Narrative:

I landed on runway 9L in ord. WX was IFR, less than 2 mi, snow, blowing snow. Ramp and txwys covered in thin snow and blowing snow. Exited runway 9L at taxiway P. Tower said, 'taxiway P, taxiway a bridge, go to ground.' ground said 'gate occupied, go to the bravo pad.' unsure where that was, I stopped the plane. Both crew members looked at the airport diagram. Bravo pad looked to be on other side of runway 32R that was not in use. So I slowly started to turn left in that direction when ground asked if that was a runway on the left again. I stopped the plane. Ground said make a right turn into the bravo pad. I did not see any hold lines as we turned into the pad, but the surface was mostly covered in snow. After we were in the pad, the wind picked up so we could see part of the lines. I do not think the plane crossed the line, but ground was watching, most likely because I stopped when he first gave me the pad. While in the pad, we were looking at the plate and we saw the bravo pad arrow going to where it is located on the airport. When we first looked, neither one of us saw the arrow. Runway 32R marker should be on the other side in the diagram and the pad marked where it is not, next to what looks like a pad with a small arrow pointing in the direction were it is. Also, since it is a displaced threshold on that runway, I did not see any runway signs or hold lights. I am glad ground was watching. Supplemental information from acn 575338: once situated and parked on the bravo pad, we realized there were no hold short lights and the runway markings were partially covered by snow. The poorly designed airport diagram and the bad WX conditions led us into this situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ERJ, WHILE TAXIING ACFT WITH SNOW ON THE GND, BECOMES DISORIENTED AS TO ITS EXACT POS.

Narrative: I LANDED ON RWY 9L IN ORD. WX WAS IFR, LESS THAN 2 MI, SNOW, BLOWING SNOW. RAMP AND TXWYS COVERED IN THIN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW. EXITED RWY 9L AT TXWY P. TWR SAID, 'TXWY P, TXWY A BRIDGE, GO TO GND.' GND SAID 'GATE OCCUPIED, GO TO THE BRAVO PAD.' UNSURE WHERE THAT WAS, I STOPPED THE PLANE. BOTH CREW MEMBERS LOOKED AT THE ARPT DIAGRAM. BRAVO PAD LOOKED TO BE ON OTHER SIDE OF RWY 32R THAT WAS NOT IN USE. SO I SLOWLY STARTED TO TURN L IN THAT DIRECTION WHEN GND ASKED IF THAT WAS A RWY ON THE L AGAIN. I STOPPED THE PLANE. GND SAID MAKE A R TURN INTO THE BRAVO PAD. I DID NOT SEE ANY HOLD LINES AS WE TURNED INTO THE PAD, BUT THE SURFACE WAS MOSTLY COVERED IN SNOW. AFTER WE WERE IN THE PAD, THE WIND PICKED UP SO WE COULD SEE PART OF THE LINES. I DO NOT THINK THE PLANE CROSSED THE LINE, BUT GND WAS WATCHING, MOST LIKELY BECAUSE I STOPPED WHEN HE FIRST GAVE ME THE PAD. WHILE IN THE PAD, WE WERE LOOKING AT THE PLATE AND WE SAW THE BRAVO PAD ARROW GOING TO WHERE IT IS LOCATED ON THE ARPT. WHEN WE FIRST LOOKED, NEITHER ONE OF US SAW THE ARROW. RWY 32R MARKER SHOULD BE ON THE OTHER SIDE IN THE DIAGRAM AND THE PAD MARKED WHERE IT IS NOT, NEXT TO WHAT LOOKS LIKE A PAD WITH A SMALL ARROW POINTING IN THE DIRECTION WERE IT IS. ALSO, SINCE IT IS A DISPLACED THRESHOLD ON THAT RWY, I DID NOT SEE ANY RWY SIGNS OR HOLD LIGHTS. I AM GLAD GND WAS WATCHING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 575338: ONCE SITUATED AND PARKED ON THE BRAVO PAD, WE REALIZED THERE WERE NO HOLD SHORT LIGHTS AND THE RWY MARKINGS WERE PARTIALLY COVERED BY SNOW. THE POORLY DESIGNED ARPT DIAGRAM AND THE BAD WX CONDITIONS LED US INTO THIS SIT.

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.