Narrative:

We landed on runway 34R at slc airport at XX42L. We exited the runway and joined the parallel taxiway H. Ground read our taxi instructions somewhat unintelligibly. We thought they said taxi to the ramp. They came back with taxi to spot X. At that point we were coming around the corner of F1, and it was dark. We contacted our ramp, and they cleared us to the gate. As we approached our gate, the other air carrier ramp controller asked us if we knew where spot X was. We replied that we thought we were there when we called them. On our company page 10-7, spot X is defined as being just off gate Y. It was dark, and we never actually saw any spot markings. Other air carrier ramp control advised us that the FAA was watching, and wanted to know if we knew where spot X was. He then stated that we had come in spot Z. We thanked him, and investigated further. It turns out that our 10-7 page for our air carrier shows the spots inaccurately. The only other place we found reference to spots was on the 10-9D low visibility taxi page. The spots are marked even more incorrectly on that page. The spots are shown to be just northwest of the B terminal. In actuality they are just northeast of the terminal. No traffic incursion occurred. No traffic in area. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter is fairly new with the air carrier concerned and felt that the ramp controllers were very, if not too strict in procedural matters at the ramp by terminal X. ('You vil.') reporter counseled to advise his flight manager of this situation, reporter stated that they could not see any guidelines that could possibly even give them a clue as to the location of spot X. They did see it, however, during their taxi out.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARPT PROB RAMP. RPTR CITES 'SPOT' MARKINGS FOR ACFT POS AS MARKED ON ARPT DIAGRAM WERE INACCURATE AND DIFFICULT TO FIND IN A NIGHT OP.

Narrative: WE LANDED ON RWY 34R AT SLC ARPT AT XX42L. WE EXITED THE RWY AND JOINED THE PARALLEL TXWY H. GND READ OUR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS SOMEWHAT UNINTELLIGIBLY. WE THOUGHT THEY SAID TAXI TO THE RAMP. THEY CAME BACK WITH TAXI TO SPOT X. AT THAT POINT WE WERE COMING AROUND THE CORNER OF F1, AND IT WAS DARK. WE CONTACTED OUR RAMP, AND THEY CLRED US TO THE GATE. AS WE APCHED OUR GATE, THE OTHER ACR RAMP CTLR ASKED US IF WE KNEW WHERE SPOT X WAS. WE REPLIED THAT WE THOUGHT WE WERE THERE WHEN WE CALLED THEM. ON OUR COMPANY PAGE 10-7, SPOT X IS DEFINED AS BEING JUST OFF GATE Y. IT WAS DARK, AND WE NEVER ACTUALLY SAW ANY SPOT MARKINGS. OTHER ACR RAMP CTL ADVISED US THAT THE FAA WAS WATCHING, AND WANTED TO KNOW IF WE KNEW WHERE SPOT X WAS. HE THEN STATED THAT WE HAD COME IN SPOT Z. WE THANKED HIM, AND INVESTIGATED FURTHER. IT TURNS OUT THAT OUR 10-7 PAGE FOR OUR ACR SHOWS THE SPOTS INACCURATELY. THE ONLY OTHER PLACE WE FOUND REF TO SPOTS WAS ON THE 10-9D LOW VISIBILITY TAXI PAGE. THE SPOTS ARE MARKED EVEN MORE INCORRECTLY ON THAT PAGE. THE SPOTS ARE SHOWN TO BE JUST NW OF THE B TERMINAL. IN ACTUALITY THEY ARE JUST NE OF THE TERMINAL. NO TFC INCURSION OCCURRED. NO TFC IN AREA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR IS FAIRLY NEW WITH THE ACR CONCERNED AND FELT THAT THE RAMP CTLRS WERE VERY, IF NOT TOO STRICT IN PROCEDURAL MATTERS AT THE RAMP BY TERMINAL X. ('YOU VIL.') RPTR COUNSELED TO ADVISE HIS FLT MGR OF THIS SIT, RPTR STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT SEE ANY GUIDELINES THAT COULD POSSIBLY EVEN GIVE THEM A CLUE AS TO THE LOCATION OF SPOT X. THEY DID SEE IT, HOWEVER, DURING THEIR TAXI OUT.

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.