Medium large transport flight crew misses taxiway, requests assist from ground.

Attributes
ACN	296209
Time
Date	199502
Day	Fri
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
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
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 : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 11700 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	296209
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

As we exited the ramp between the 'left' and 'K' concourse, ground fired off our taxi instructions as: 'runway 27 left, right on alpha, delta, microphone 5, blue 5, more at microphone 5' as I exited the ramp, my copilot began looking up the txwys and coded taxi rtes as I began taxiing on alpha, looking for 'delta' signs. As we passed taxiway A15, he indicated that we should have already seen delta on the left. As we were in a line, and to keep aircraft moving, we continued slowly until we could get a word into ground control that we had missed the delta turn. Ground subsequently turned us at taxiway A13 for taxiway M2 and microphone. Had we not tried to expedite traffic flow, and held our position until we deciphered his instructions, we would have figured how to reach delta without specific signs. With the new signage requirements, they should consider a 'to' delta sign at taxiway A18. No conflict was created, but it was confusing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG FLC MISSES TXWY, REQUESTS ASSIST FROM GND.

Narrative: AS WE EXITED THE RAMP BTWN THE 'L' AND 'K' CONCOURSE, GND FIRED OFF OUR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AS: 'RWY 27 L, R ON ALPHA, DELTA, MIKE 5, BLUE 5, MORE AT MIKE 5' AS I EXITED THE RAMP, MY COPLT BEGAN LOOKING UP THE TXWYS AND CODED TAXI RTES AS I BEGAN TAXIING ON ALPHA, LOOKING FOR 'DELTA' SIGNS. AS WE PASSED TXWY A15, HE INDICATED THAT WE SHOULD HAVE ALREADY SEEN DELTA ON THE L. AS WE WERE IN A LINE, AND TO KEEP ACFT MOVING, WE CONTINUED SLOWLY UNTIL WE COULD GET A WORD INTO GND CTL THAT WE HAD MISSED THE DELTA TURN. GND SUBSEQUENTLY TURNED US AT TXWY A13 FOR TXWY M2 AND MIKE. HAD WE NOT TRIED TO EXPEDITE TFC FLOW, AND HELD OUR POS UNTIL WE DECIPHERED HIS INSTRUCTIONS, WE WOULD HAVE FIGURED HOW TO REACH DELTA WITHOUT SPECIFIC SIGNS. WITH THE NEW SIGNAGE REQUIREMENTS, THEY SHOULD CONSIDER A 'TO' DELTA SIGN AT TXWY A18. NO CONFLICT WAS CREATED, BUT IT WAS CONFUSING.

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.