CL65 captain expressed concern regarding taxiway depictions for bhm on commercial diagrams.

Attributes
ACN	608786
Time
Date	200401
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bhm.airport
State Reference	AL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Regional Jet 200 ER&LR
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 : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	608786
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	excursion : taxiway
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Chart Or Publication Airport
Primary Problem	Chart Or Publication
Situations
Airport	lighting : bhm.airport
Chart	airport : bhm.airport

Narrative:

I know that this report date is irrelevant to the ASRS as far as a 'get out of jail free' card, but in this instance it does not matter. The situation at bhm remains as a trap to unfamiliar airline capts to the airport. Just off of concourse B is an 'island' marked by blue taxiway lights. This 'island' has a drainage depression in the middle. The gotcha is that at night, the blue taxiway lights are spaced far enough apart that it appears the captain can taxi through them to get to taxiway a. If an aircraft was exiting runway 6 at A5, the pilot taxiing off concourse B might be inclined to move perpendicular to taxiway a in order to join taxiway a. An unfamiliar captain would encounter this 'island' very unexpectedly because the 'island' is not marked on the bhm airport diagrams. I believe that this 'island' should be clearly depicted on the airport diagram (commercial).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL65 CAPT EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING TXWY DEPICTIONS FOR BHM ON COMMERCIAL DIAGRAMS.

Narrative: I KNOW THAT THIS RPT DATE IS IRRELEVANT TO THE ASRS AS FAR AS A 'GET OUT OF JAIL FREE' CARD, BUT IN THIS INSTANCE IT DOES NOT MATTER. THE SIT AT BHM REMAINS AS A TRAP TO UNFAMILIAR AIRLINE CAPTS TO THE ARPT. JUST OFF OF CONCOURSE B IS AN 'ISLAND' MARKED BY BLUE TXWY LIGHTS. THIS 'ISLAND' HAS A DRAINAGE DEPRESSION IN THE MIDDLE. THE GOTCHA IS THAT AT NIGHT, THE BLUE TXWY LIGHTS ARE SPACED FAR ENOUGH APART THAT IT APPEARS THE CAPT CAN TAXI THROUGH THEM TO GET TO TXWY A. IF AN ACFT WAS EXITING RWY 6 AT A5, THE PLT TAXIING OFF CONCOURSE B MIGHT BE INCLINED TO MOVE PERPENDICULAR TO TXWY A IN ORDER TO JOIN TXWY A. AN UNFAMILIAR CAPT WOULD ENCOUNTER THIS 'ISLAND' VERY UNEXPECTEDLY BECAUSE THE 'ISLAND' IS NOT MARKED ON THE BHM ARPT DIAGRAMS. I BELIEVE THAT THIS 'ISLAND' SHOULD BE CLRLY DEPICTED ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM (COMMERCIAL).

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.