Light Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Crew Flight Engineer; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 120; Flight Crew Total 15000; Flight Crew Type 250
Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness; Workload
Conflict Airborne Conflict; Conflict Ground Conflict; Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Ground Incursion Taxiway
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Aircraft; Airport; Human Factors
After landing on 28L the Tower told us to expedite and exit the runway on Taxiway D. Taxi way D and T entrance is collocated. The First Officer was flying the plane and said that he saw the taxiway and turned towards the entrance at about a 45 deg. angle because of our speed trying to hurry off the runway. Approaching the entrance of the taxiway at night at an angle other than 90 deg. it is difficult to tell where you are at in the entrance. As we entered into the taxiway we realized that we needed to be further to the left; we were actually starting into taxiway T. I was instructed to call the tower by ground control.  explained how and why we ended up on T not D as instructed. The controller told me this happens at that intersection all the time. Signage and or lighting needs to be better at that intersection for night time operations.
The Reporter stated that the First Officer in the left seat was flying the aircraft which sat low on the runway. With traffic following closely behind; the crew was attempting to expedite clearing 28L; but because the D; T Taxiway letters are combined on a single sign and the lack of leading off lights for Taxiway D; the First Officer chose to exit on the more obvious Taxiway T. The aircraft on final was sent around and the reporter's aircraft was required to avoid an oncoming aircraft.The reporter believes the root cause was the lack of clearly acquired taxiway lights leading from the runway onto the taxiway. The existing taxiway lights begin some distance from the runway in the Taxiway throat and not easily detected. He cited some European airports have SMGCS type lighting which is contextual and light only along the cleared route.
A flight crew landed on SFO Runway 28L with a clearance to expedite via Taxiway D; but exited on Taxiway T because of confusing signage and lighting.