Narrative:

At dtw aircraft was cleared to taxi from terminal via ramp to oscar 4 to outer taxiway to runway 21C. Crew inadvertently taxied past turnoff to departure end of 21C. The outer taxiway continues to the GA area. The aircraft was stopped at first taxiway (next) and then requested directions from tower. Crew was advised to make a left turn and then reverse course in the air carrier maintenance hangar area. (Check commercial plate 10-9 (23 oct. 92) at kdtw.) once the left turn was made it immediately became apparent that entry to and maneuver in the air carrier area was impossible. Tower then advised that the taxiway intersecting the taxiway we were on was closed. The crew was then forced to make an extremely uncomfortable 180 degree turn on the intersection of the 2 txwys so as to be able to return to runway 21C. The initial error was, of course, the crew missing the turnoff to runway 21C. Lack of familiarity with the airport was compounded by our following a corp jet which was going to the GA area, not runway 21C. The problem was compounded by the taxi instructions issued by the tower and the fact that our commercial chart did not indicate the taxiway ahead of us was closed. I would recommend detroit ground/tower personnel be made aware of the situation a large aircraft faces should it miss the turnoff to runway 21C. I do not know if further taxi to the GA area would have allowed a course reversal. I also suggest that perhaps closed txwys be better indicated on our charts. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporting captain takes full responsibility for missing the turn onto runway 21C. He does not know why the ground controller told him that the northeast/southwest taxiway in front on the air carrier hangars was closed. There might have been snow but he doesn't remember. A chat with the man who answered the telephone in the dtw tower shed no more light on this. There was no taxiway closure in that area at the time of the incident. No incidents were recorded for feb/93.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LGT CREW MISSED A TURN ONTO RWY 21D AT DTW. THEY WERE ABLE TO TURN AROUND AT A TXWY INTXN.

Narrative: AT DTW ACFT WAS CLRED TO TAXI FROM TERMINAL VIA RAMP TO OSCAR 4 TO OUTER TXWY TO RWY 21C. CREW INADVERTENTLY TAXIED PAST TURNOFF TO DEP END OF 21C. THE OUTER TXWY CONTINUES TO THE GA AREA. THE ACFT WAS STOPPED AT FIRST TXWY (NEXT) AND THEN REQUESTED DIRECTIONS FROM TWR. CREW WAS ADVISED TO MAKE A L TURN AND THEN REVERSE COURSE IN THE ACR MAINT HANGAR AREA. (CHK COMMERCIAL PLATE 10-9 (23 OCT. 92) AT KDTW.) ONCE THE L TURN WAS MADE IT IMMEDIATELY BECAME APPARENT THAT ENTRY TO AND MANEUVER IN THE ACR AREA WAS IMPOSSIBLE. TWR THEN ADVISED THAT THE TXWY INTERSECTING THE TXWY WE WERE ON WAS CLOSED. THE CREW WAS THEN FORCED TO MAKE AN EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE 180 DEG TURN ON THE INTXN OF THE 2 TXWYS SO AS TO BE ABLE TO RETURN TO RWY 21C. THE INITIAL ERROR WAS, OF COURSE, THE CREW MISSING THE TURNOFF TO RWY 21C. LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE ARPT WAS COMPOUNDED BY OUR FOLLOWING A CORP JET WHICH WAS GOING TO THE GA AREA, NOT RWY 21C. THE PROB WAS COMPOUNDED BY THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED BY THE TWR AND THE FACT THAT OUR COMMERCIAL CHART DID NOT INDICATE THE TXWY AHEAD OF US WAS CLOSED. I WOULD RECOMMEND DETROIT GND/TWR PERSONNEL BE MADE AWARE OF THE SIT A LARGE ACFT FACES SHOULD IT MISS THE TURNOFF TO RWY 21C. I DO NOT KNOW IF FURTHER TAXI TO THE GA AREA WOULD HAVE ALLOWED A COURSE REVERSAL. I ALSO SUGGEST THAT PERHAPS CLOSED TXWYS BE BETTER INDICATED ON OUR CHARTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTING CAPT TAKES FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR MISSING THE TURN ONTO RWY 21C. HE DOES NOT KNOW WHY THE GND CTLR TOLD HIM THAT THE NE/SW TXWY IN FRONT ON THE ACR HANGARS WAS CLOSED. THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN SNOW BUT HE DOESN'T REMEMBER. A CHAT WITH THE MAN WHO ANSWERED THE TELEPHONE IN THE DTW TWR SHED NO MORE LIGHT ON THIS. THERE WAS NO TXWY CLOSURE IN THAT AREA AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. NO INCIDENTS WERE RECORDED FOR FEB/93.

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.