Small Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 150; Flight Crew Total 10000; Flight Crew Type 1000
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Ground Incursion Taxiway
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Equipment / Tooling; Chart Or Publication; Airport; Human Factors
We received a clearance to taxi and were told to follow a MD80 in front of us and to taxi to the active runway via a specific taxiway. While following the MD80; it became clear to us that the taxiway in question was really a very large ramp area containing two taxiways that intersected with three more; all of which are poorly marked. Once we determined we were following the MD80 on the wrong taxiway; we corrected and moved to the middle of the ramp area (which contained our taxiway) and continued to our assigned intersection without incident.
A Corporate pilot was directed by DFW Ground to follow an MD80 and discovered he was on a large poorly marked ramp which comprised two taxiways with three poorly marked intersecting taxiways.