Narrative:

After arriving in dtw metropolitan and exiting runway 3L on yankee 5, we were instructed to cross the outer, turn right on wolf and hold short of runway 27R. This was due to congestion on the ramp near our gate. Our next instruction was to turn right around the island to join the outer, to the gate. We started our taxi and, as we made the turn around the island, both the copilot and I noticed that we were approaching the hold short line for runway 3L, the active runway. We stopped short of the hold short line, and were asked by ground if we were on the runway. We were not and were instructed to hold our position. We were then given instructions to proceed onto runway 3L, right turn on victor, join the outer to oscar 11, to the gate. We called the tower supervisor. He informed me that we missed the turn onto the outer. We never saw the turn, but on taxi out for our next flight, we found the supervisor's position to be correct. For reasons unknown to us, we did miss the turn. I believe the positioning of the taxiway lights, and our angle to them, contributed to the missed turn. Additionally, this island is not depicted on the commercially supplied airport page 10-9 dtw.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LGT TAXIED IMPROPERLY AT DTW.

Narrative: AFTER ARRIVING IN DTW METRO AND EXITING RWY 3L ON YANKEE 5, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CROSS THE OUTER, TURN R ON WOLF AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 27R. THIS WAS DUE TO CONGESTION ON THE RAMP NEAR OUR GATE. OUR NEXT INSTRUCTION WAS TO TURN R AROUND THE ISLAND TO JOIN THE OUTER, TO THE GATE. WE STARTED OUR TAXI AND, AS WE MADE THE TURN AROUND THE ISLAND, BOTH THE COPLT AND I NOTICED THAT WE WERE APCHING THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 3L, THE ACTIVE RWY. WE STOPPED SHORT OF THE HOLD SHORT LINE, AND WERE ASKED BY GND IF WE WERE ON THE RWY. WE WERE NOT AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO HOLD OUR POS. WE WERE THEN GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO PROCEED ONTO RWY 3L, R TURN ON VICTOR, JOIN THE OUTER TO OSCAR 11, TO THE GATE. WE CALLED THE TWR SUPVR. HE INFORMED ME THAT WE MISSED THE TURN ONTO THE OUTER. WE NEVER SAW THE TURN, BUT ON TAXI OUT FOR OUR NEXT FLT, WE FOUND THE SUPVR'S POS TO BE CORRECT. FOR REASONS UNKNOWN TO US, WE DID MISS THE TURN. I BELIEVE THE POSITIONING OF THE TXWY LIGHTS, AND OUR ANGLE TO THEM, CONTRIBUTED TO THE MISSED TURN. ADDITIONALLY, THIS ISLAND IS NOT DEPICTED ON THE COMMERCIALLY SUPPLIED ARPT PAGE 10-9 DTW.

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.