A pilot exiting the ACK ramp on Taxiway C turned left on Taxiway F versus the cleared Taxiway E; the bidirectional taxiway information painted on Taxiway C was closely located to Taxiway F and misleading.

2009-07 · NASA ASRS report 845368

Date: 2009-07 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear · Phase: taxi

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|ground-incursion-taxiway

Synopsis

A pilot exiting the ACK ramp on Taxiway C turned left on Taxiway F versus the cleared Taxiway E; the bidirectional taxiway information painted on Taxiway C was closely located to Taxiway F and misleading.

Narrative

Taxing in 'light' fog in daylight. Was exiting from the ramp onto taxiways to proceed to runway. Was cleared to taxi to Runway 24 via Charlie to left on Echo. Echo and Foxtrot run parallel to each other. Accidentally started to turn left onto Foxtrot. Stopped in the intersection having pivoted the plane 90 degrees left; but still more or less in the intersection. Queried the tower about my early turn and was instructed to just proceed down Foxtrot to make a right on Bravo and left on Charlie. The reason I turned early was as I was looking at the intersection; I misunderstood the painted markings painted on the taxiway with arrows pointing left and right and 'the word Echo.' They are painted on the far side of the intersection of Charlie and Foxtrot; still in the area where the two taxiways meet rather than further down Taxiway Charlie past where the taxiway narrows again after the intersection. I had a brief moment where I thought that those signs were referring to Foxtrot (mistaking it for Echo). As I made the turn I realized something didn't seem right and stopped the plane. Perhaps painting the directional signs on the taxiway further from the intersection with Foxtrot and/or painting similar signage for Foxtrot on Charlie in the ramp would make it more obvious which taxiway the painted directions are referring to.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.

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