Large Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness; Distraction; Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Workload
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown; Ground Incursion Taxiway
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Airport; Company Policy; Procedure; Environment - Non Weather Related
Entered CLT ramp at E14; received instructions to taxi to D terminal via the south line and report various spots with appropriate ramp frequencies. Sky was dark; ramp surfaces were wet and shiny; and ramp markings at CLT are generally poor; damaged; or non-existent. At Spot 25S we continued straight on to Taxiway M rather than making the left-hand jog to remain on the ramp. We turned left onto Taxiway C and re-entered the ramp via C-10 and proceeded to the gate.This event occurred because CLT does not deem it necessary to apply; maintain; or repair ramp and taxiway markings so as to be visible to unfamiliar pilots at night or in the weather. It seems to be a point of perverse pride among local operators that the ramp at CLT is a goat rope navigable only by locals. Markings are often invisible or missing altogether. Dark airplanes with no navigation lights are parked in poorly marked and totally unlit sections of the ramp called 'hardstands.' Locally-based crews taxi across ramp areas without regard to what few painted lines exist. It takes at least three radio frequency changes to move from Ramp West to Ramp East. The airlines and CLT share in the responsibility for addressing these issues.Paint some lines on the ramp! Install some intelligible signage when a section of straight dark ramp stops being ramp and starts being an ATC-controlled taxiway. Judging from comments made by other non-local pilots new to the CLT ground ops (especially those [predominately] operating from [other areas] who almost never see CLT during daylight hours); this has been a longstanding issue and no one is in any hurry to get it fixed. So here are my mitigating recommendations:1) Provide local-knowledge 'pilots' in the jumpseat to guide unfamiliar crews.2) Have ramp control provide progressive taxi instructions.3) Assign follow-me vehicles to late-night crews entering or exiting the ramp.4) Paint some lines and install some signs.This is a potentially serious issue and I know I am not the first pilot to report these deficiencies.
Air carrier Captain unfamiliar with the CLT ramp reported a taxiway incursion incident. Ramp markings were cited as contributing factors.