Narrative:

WX at airport was very foggy. Reported visibility on takeoff runway was RVR 800 ft. Although visibility around airport varied somewhat, I don't think visibility was better than 1/4 mi anywhere we taxied. Ground control instructed us to taxi east on the inner, right at oscar 4 and west on the outer. As we started a right turn to taxi, we were confronted by a cpr medium large transport taxiing toward us (wbound) on the inner. We both stopped and we were about 300 ft apart at that point. We notified ground control of the situation and they asked the cpr medium large transport aircraft to identify his position and he said he 'thought he turned right on the outer.' ground control then instructed him to do a 180 degree turn, taxi east on the inner, right turn at oscar 4 and west on the outer. If the visibility had been any worse, there is a possibility we could have had a crunch. Dtw metropolitan is headquarters for this corporate flight department. If their pilots have problems taxiing around the airport, what can you expect from us out-of-towners? I guess dtw doesn't have the airport markings, signs and taxiway designations worked out well enough to preclude another accident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG AND A CPR MLG BECAME NOSE TO NOSE WHILE TAXIING IN THE FOG AT DTW.

Narrative: WX AT ARPT WAS VERY FOGGY. RPTED VISIBILITY ON TKOF RWY WAS RVR 800 FT. ALTHOUGH VISIBILITY AROUND ARPT VARIED SOMEWHAT, I DON'T THINK VISIBILITY WAS BETTER THAN 1/4 MI ANYWHERE WE TAXIED. GND CTL INSTRUCTED US TO TAXI E ON THE INNER, R AT OSCAR 4 AND W ON THE OUTER. AS WE STARTED A R TURN TO TAXI, WE WERE CONFRONTED BY A CPR MLG TAXIING TOWARD US (WBOUND) ON THE INNER. WE BOTH STOPPED AND WE WERE ABOUT 300 FT APART AT THAT POINT. WE NOTIFIED GND CTL OF THE SIT AND THEY ASKED THE CPR MLG ACFT TO IDENT HIS POS AND HE SAID HE 'THOUGHT HE TURNED R ON THE OUTER.' GND CTL THEN INSTRUCTED HIM TO DO A 180 DEG TURN, TAXI E ON THE INNER, R TURN AT OSCAR 4 AND W ON THE OUTER. IF THE VISIBILITY HAD BEEN ANY WORSE, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY WE COULD HAVE HAD A CRUNCH. DTW METRO IS HEADQUARTERS FOR THIS CORPORATE FLT DEPT. IF THEIR PLTS HAVE PROBS TAXIING AROUND THE ARPT, WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT FROM US OUT-OF-TOWNERS? I GUESS DTW DOESN'T HAVE THE ARPT MARKINGS, SIGNS AND TXWY DESIGNATIONS WORKED OUT WELL ENOUGH TO PRECLUDE ANOTHER ACCIDENT.

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.