Flight crew of air carrier light transport aircraft inadvertently turned off on closed taxiway after...

Attributes
ACN	236598
Time
Date	199303
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phl
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 185 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 5240
ASRS Report	236598
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Landing at phl at night, we were cleared to land runway 9R and were advised by tower that only ff, gg, and the last taxiway were available due to snow. Upon landing we had problems reading the taxiway signs because they were not lighted. The tower asked us if we were going to clear the runway because an aircraft was on 1/2 mi final behind us, and we were hesitating. The copilot said yes we were clearing when actually he should have verified the taxiway was gg or ff. I felt pressured to turn off the taxiway we thought was ff but was actually cc. There was no problem on cc other than a small ridge of snow from plowing which I crossed over without problem. In the future if I am not sure of a taxiway I will inform the tower and if necessary let the aircraft behind me go around. It also would help if airports could keep their taxiway signs lighted. I am a 6 yr commuter pilot and deal with phl every week it's easy to fall into the pressure of trying to help the tower if able. And nobody wants to make the aircraft behind them go around, but in this case it would have been the best decision.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF ACR LTT ACFT INADVERTENTLY TURNED OFF ON CLOSED TXWY AFTER LNDG DUE TO HURRY IN CLRING THE RWY FOR LNDG TFC AND UNLIGHTED SIGNS TO IDENT THE PROPER TXWY.

Narrative: LNDG AT PHL AT NIGHT, WE WERE CLRED TO LAND RWY 9R AND WERE ADVISED BY TWR THAT ONLY FF, GG, AND THE LAST TXWY WERE AVAILABLE DUE TO SNOW. UPON LNDG WE HAD PROBS READING THE TXWY SIGNS BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT LIGHTED. THE TWR ASKED US IF WE WERE GOING TO CLR THE RWY BECAUSE AN ACFT WAS ON 1/2 MI FINAL BEHIND US, AND WE WERE HESITATING. THE COPLT SAID YES WE WERE CLRING WHEN ACTUALLY HE SHOULD HAVE VERIFIED THE TXWY WAS GG OR FF. I FELT PRESSURED TO TURN OFF THE TXWY WE THOUGHT WAS FF BUT WAS ACTUALLY CC. THERE WAS NO PROB ON CC OTHER THAN A SMALL RIDGE OF SNOW FROM PLOWING WHICH I CROSSED OVER WITHOUT PROB. IN THE FUTURE IF I AM NOT SURE OF A TXWY I WILL INFORM THE TWR AND IF NECESSARY LET THE ACFT BEHIND ME GAR. IT ALSO WOULD HELP IF ARPTS COULD KEEP THEIR TXWY SIGNS LIGHTED. I AM A 6 YR COMMUTER PLT AND DEAL WITH PHL EVERY WK IT'S EASY TO FALL INTO THE PRESSURE OF TRYING TO HELP THE TWR IF ABLE. AND NOBODY WANTS TO MAKE THE ACFT BEHIND THEM GAR, BUT IN THIS CASE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE BEST DECISION.

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.

Flight crew of air carrier light transport aircraft inadvertently turned off on closed taxiway after landing due to hurry in clearing the runway for landing traffic and unlighted signs to identify the proper taxiway.