B737-300 captain taxied past the assigned stopping spot on a non movement ramp area at phl.

Attributes
ACN	540317
Time
Date	200203
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phl.airport
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : phl.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 115 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	540317
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	incursion : taxiway non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : company policies non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance Airport
Primary Problem	Airport
Situations
Airport	markings : phl.airport procedure or policy : phl.airport signage : phl.airport

Narrative:

After clearing runway 27R at phl, ground control cleared us to spot X and to contact ramp control on taxiway left. I believe will rogers once stated, 'it's not what one doesn't know that can hurt him -- it's what you know that ain't so!' I was sure I knew and understood the clearance -- as I had been there before. An MD80 came to a stop at the end of an alley, so I slowed and watched him as we went past. The first officer called ramp about then and they advised us that the MD80 had been cleared out and we had passed spot X. I erred in that I thought spot X was at the end of the alley of our concourse. I was later advised that the spots have since been renumbered. I should have reviewed the chart better. Perhaps better signage to depict the spot numbers would have been an aid. It was at dusk and the numbers were unlit and very small. Although this was in a non movement area the potential of an incident is no different.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CAPT TAXIED PAST THE ASSIGNED STOPPING SPOT ON A NON MOVEMENT RAMP AREA AT PHL.

Narrative: AFTER CLRING RWY 27R AT PHL, GND CTL CLRED US TO SPOT X AND TO CONTACT RAMP CTL ON TXWY L. I BELIEVE WILL ROGERS ONCE STATED, 'IT'S NOT WHAT ONE DOESN'T KNOW THAT CAN HURT HIM -- IT'S WHAT YOU KNOW THAT AIN'T SO!' I WAS SURE I KNEW AND UNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC -- AS I HAD BEEN THERE BEFORE. AN MD80 CAME TO A STOP AT THE END OF AN ALLEY, SO I SLOWED AND WATCHED HIM AS WE WENT PAST. THE FO CALLED RAMP ABOUT THEN AND THEY ADVISED US THAT THE MD80 HAD BEEN CLRED OUT AND WE HAD PASSED SPOT X. I ERRED IN THAT I THOUGHT SPOT X WAS AT THE END OF THE ALLEY OF OUR CONCOURSE. I WAS LATER ADVISED THAT THE SPOTS HAVE SINCE BEEN RENUMBERED. I SHOULD HAVE REVIEWED THE CHART BETTER. PERHAPS BETTER SIGNAGE TO DEPICT THE SPOT NUMBERS WOULD HAVE BEEN AN AID. IT WAS AT DUSK AND THE NUMBERS WERE UNLIT AND VERY SMALL. ALTHOUGH THIS WAS IN A NON MOVEMENT AREA THE POTENTIAL OF AN INCIDENT IS NO DIFFERENT.

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.