Captain of an medium large transport inadvertently taxied onto a dead end closed taxiway.

Attributes
ACN	324176
Time
Date	199502
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : btr
State Reference	LA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ord
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
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 : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	324176
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

After landing on runway 31 at btr, I taxied onto an unmarked, dead end taxiway that required a tug to move me to the ramp. Contributing factors were nighttime, no signage to indicate the proper taxiway, the yellow taxiway stripe leads into the dead end taxiway and blue taxiway identify lights on the right side of the dead end taxiway, but not the left. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he had operated into this airport on many occasions but usually used the main runway 4/22. After turning off of runway 31 on taxiway J it led right into the entrance of the private, dead end taxiway. Since it was at night, there was no opportunity to see the entire taxiway area. Therefore, the yellow taxi line leading into the taxiway, and the blue lights on the right side, help confirm that the taxiway was taxiway B as desired. The captain stated that there had been 4 other pilots in a short period of time that have made the same mistake due to the closure and work being done on the main runway 4/22.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN MLG INADVERTENTLY TAXIED ONTO A DEAD END CLOSED TXWY.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 31 AT BTR, I TAXIED ONTO AN UNMARKED, DEAD END TXWY THAT REQUIRED A TUG TO MOVE ME TO THE RAMP. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE NIGHTTIME, NO SIGNAGE TO INDICATE THE PROPER TXWY, THE YELLOW TXWY STRIPE LEADS INTO THE DEAD END TXWY AND BLUE TXWY IDENT LIGHTS ON THE R SIDE OF THE DEAD END TXWY, BUT NOT THE L. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD OPERATED INTO THIS ARPT ON MANY OCCASIONS BUT USUALLY USED THE MAIN RWY 4/22. AFTER TURNING OFF OF RWY 31 ON TXWY J IT LED RIGHT INTO THE ENTRANCE OF THE PVT, DEAD END TXWY. SINCE IT WAS AT NIGHT, THERE WAS NO OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE ENTIRE TXWY AREA. THEREFORE, THE YELLOW TAXI LINE LEADING INTO THE TXWY, AND THE BLUE LIGHTS ON THE R SIDE, HELP CONFIRM THAT THE TXWY WAS TXWY B AS DESIRED. THE CAPT STATED THAT THERE HAD BEEN 4 OTHER PLTS IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME THAT HAVE MADE THE SAME MISTAKE DUE TO THE CLOSURE AND WORK BEING DONE ON THE MAIN RWY 4/22.

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.