Narrative:

On sep/sun/93, we were asked to ferry an aircraft to pdx for routine maintenance. The captain, during preflight, talked with flight control to get information on where to go once reaching pdx. There was no information as to our destination on the pdx airfield. The captain and I agreed to fly the trip and coordinate with our operations at the pdx airport itself. En route, we came to find out that pdx operations didn't know exactly where our maintenance facility was on the field. Also, en route the captain and I briefed the approach, and airport diagram for a general idea of where to go once arriving at the airport. After landing on runway 28L, the captain began to clear the active runway on a high speed taxiway which appeared to be the best option to get where we needed to go on the airport. Sitting just off of taxiway foxtrot were air carrier Y heavy aircraft, along with some wdbs. This added to the illusion that an medium large transport would be fine to taxi on the full length of taxiway F. The captain pulled onto F just enough to clear the runway. I called ground control to get progressive taxi to our destination. We were then informed by ground control that 'for future reference, that portion of the taxiway was not available to us, but to continue.' at that point we were informed there was plenty of room to reverse course, or be towed clear without covering any of the restr taxiway. We were certainly not intentionally negligent. The captain made the best choice available at the time, to not linger on an active runway. It seems strange that a weight restr taxiway would be put as a high speed exit on a busy runway at a major airport. I feel that such a taxiway could be much better marked. We have both learned from our experience, and I know that I will never take for granted any taxiway again.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH TXWY ENTRY ON LNDG PROC ROLLOUT.

Narrative: ON SEP/SUN/93, WE WERE ASKED TO FERRY AN ACFT TO PDX FOR ROUTINE MAINT. THE CAPT, DURING PREFLT, TALKED WITH FLT CTL TO GET INFO ON WHERE TO GO ONCE REACHING PDX. THERE WAS NO INFO AS TO OUR DEST ON THE PDX AIRFIELD. THE CAPT AND I AGREED TO FLY THE TRIP AND COORDINATE WITH OUR OPS AT THE PDX ARPT ITSELF. ENRTE, WE CAME TO FIND OUT THAT PDX OPS DIDN'T KNOW EXACTLY WHERE OUR MAINT FACILITY WAS ON THE FIELD. ALSO, ENRTE THE CAPT AND I BRIEFED THE APCH, AND ARPT DIAGRAM FOR A GENERAL IDEA OF WHERE TO GO ONCE ARRIVING AT THE ARPT. AFTER LNDG ON RWY 28L, THE CAPT BEGAN TO CLR THE ACTIVE RWY ON A HIGH SPD TXWY WHICH APPEARED TO BE THE BEST OPTION TO GET WHERE WE NEEDED TO GO ON THE ARPT. SITTING JUST OFF OF TXWY FOXTROT WERE ACR Y HVY ACFT, ALONG WITH SOME WDBS. THIS ADDED TO THE ILLUSION THAT AN MLG WOULD BE FINE TO TAXI ON THE FULL LENGTH OF TXWY F. THE CAPT PULLED ONTO F JUST ENOUGH TO CLR THE RWY. I CALLED GND CTL TO GET PROGRESSIVE TAXI TO OUR DEST. WE WERE THEN INFORMED BY GND CTL THAT 'FOR FUTURE REF, THAT PORTION OF THE TXWY WAS NOT AVAILABLE TO US, BUT TO CONTINUE.' AT THAT POINT WE WERE INFORMED THERE WAS PLENTY OF ROOM TO REVERSE COURSE, OR BE TOWED CLR WITHOUT COVERING ANY OF THE RESTR TXWY. WE WERE CERTAINLY NOT INTENTIONALLY NEGLIGENT. THE CAPT MADE THE BEST CHOICE AVAILABLE AT THE TIME, TO NOT LINGER ON AN ACTIVE RWY. IT SEEMS STRANGE THAT A WT RESTR TXWY WOULD BE PUT AS A HIGH SPD EXIT ON A BUSY RWY AT A MAJOR ARPT. I FEEL THAT SUCH A TXWY COULD BE MUCH BETTER MARKED. WE HAVE BOTH LEARNED FROM OUR EXPERIENCE, AND I KNOW THAT I WILL NEVER TAKE FOR GRANTED ANY TXWY AGAIN.

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.