Air carrier X taxiway excursion due to poor airport marking and lighting at night.

Attributes
ACN	302892
Time
Date	199504
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : arn
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	302892
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Ord taxiway B between A18 and A19 while taxiing eastbound. Exited taxiway B into paved non-taxi area. No damage. Experienced crew familiarity with the poor taxiway markings in the stated area. Wet txwys combined with ramp lights at international terminal obliterated all taxiway lines. The non-taxi area did not have sufficient lighting to differentiate from taxiway a or B. The taxi lights (blue) on either side of taxiway a and B formed a false taxiway which we followed until we almost taxied into an unlit taxiway sign. We knew this problem area was ahead of us and both captain and I were straining to pick up the proper taxi line. The blue taxi lights around this open area only confused us. This non- taxi area needs improved reflective markings outlining the boundaries. We were lucky we didn't run over any taxi lights trying to return to the proper taxiway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X TXWY EXCURSION DUE TO POOR ARPT MARKING AND LIGHTING AT NIGHT.

Narrative: ORD TXWY B BTWN A18 AND A19 WHILE TAXIING EBOUND. EXITED TXWY B INTO PAVED NON-TAXI AREA. NO DAMAGE. EXPERIENCED CREW FAMILIARITY WITH THE POOR TXWY MARKINGS IN THE STATED AREA. WET TXWYS COMBINED WITH RAMP LIGHTS AT INTL TERMINAL OBLITERATED ALL TXWY LINES. THE NON-TAXI AREA DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT LIGHTING TO DIFFERENTIATE FROM TXWY A OR B. THE TAXI LIGHTS (BLUE) ON EITHER SIDE OF TXWY A AND B FORMED A FALSE TXWY WHICH WE FOLLOWED UNTIL WE ALMOST TAXIED INTO AN UNLIT TXWY SIGN. WE KNEW THIS PROB AREA WAS AHEAD OF US AND BOTH CAPT AND I WERE STRAINING TO PICK UP THE PROPER TAXI LINE. THE BLUE TAXI LIGHTS AROUND THIS OPEN AREA ONLY CONFUSED US. THIS NON- TAXI AREA NEEDS IMPROVED REFLECTIVE MARKINGS OUTLINING THE BOUNDARIES. WE WERE LUCKY WE DIDN'T RUN OVER ANY TAXI LIGHTS TRYING TO RETURN TO THE PROPER 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.