Narrative:

After I landed in ZZZ we transferred controls and the captain taxied off the runway. We had clearance by the controller to taxi to the gate. It was late at night and there was no other traffic. Somehow the captain missed the charlie taxiway and taxied south abeam terminal C. I mentioned to him that we are going the wrong way; but he was convinced that we are going towards the air carrier terminal. I announced to the controller that we got turned around at which point he gave us echo alpha to the gates. We had a long day and were tired and there was confusion on the captain's part where echo was. He made a 180 degree turn on the terminal ramp at foxtrot to taxi back toward our terminal. I mentioned that we are going the wrong way; but he misunderstand what I said. The tower then told us that we are now on an uncontrolled ramp; but to feel free to take that direction to taxi to our gates. I feel both of us failed to communicate with each other properly and that we should have just stopped the aircraft in order to discuss and agree on a taxi route.supplemental information from acn 790884: we landed at ZZZ. I had previously reviewed the commercial chart pages and circled the area I believed our gates to be. I mistakenly circled terminal C on my chart; not terminal a. I believed all we needed to do upon exiting the runway was make a left into the gate area. I was completely turned around and I turned right and taxied down bravo. As I did so; my first officer said I think we passed it up. Still believing we needed to park in terminal C; I made a 180 and began taxiing towards taxiway D. At the same time my first officer asked for directions and we were told to taxi down to east and over to a. By the time I processed this information; we were already turned the other way and ground control very politely gave us progressive instructions to taxiway D. It was then that I realized I was trying to taxi to the wrong terminal. There were no other aircraft on the ground taxiing at the time and other than being embarrassed; no conflicts occurred. I believe that two long days and the late hour contributed to our communication problems. I made the mistake of trying to taxi to the wrong terminal and my first officer; unaware that I was turned around; did not correct me or offer much in the way of assistance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLT CREW RPTS THAT; FATIGUED AFTER A LONG DAY; THE CAPT WAS TAXIING TO THE GATE INCORRECTLY AND CONVINCED OF HIS ROUTING DID NOT TAKE THE FO'S INPUT.

Narrative: AFTER I LANDED IN ZZZ WE TRANSFERRED CONTROLS AND THE CAPT TAXIED OFF THE RWY. WE HAD CLRNC BY THE CTLR TO TAXI TO THE GATE. IT WAS LATE AT NIGHT AND THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC. SOMEHOW THE CAPT MISSED THE CHARLIE TXWY AND TAXIED SOUTH ABEAM TERMINAL C. I MENTIONED TO HIM THAT WE ARE GOING THE WRONG WAY; BUT HE WAS CONVINCED THAT WE ARE GOING TOWARDS THE ACR TERMINAL. I ANNOUNCED TO THE CTLR THAT WE GOT TURNED AROUND AT WHICH POINT HE GAVE US ECHO ALPHA TO THE GATES. WE HAD A LONG DAY AND WERE TIRED AND THERE WAS CONFUSION ON THE CAPT'S PART WHERE ECHO WAS. HE MADE A 180 DEG TURN ON THE TERMINAL RAMP AT FOXTROT TO TAXI BACK TOWARD OUR TERMINAL. I MENTIONED THAT WE ARE GOING THE WRONG WAY; BUT HE MISUNDERSTAND WHAT I SAID. THE TOWER THEN TOLD US THAT WE ARE NOW ON AN UNCONTROLLED RAMP; BUT TO FEEL FREE TO TAKE THAT DIRECTION TO TAXI TO OUR GATES. I FEEL BOTH OF US FAILED TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER PROPERLY AND THAT WE SHOULD HAVE JUST STOPPED THE ACFT IN ORDER TO DISCUSS AND AGREE ON A TAXI RTE.SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 790884: WE LANDED AT ZZZ. I HAD PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED THE COMMERCIAL CHART PAGES AND CIRCLED THE AREA I BELIEVED OUR GATES TO BE. I MISTAKENLY CIRCLED TERMINAL C ON MY CHART; NOT TERMINAL A. I BELIEVED ALL WE NEEDED TO DO UPON EXITING THE RWY WAS MAKE A LEFT INTO THE GATE AREA. I WAS COMPLETELY TURNED AROUND AND I TURNED RIGHT AND TAXIED DOWN BRAVO. AS I DID SO; MY FO SAID I THINK WE PASSED IT UP. STILL BELIEVING WE NEEDED TO PARK IN TERMINAL C; I MADE A 180 AND BEGAN TAXIING TOWARDS TXWY D. AT THE SAME TIME MY FO ASKED FOR DIRECTIONS AND WE WERE TOLD TO TAXI DOWN TO E AND OVER TO A. BY THE TIME I PROCESSED THIS INFORMATION; WE WERE ALREADY TURNED THE OTHER WAY AND GND CTL VERY POLITELY GAVE US PROGRESSIVE INSTRUCTIONS TO TXWY D. IT WAS THEN THAT I REALIZED I WAS TRYING TO TAXI TO THE WRONG TERMINAL. THERE WERE NO OTHER ACFT ON THE GND TAXIING AT THE TIME AND OTHER THAN BEING EMBARRASSED; NO CONFLICTS OCCURRED. I BELIEVE THAT TWO LONG DAYS AND THE LATE HOUR CONTRIBUTED TO OUR COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS. I MADE THE MISTAKE OF TRYING TO TAXI TO THE WRONG TERMINAL AND MY FO; UNAWARE THAT I WAS TURNED AROUND; DID NOT CORRECT ME OR OFFER MUCH IN THE WAY OF ASSISTANCE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.