Narrative:

Landing in lax after nonstop flight; we were instructed by tower to cross runway 25R and contact ground. We did and ground told us; 'taxi B; P; C; Q; two other carriers wait for you'. I repeated the clearance and we both understood it. After turning from high speed taxiway M onto taxiway B; the captain said 'flaps up.' I started my after landing flow while on taxiway B; approaching taxiway P; we started a right turn onto what we thought was taxiway P; but as soon as I recognized it wasn't; I said 'stop!' the captain started to turn back to the left to get back to taxiway B; but stopped when he thought he was getting too close to a taxiway light. We told ground we had to stop where we were and I called la operations to send out a tug and crew to push us back. Fifteen minutes later; we were pushed back (on APU power) by our ground crew and we taxied to the gate. There was no damage either to the aircraft or to airport lights/signs. Things to be learned from this event are to remain vigilant at all times; especially while taxiing at a very busy airport; at night; after a long flight. Delaying my after landing flow until we were clear of the busy taxiway intersections and traffic would have helped me back up the captain more before we even started our turn. We both had our airport diagrams out; understood the clearance and had a clear plan of action; but mistook a wide space in the taxiway lights on taxiway B for the taxiway P intersection. I believe one factor causing the confusion was that there is (I recall) a taxiway sign westbound on taxiway B just after C10 on the right side that indicates the taxiway P intersection is ahead; but it's before (just to the east) of the service road intersection. A raised or embedded taxiway edge light where the service road meets taxiway B would be helpful.supplemental information from acn 737290: after landing on runway 25L at lax; we were cleared to cross runway 25R and taxi onto bravo taxiway; then right on papa between two holding aircraft. Once on bravo taxiway; I mistook a concrete wide service vehicle road for papa taxiway. Once I realized my mistake; I stopped the aircraft and called operations for a short pushback onto taxiway bravo. The aircraft did not leave the concrete surface and no damage to the aircraft or taxiway lighting resulted. Slow down; stop; and not let ground control hurry me. (I'm not saying it was their fault.) ask first officer if confused by lighting and taxiway signs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW ATTEMPTING TO TURN ONTO TXWY P FROM TXWY B AT LAX; TURNS ONTO SVC ROAD. A TUG IS REQUIRED TO PUSH THEM BACK.

Narrative: LNDG IN LAX AFTER NONSTOP FLT; WE WERE INSTRUCTED BY TOWER TO CROSS RWY 25R AND CONTACT GROUND. WE DID AND GROUND TOLD US; 'TAXI B; P; C; Q; TWO OTHER CARRIERS WAIT FOR YOU'. I REPEATED THE CLRNC AND WE BOTH UNDERSTOOD IT. AFTER TURNING FROM HIGH SPEED TXWY M ONTO TXWY B; THE CAPT SAID 'FLAPS UP.' I STARTED MY AFTER LNDG FLOW WHILE ON TXWY B; APCHING TXWY P; WE STARTED A R TURN ONTO WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS TXWY P; BUT AS SOON AS I RECOGNIZED IT WASN'T; I SAID 'STOP!' THE CAPT STARTED TO TURN BACK TO THE L TO GET BACK TO TXWY B; BUT STOPPED WHEN HE THOUGHT HE WAS GETTING TOO CLOSE TO A TXWY LIGHT. WE TOLD GROUND WE HAD TO STOP WHERE WE WERE AND I CALLED LA OPS TO SEND OUT A TUG AND CREW TO PUSH US BACK. FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER; WE WERE PUSHED BACK (ON APU POWER) BY OUR GROUND CREW AND WE TAXIED TO THE GATE. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE EITHER TO THE ACFT OR TO ARPT LIGHTS/SIGNS. THINGS TO BE LEARNED FROM THIS EVENT ARE TO REMAIN VIGILANT AT ALL TIMES; ESPECIALLY WHILE TAXIING AT A VERY BUSY ARPT; AT NIGHT; AFTER A LONG FLT. DELAYING MY AFTER LNDG FLOW UNTIL WE WERE CLR OF THE BUSY TXWY INTERSECTIONS AND TFC WOULD HAVE HELPED ME BACK UP THE CAPT MORE BEFORE WE EVEN STARTED OUR TURN. WE BOTH HAD OUR ARPT DIAGRAMS OUT; UNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC AND HAD A CLR PLAN OF ACTION; BUT MISTOOK A WIDE SPACE IN THE TXWY LIGHTS ON TXWY B FOR THE TXWY P INTERSECTION. I BELIEVE ONE FACTOR CAUSING THE CONFUSION WAS THAT THERE IS (I RECALL) A TXWY SIGN WBND ON TXWY B JUST AFTER C10 ON THE R SIDE THAT INDICATES THE TXWY P INTERSECTION IS AHEAD; BUT IT'S BEFORE (JUST TO THE EAST) OF THE SERVICE ROAD INTERSECTION. A RAISED OR EMBEDDED TXWY EDGE LIGHT WHERE THE SERVICE ROAD MEETS TXWY B WOULD BE HELPFUL.SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 737290: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 25L AT LAX; WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS RWY 25R AND TAXI ONTO BRAVO TXWY; THEN R ON PAPA BETWEEN TWO HOLDING ACFT. ONCE ON BRAVO TXWY; I MISTOOK A CONCRETE WIDE SERVICE VEHICLE ROAD FOR PAPA TXWY. ONCE I REALIZED MY MISTAKE; I STOPPED THE ACFT AND CALLED OPS FOR A SHORT PUSHBACK ONTO TXWY BRAVO. THE ACFT DID NOT LEAVE THE CONCRETE SURFACE AND NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR TXWY LIGHTING RESULTED. SLOW DOWN; STOP; AND NOT LET GROUND CTL HURRY ME. (I'M NOT SAYING IT WAS THEIR FAULT.) ASK FO IF CONFUSED BY LIGHTING AND TXWY SIGNS.

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.