Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument
Situational Awareness; Human-Machine Interface; Confusion; Distraction
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Human Factors; Airport; Chart Or Publication; Procedure
We exited the ramp at Spot X; opposite our normal taxi route due to construction. Ground instructed us to taxi to Runway 27L via 'M; BM6; B.' The Captain identified this unfamiliar route as a threat and we proceeded slowly while referencing JEPPS pg 20-9B; moving map; and taxiway painted references. We completed the left 45 degree turn onto taxiway M then right 45 degree turn then left 45 degree turn onto BM6 and then attempted to acquire signage for Taxiway B while referencing moving map. During these final turns I misidentified Taxiway B and announced the 'second right' as B which was in fact D.Quickly identifying this error I communicated with the Captain that B was at our 2 to 3:00 position. The Captain assessed this required turn of nearly 90 degrees as a threat and brought the aircraft to a stop. This placed us well short of Taxiway D in the vicinity of the intersection of BM6 and B. We came up with a game plan and I communicated with ground that we had missed the turn onto B; were holding short of D; and requested taxi onto D. We were given clearance to taxi via D; give way to an aircraft that had followed us out and was on B; resume our taxi onto B and followed them. At no time did we assess a taxiway incursion. In fact; I recall looking down taxiway B at my 3:00 position after we had stopped. Further movement was coordinated with ground during which I offered our apologies. We received a 'no worries' response and therefore assumed there were no issues.Complicated; unfamiliar taxi route at a familiar airport. Moving map display limitations compared to the more familiar EFB. Taxiway signage (paint) limitations at LFPG when taxiing outbound. Usage and thorough preflight study of STR Departure routes identified on JEPP 20-10C (North Route 21; North Route 22). IE: 'Left-right-left-right'
We exited the ramp via M instead of our normal route via Taxiway B since B is under construction. Our instructions from ground control to Runway 27L were via 'M; BM6; B'. This new routing was definitely a threat as those taxiways in that area are very confusing and neither of us had ever exited this direction. The signage is terrible and confusing. I taxied very slowly to allow my First Officer time to identify The proper turns using letters painted on the taxiways; the Jepp 20-9B page and moving map. I was mostly focused on the taxiway signage or lack thereof with quick glances to the other sources. We got through the turns on M and were on BM6 trying to find the sign for B while referencing the chart/moving map. I was about to turn right on B per the moving map and 20-9B stating my intentions. I did not see a sign for B or M at this point. My First Officer corrected me and stated that Taxiway B was the second right.It turns out that the second right was Taxiway D. We recognized this error a couple seconds too late and I stopped the plane. From our position I could not safely make a turn onto B. I asked the First Officer to communicate our error to Ground Control and tell him that we missed our turn onto Taxiway B and were stopped well short of Delta on BM6. We requested to taxi via D. Ground told us to standby for further instructions. We were given clearance to taxi via D; DA1; B and to give way to an aircraft on Taxiway B. That aircraft had followed us out of the ramp initially. My First Officer apologized to ground for the error and the ground controller said 'no worries'. At no time did we feel that there was an incursion of any kind. We slightly missed our turn; stopped; called ground and got further clearance instructions. We did not venture onto any taxiway without clearance. We just missed the turn to the point that I could not make the initial clearance turn from BM6 to B. There were no other airplanes taxiing in the vicinity except for the aircraft behind us. From ground response of 'no worries' and the constant normal tone of voice we thought there were no issues.Very poor paint signage on the ground. The letters do not go in all directions and there are a lot of tiny crossing taxiways in the vicinity. This in itself makes it complicated. We were both unfamiliar with this route and lack of paint signage going outbound the direction that we were. LFPG needs to put up nice lighted normal signage in this area like everywhere else and like the other side of this airport.
Air carrier flight crew reported poor taxiway signage and paint; insufficient lighting and an unfamiliar taxi route caused them to miss a turn onto a taxiway at LFPG airport.