Narrative:

Aircraft was taxied onto a ground vehicle road sandwiched between 2 aircraft txwys B and C, near 'C-10' and taxiway P. Neither I nor the FAA observer in jumpseat noticed the error. I was unaware of the mistake until informed of it much later. Captain was cognizant of error upon review of ground vehicle behavior but had already committed jet's nose. Only result was minor confusion by ground, maintenance/luggage vehicles. I cite poor road markings and taxiway lighting at taxiway P, all of us were busy watching crossing ground vehicles/aircraft. WX that night had caused system-wide delays resulting in congested txwys. I recommend an improvement in way we distinguish lax's txwys and ground vehicle roads. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the basic cause of the flight crew deviation, according to the first officer, was the lack of what he termed 'clear and concise' taxiway markings that would define taxiway C-10 and taxiway P from the northbound roadway between those 2 txwys. He felt that he was not of much help to the captain as he was busy with checklist use, weight and balance data, clearing other traffic, getting ready for a frequency change on ground control and trying to stay oriented on the airport. He felt that this was exacerbated by the fact that he was a new hire with only 1 month with the air carrier. The presence of an air carrier inspector who was conversing with the captain about 'aviation issues' was most likely partly contributory to this event. He would like, however, to have the area checked out by airport officials for a possible signing or marking problem. The ground markings were definitely very hard to see.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR B737 STARTS A TURN INTO A ROADWAY INSTEAD OF THE TXWY AT LAX DURING A NIGHT OP. PIC STOPS ACFT AND IS ABLE TO RESUME TAXIING ON CLRED RTE.

Narrative: ACFT WAS TAXIED ONTO A GND VEHICLE ROAD SANDWICHED BTWN 2 ACFT TXWYS B AND C, NEAR 'C-10' AND TXWY P. NEITHER I NOR THE FAA OBSERVER IN JUMPSEAT NOTICED THE ERROR. I WAS UNAWARE OF THE MISTAKE UNTIL INFORMED OF IT MUCH LATER. CAPT WAS COGNIZANT OF ERROR UPON REVIEW OF GND VEHICLE BEHAVIOR BUT HAD ALREADY COMMITTED JET'S NOSE. ONLY RESULT WAS MINOR CONFUSION BY GND, MAINT/LUGGAGE VEHICLES. I CITE POOR ROAD MARKINGS AND TXWY LIGHTING AT TXWY P, ALL OF US WERE BUSY WATCHING XING GND VEHICLES/ACFT. WX THAT NIGHT HAD CAUSED SYS-WIDE DELAYS RESULTING IN CONGESTED TXWYS. I RECOMMEND AN IMPROVEMENT IN WAY WE DISTINGUISH LAX'S TXWYS AND GND VEHICLE ROADS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE BASIC CAUSE OF THE FLC DEV, ACCORDING TO THE FO, WAS THE LACK OF WHAT HE TERMED 'CLR AND CONCISE' TXWY MARKINGS THAT WOULD DEFINE TXWY C-10 AND TXWY P FROM THE NBOUND ROADWAY BTWN THOSE 2 TXWYS. HE FELT THAT HE WAS NOT OF MUCH HELP TO THE CAPT AS HE WAS BUSY WITH CHKLIST USE, WT AND BAL DATA, CLRING OTHER TFC, GETTING READY FOR A FREQ CHANGE ON GND CTL AND TRYING TO STAY ORIENTED ON THE ARPT. HE FELT THAT THIS WAS EXACERBATED BY THE FACT THAT HE WAS A NEW HIRE WITH ONLY 1 MONTH WITH THE ACR. THE PRESENCE OF AN ACR INSPECTOR WHO WAS CONVERSING WITH THE CAPT ABOUT 'AVIATION ISSUES' WAS MOST LIKELY PARTLY CONTRIBUTORY TO THIS EVENT. HE WOULD LIKE, HOWEVER, TO HAVE THE AREA CHKED OUT BY ARPT OFFICIALS FOR A POSSIBLE SIGNING OR MARKING PROB. THE GND MARKINGS WERE DEFINITELY VERY HARD TO SEE.

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.