Narrative:

The event occurred due to ambiguities in the taxi clearance and airport diagram. We were given the following taxi instructions from the front row of gate X at tjsj: 'taxi to runway 10 via november one bravo.' I departed the line and turned to the right (east) toward where taxiway N1 is depicted on the airport diagram. I had some doubts about this; because the taxi clearance left out the transition from taxiway N1 to taxiway B. If I was to turn right it should have been N1-north-H-B. If I was to turn left it should have been N1-D-B. Since the cockpit lighting on the captain's side was on MEL; I passed my airport diagram to the first officer; explained my intended taxi route and asked him to confirm that I was going the right way. He later said that he heard the clearance as; '...taxi via november bravo.' (vice N1) so he was sure that I was correct in turning right. Factors contributing to the incident include: an unclr taxi diagram. Tjsj plates 10-9 and 10-9C clearly depict N1 as being near gates 9-17. They do not clearly indicate that N1 extends west past gate 1. The strip of taxiway between holding points one and two is delta (as depicted). We would have to go through it due to the closure of sierra. Due to the airport layout; there is no room for standard signage between the ramp and sierra; therefore there is no airport marking as to the presence of N1 extending both directions. In other words; N1 is an unmarked taxiway. The taxi clearance leaving out intervening txwys. My decision to move the aircraft when there was still a shadow of doubt in my mind. The lighting MEL which made it very difficult to scan the airport diagram while taxiing. My copilot mishearing the clearance as via north which would unquestionably be a right turn. Install pavement markings for taxiway N1. Revise tjsj airport diagrams (10-9/B/C) to depict the east and west extents of taxiway N1. ATC use of stereo taxi clrnces as they do for getting from the runway to gates.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ATR72 CREW AT TJSJ CLAIM THAT POOR TAXI SIGNAGE; POOR COCKPIT LIGHTING; AND AN INCOMPLETE 10-9 CHART CONTRIBUTE TO A TXWY INCURSION.

Narrative: THE EVENT OCCURRED DUE TO AMBIGUITIES IN THE TAXI CLRNC AND ARPT DIAGRAM. WE WERE GIVEN THE FOLLOWING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE FRONT ROW OF GATE X AT TJSJ: 'TAXI TO RWY 10 VIA NOVEMBER ONE BRAVO.' I DEPARTED THE LINE AND TURNED TO THE RIGHT (E) TOWARD WHERE TXWY N1 IS DEPICTED ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM. I HAD SOME DOUBTS ABOUT THIS; BECAUSE THE TAXI CLRNC LEFT OUT THE TRANSITION FROM TXWY N1 TO TXWY B. IF I WAS TO TURN R IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN N1-N-H-B. IF I WAS TO TURN LEFT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN N1-D-B. SINCE THE COCKPIT LIGHTING ON THE CAPT'S SIDE WAS ON MEL; I PASSED MY ARPT DIAGRAM TO THE FO; EXPLAINED MY INTENDED TAXI RTE AND ASKED HIM TO CONFIRM THAT I WAS GOING THE RIGHT WAY. HE LATER SAID THAT HE HEARD THE CLRNC AS; '...TAXI VIA NOVEMBER BRAVO.' (VICE N1) SO HE WAS SURE THAT I WAS CORRECT IN TURNING RIGHT. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE INCIDENT INCLUDE: AN UNCLR TAXI DIAGRAM. TJSJ PLATES 10-9 AND 10-9C CLRLY DEPICT N1 AS BEING NEAR GATES 9-17. THEY DO NOT CLRLY INDICATE THAT N1 EXTENDS WEST PAST GATE 1. THE STRIP OF TXWY BETWEEN HOLDING POINTS ONE AND TWO IS DELTA (AS DEPICTED). WE WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH IT DUE TO THE CLOSURE OF SIERRA. DUE TO THE ARPT LAYOUT; THERE IS NO ROOM FOR STANDARD SIGNAGE BETWEEN THE RAMP AND SIERRA; THEREFORE THERE IS NO ARPT MARKING AS TO THE PRESENCE OF N1 EXTENDING BOTH DIRECTIONS. IN OTHER WORDS; N1 IS AN UNMARKED TXWY. THE TAXI CLRNC LEAVING OUT INTERVENING TXWYS. MY DECISION TO MOVE THE ACFT WHEN THERE WAS STILL A SHADOW OF DOUBT IN MY MIND. THE LIGHTING MEL WHICH MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO SCAN THE ARPT DIAGRAM WHILE TAXIING. MY COPLT MISHEARING THE CLRNC AS VIA N WHICH WOULD UNQUESTIONABLY BE A RIGHT TURN. INSTALL PAVEMENT MARKINGS FOR TXWY N1. REVISE TJSJ ARPT DIAGRAMS (10-9/B/C) TO DEPICT THE E AND W EXTENTS OF TXWY N1. ATC USE OF STEREO TAXI CLRNCES AS THEY DO FOR GETTING FROM THE RWY TO GATES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.