Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 551
Confusion
Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Environment - Non Weather Related; Airport
Flight landed uneventfully at night on Runway 10; cleared at Taxiway D and took Taxiway P and E to enter the alley between Concourse B and C to go to Gate X. While taxiing in the Center of the alley I saw what I thought was the J-Line for the Gate out the right side of the aircraft as we were about to taxi past it. I maneuvered the aircraft to line up on the J-line and had to wait for a Marshaling Crew. The ramp lighting was harsh white spot lights that cast many shadows. Both the FO and I confirmed this was the J-Line. It was a broad line angled approximately 80 degrees to the terminal. Out the left window I saw a line that paralleled what we thought was the J-line that I thought was the Safety Zone edge line. It was actually a shadow. There were markings for engine clear zones on either side of the line where the aircraft would be parked. When the Marshaller came out she faced us directly and motioned us straight forward which is what I expected. About 30 ft from the parking spot I saw a thinner yellow line on my left side that was perpendicular to the terminal and I realized; at that moment; that the J-Line we were following was an old line that someone had tried to remove. The new line was much thinner and did not have any engine clear zones associated with it. I tried to maneuver at that point to line up with the new perpendicular line but there was not enough room left to complete the turn and align the aircraft centerline with the new J-line. The Marshaler started commanding 'kind of' a right turn about the time I started turning the aircraft. Although from the right window it looked like the wingtip was inside the Safety Zone; from looking at it on the ramp after we shut down it was obvious the wingtip was well outside the Safety Zone.This gate should not be used at night (especially when the ramp is wet); until it is better marked. The first problem is that with the poor ramp lighting at Gate X; combined with how the old J-Line/Safety Zone lines were removed; the old lines stand out better than the new line. It would have helped to have had a Marshaller standing at the top of the new J-Line as we were approaching the gate area which would have been an immediate clue to proper aircraft alignment; but barring that; when the Marshaller came out; it would have helped to have the Marshaller face down the new J-Line and not directly at me looking down the old J-Line. The old markings need to be better removed so they are just a shiny as the surrounding concrete; widen the new J-line to match the same style as the old J-Lines in that area; paint engine inlet Safety Zones for the new J-Line.
We taxied onto the top of the J-line. You can clearly see the outline of it. I even snapped pictures after the event to show how it is clearly marked. We basically taxied onto the old J-line even though the Marshaler was facing us and maneuvering us forward. When we got closer the Captain realized we were on the wrong line. At that point it was too late to maneuver the aircraft anymore. I didn't think we were on the wrong line until they towed us back.
Air carrier flight crew reported that old; partially removed lead-in lines and bright white flood lighting cause confusion when parking at night at a gate in the Concourse B and C area at BWI.