTHER ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN.

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.