Narrative:

We landed on runway 4L in dtw and taxied inbound on victor taxiway. Ground instructed us to taxi to parking without specific route. Our gate was ax I asked ground for taxi instructions and they replied 'via foxtrot' only. The main problem was that there are two ax gates on the field. We were on our way to the ax on the south side of the airport. We turned right on 'foxtrot' and started to cross runway 9L; which was closed for taking off and landing traffic due to construction. At that point; ground asked if we could do a 180 turn on foxtrot and taxi to the gate. At this point I realized there were two ax gates. Then ground told us to continue south on foxtrot then taxi to parking via txwys M; V; and G. Ground control stated that this happens all the time and new charts should be out soon. The cause of this taxi confusion was that two ax gates exist in dtw. Have only one gate called ax. Also our dtw airport page has a notation about east operations gate in the 'left.C. Smith' terminal; not the south 'mcnamara' terminal. Our commercial charts do not state those names on them anywhere; therefore the note causes confusion. It may lead people to believe that the south 'a' terminal is divided into a north and south section (like phl's east/west); and not another different building. I didn't realize another a terminal was on the north side of the airport. The note led me to believe it was a terminal divided into two names.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PLT WAS CONFUSED BY THE NUMBERING SYSTEM AND LOCATION FOR TWO GATES; AND STARTED TO TAXI TO THE INCORRECT GATE.

Narrative: WE LANDED ON RWY 4L IN DTW AND TAXIED INBOUND ON VICTOR TAXIWAY. GROUND INSTRUCTED US TO TAXI TO PARKING WITHOUT SPECIFIC ROUTE. OUR GATE WAS AX I ASKED GROUND FOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND THEY REPLIED 'VIA FOXTROT' ONLY. THE MAIN PROBLEM WAS THAT THERE ARE TWO AX GATES ON THE FIELD. WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO THE AX ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE AIRPORT. WE TURNED RIGHT ON 'FOXTROT' AND STARTED TO CROSS RWY 9L; WHICH WAS CLOSED FOR TAKING OFF AND LANDING TRAFFIC DUE TO CONSTRUCTION. AT THAT POINT; GROUND ASKED IF WE COULD DO A 180 TURN ON FOXTROT AND TAXI TO THE GATE. AT THIS POINT I REALIZED THERE WERE TWO AX GATES. THEN GROUND TOLD US TO CONTINUE SOUTH ON FOXTROT THEN TAXI TO PARKING VIA TXWYS M; V; AND G. GROUND CONTROL STATED THAT THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME AND NEW CHARTS SHOULD BE OUT SOON. THE CAUSE OF THIS TAXI CONFUSION WAS THAT TWO AX GATES EXIST IN DTW. HAVE ONLY ONE GATE CALLED AX. ALSO OUR DTW ARPT PAGE HAS A NOTATION ABOUT EAST OPS GATE IN THE 'L.C. SMITH' TERMINAL; NOT THE SOUTH 'MCNAMARA' TERMINAL. OUR COMMERCIAL CHARTS DO NOT STATE THOSE NAMES ON THEM ANYWHERE; THEREFORE THE NOTE CAUSES CONFUSION. IT MAY LEAD PEOPLE TO BELIEVE THAT THE SOUTH 'A' TERMINAL IS DIVIDED INTO A NORTH AND SOUTH SECTION (LIKE PHL'S EAST/WEST); AND NOT ANOTHER DIFFERENT BUILDING. I DIDN'T REALIZE ANOTHER A TERMINAL WAS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE AIRPORT. THE NOTE LED ME TO BELIEVE IT WAS A TERMINAL DIVIDED INTO TWO NAMES.

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.