An air carrier medium large transport taxied across an 'island' at ord.

Attributes
ACN	276249
Time
Date	199407
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 1700
ASRS Report	276249
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other 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:

Departure were delayed by a passing thunderstorm. Txwys were congested. Our instructions were simply to follow the preceding 737. It was night and vision was somewhat restr by rain. The 737 ahead, and perhaps others in front of him, taxied northeast through the island bounded by a, B, A-18, and A-19. This island is load-bearing and surrounded by raised blue taxiway lights. The width of the island is nearly the same as a taxiway and the blue lights on the south side of the island are very far apart. Glare from the international ramp light fixtures on the wet concrete made it impossible to see the yellow taxi lines. What I mistook for the yellow taxi line, must have been the nose gear track of the preceding aircraft. We followed the other aircraft through the island without contact with any taxiway lights. Both my first officer and I had the illusion that we were on a taxiway. Even with the dark, rain, and glare, if the blue taxiway lights on the south side of the island were closer together, it would have been obvious that this was an island and not a taxiway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG TAXIED ACROSS AN 'ISLAND' AT ORD.

Narrative: DEP WERE DELAYED BY A PASSING TSTM. TXWYS WERE CONGESTED. OUR INSTRUCTIONS WERE SIMPLY TO FOLLOW THE PRECEDING 737. IT WAS NIGHT AND VISION WAS SOMEWHAT RESTR BY RAIN. THE 737 AHEAD, AND PERHAPS OTHERS IN FRONT OF HIM, TAXIED NE THROUGH THE ISLAND BOUNDED BY A, B, A-18, AND A-19. THIS ISLAND IS LOAD-BEARING AND SURROUNDED BY RAISED BLUE TXWY LIGHTS. THE WIDTH OF THE ISLAND IS NEARLY THE SAME AS A TXWY AND THE BLUE LIGHTS ON THE S SIDE OF THE ISLAND ARE VERY FAR APART. GLARE FROM THE INTL RAMP LIGHT FIXTURES ON THE WET CONCRETE MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THE YELLOW TAXI LINES. WHAT I MISTOOK FOR THE YELLOW TAXI LINE, MUST HAVE BEEN THE NOSE GEAR TRACK OF THE PRECEDING ACFT. WE FOLLOWED THE OTHER ACFT THROUGH THE ISLAND WITHOUT CONTACT WITH ANY TXWY LIGHTS. BOTH MY FO AND I HAD THE ILLUSION THAT WE WERE ON A TXWY. EVEN WITH THE DARK, RAIN, AND GLARE, IF THE BLUE TXWY LIGHTS ON THE S SIDE OF THE ISLAND WERE CLOSER TOGETHER, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN OBVIOUS THAT THIS WAS AN ISLAND AND NOT A TXWY.

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.