Flight crew of A319 failed to hold short of taxiway 'am' at cyyz due to lack of or poor signage.

Attributes
ACN	592737
Time
Date	200309
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cyyz.airport
State Reference	ON
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A319
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
ASRS Report	592737
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Chart Or Publication Flight Crew Human Performance Airport ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Airport
Situations
Airport	signage : cyyz.airport
Chart	airport : cyyz.airport

Narrative:

Initial taxi instructions were to hold short at taxiway am. As we taxied out we were noting the taxiway signage to track our progress towards taxiway am since we were both unfamiliar with cyyz airport. Never saw any signage or paint markings for taxiway am. As we spotted the next sign (al) ground control asked us to slow and stop since we had missed taxiway am and he would need to coordinate with the apron. There were no other aircraft in the area and ground cleared us out al and continued to runway 23. At runway 23 we could enter the runway at taxiway H or full length from taxiway Q. We setup for taxiway Q and that appeared to cause the tower some concern. For some reason cyyz had us taxi completely around the airport. Due to construction they have not marked taxiway am where we could identify it properly. Then our company information does not indicate any problem with using taxiway Q for runway 23 departures. Our company performance does not indicate if the runway 23 data is from taxiway Q or taxiway H. If taxiway am is idented it is done so poorly that it is a safety hazard.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF A319 FAILED TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY 'AM' AT CYYZ DUE TO LACK OF OR POOR SIGNAGE.

Narrative: INITIAL TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO HOLD SHORT AT TXWY AM. AS WE TAXIED OUT WE WERE NOTING THE TXWY SIGNAGE TO TRACK OUR PROGRESS TOWARDS TXWY AM SINCE WE WERE BOTH UNFAMILIAR WITH CYYZ ARPT. NEVER SAW ANY SIGNAGE OR PAINT MARKINGS FOR TXWY AM. AS WE SPOTTED THE NEXT SIGN (AL) GND CTL ASKED US TO SLOW AND STOP SINCE WE HAD MISSED TXWY AM AND HE WOULD NEED TO COORDINATE WITH THE APRON. THERE WERE NO OTHER ACFT IN THE AREA AND GND CLRED US OUT AL AND CONTINUED TO RWY 23. AT RWY 23 WE COULD ENTER THE RWY AT TXWY H OR FULL LENGTH FROM TXWY Q. WE SETUP FOR TXWY Q AND THAT APPEARED TO CAUSE THE TWR SOME CONCERN. FOR SOME REASON CYYZ HAD US TAXI COMPLETELY AROUND THE ARPT. DUE TO CONSTRUCTION THEY HAVE NOT MARKED TXWY AM WHERE WE COULD IDENTIFY IT PROPERLY. THEN OUR COMPANY INFO DOES NOT INDICATE ANY PROB WITH USING TXWY Q FOR RWY 23 DEPS. OUR COMPANY PERFORMANCE DOES NOT INDICATE IF THE RWY 23 DATA IS FROM TXWY Q OR TXWY H. IF TXWY AM IS IDENTED IT IS DONE SO POORLY THAT IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD.

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.