MD80 crew observed a nonstandard confusing sign at lax airport at taxiway C and taxiway C8.

Attributes
ACN	419587
Time
Date	199811
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lax
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	419587
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	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 procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Lax taxi signage at taxiway C and taxiway C8 appears to be wrong. Taxiing east on taxiway C approaching taxiway C8, it appears the black backgnd letter 'B' is on the wrong side of the taxiway C8 symbology. This may cause a crew to turn onto the parallel roadway between taxiway C and taxiway B. It appears the sign is wrong or at least not consistent with the other signs along taxiway C further to the east. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: captain reports the airport has changed the sign to remove the 'B' symbology. The sign, however, is still not standard with the other signs along taxiway C. He suggests that to avoid confusion when visibility is low, that all signs along taxiway C have the same format.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW OBSERVED A NONSTANDARD CONFUSING SIGN AT LAX ARPT AT TXWY C AND TXWY C8.

Narrative: LAX TAXI SIGNAGE AT TXWY C AND TXWY C8 APPEARS TO BE WRONG. TAXIING E ON TXWY C APCHING TXWY C8, IT APPEARS THE BLACK BACKGND LETTER 'B' IS ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE TXWY C8 SYMBOLOGY. THIS MAY CAUSE A CREW TO TURN ONTO THE PARALLEL ROADWAY BTWN TXWY C AND TXWY B. IT APPEARS THE SIGN IS WRONG OR AT LEAST NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE OTHER SIGNS ALONG TXWY C FURTHER TO THE E. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CAPT RPTS THE ARPT HAS CHANGED THE SIGN TO REMOVE THE 'B' SYMBOLOGY. THE SIGN, HOWEVER, IS STILL NOT STANDARD WITH THE OTHER SIGNS ALONG TXWY C. HE SUGGESTS THAT TO AVOID CONFUSION WHEN VISIBILITY IS LOW, THAT ALL SIGNS ALONG TXWY C HAVE THE SAME FORMAT.

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.