Narrative:

Ground control told us to make a left turn on 'I,' then a right turn at T6 to transition to left due to construction at T6 and then make a left turn back to I and proceed to 20L. The captain understood the clearance and proceeded to taxi the aircraft. As PNF, and no questions from captain, I proceeded to finish the manifest and figure the takeoff speeds. Our company procedure uses a radio closeout to receive bag weights, and instructs us to complete the load manifest away from congested terminal areas, ie, taxiways. Normally this takes 2-3 mins to complete manifest, compute weight and balance, and figure takeoff speeds. Unfortunately, during this time, the PNF is unable to monitor taxi process. In my situation, the captain inadvertently missed the left turn back to I. At this point, I finished figuring takeoff speeds and looked up to see that we just passed the intersection to turn back to I on. Next the captain saw what he thought was another taxiway between I and left. It in fact was an unmarkered service road for the fire house north of I. The captain started to turn toward it and I told him that it looked too narrow and that I didn't think it was a taxiway. The captain said 'oh well its too late now' and taxied across with no problems. The taxiway was just wide enough for our aircraft. In retrospect I feel 2 factors contributed to this occurrence. 1) company procedure and policy using radio closeout after leaving gate, that requires PNF to do 'paperwork' while captain taxies the plane. I believe that if the company had allowed us to finish our closeout at the gate, this situation would never had occurred. 2) my complete surprise, when the captain realized he missed the turn that he did not stop the plane and ask me to call ground and ask for assistance and instructions. Instead, as the captain was about to tell what he planned to do, he did it without consulting me. When one member of the crew makes an embarrassing mistake, we expect him or her to come forward and tell us in order to keep us informed of the others plans or actions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN LTT IMPROVISED A TAXIWAY WHEN IT FOUND THAT IT HAD MISSED A TAXIWAY. THERE WAS CONSTRUCTION GOING ON.

Narrative: GND CTL TOLD US TO MAKE A L TURN ON 'I,' THEN A R TURN AT T6 TO TRANSITION TO L DUE TO CONSTRUCTION AT T6 AND THEN MAKE A L TURN BACK TO I AND PROCEED TO 20L. THE CAPT UNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC AND PROCEEDED TO TAXI THE ACFT. AS PNF, AND NO QUESTIONS FROM CAPT, I PROCEEDED TO FINISH THE MANIFEST AND FIGURE THE TKOF SPDS. OUR COMPANY PROC USES A RADIO CLOSEOUT TO RECEIVE BAG WTS, AND INSTRUCTS US TO COMPLETE THE LOAD MANIFEST AWAY FROM CONGESTED TERMINAL AREAS, IE, TAXIWAYS. NORMALLY THIS TAKES 2-3 MINS TO COMPLETE MANIFEST, COMPUTE WT AND BAL, AND FIGURE TKOF SPDS. UNFORTUNATELY, DURING THIS TIME, THE PNF IS UNABLE TO MONITOR TAXI PROCESS. IN MY SITUATION, THE CAPT INADVERTENTLY MISSED THE L TURN BACK TO I. AT THIS POINT, I FINISHED FIGURING TKOF SPDS AND LOOKED UP TO SEE THAT WE JUST PASSED THE INTXN TO TURN BACK TO I ON. NEXT THE CAPT SAW WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS ANOTHER TAXIWAY BTWN I AND L. IT IN FACT WAS AN UNMARKERED SVC ROAD FOR THE FIRE HOUSE N OF I. THE CAPT STARTED TO TURN TOWARD IT AND I TOLD HIM THAT IT LOOKED TOO NARROW AND THAT I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS A TAXIWAY. THE CAPT SAID 'OH WELL ITS TOO LATE NOW' AND TAXIED ACROSS WITH NO PROBLEMS. THE TAXIWAY WAS JUST WIDE ENOUGH FOR OUR ACFT. IN RETROSPECT I FEEL 2 FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS OCCURRENCE. 1) COMPANY PROC AND POLICY USING RADIO CLOSEOUT AFTER LEAVING GATE, THAT REQUIRES PNF TO DO 'PAPERWORK' WHILE CAPT TAXIES THE PLANE. I BELIEVE THAT IF THE COMPANY HAD ALLOWED US TO FINISH OUR CLOSEOUT AT THE GATE, THIS SITUATION WOULD NEVER HAD OCCURRED. 2) MY COMPLETE SURPRISE, WHEN THE CAPT REALIZED HE MISSED THE TURN THAT HE DID NOT STOP THE PLANE AND ASK ME TO CALL GND AND ASK FOR ASSISTANCE AND INSTRUCTIONS. INSTEAD, AS THE CAPT WAS ABOUT TO TELL WHAT HE PLANNED TO DO, HE DID IT WITHOUT CONSULTING ME. WHEN ONE MEMBER OF THE CREW MAKES AN EMBARRASSING MISTAKE, WE EXPECT HIM OR HER TO COME FORWARD AND TELL US IN ORDER TO KEEP US INFORMED OF THE OTHERS PLANS OR ACTIONS.

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.