ACR CROSSES CLOSED RWY WHEN INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT.
Synopsis
ACR CROSSES CLOSED RWY WHEN INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT.
Narrative
AFTER LNDG AT PHILADELPHIA ON RWY 9R; WE CLRED ON A PARALLEL TAXIWAY AND TAXIED TO A HOLD POINT AT TAXIWAY C. IT WAS NOT CLR IF THE TWR CTLR HAD INDICATED TO STAY ON HIS FREQ OR SWITCH TO GND CTL; SO I STAYED ON TWR FREQ AND THE FO SWITCHED TO GND CTL ON RADIO 2. BOTH RADIO FREQS WERE CONGESTED AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO GET ANY CALLS IN WITHOUT STEPPING ON SOMEONE ELSE'S XMISSION. SO WE WAITED FOR EITHER GND CTL OR TWR TO CONTACT US. AFTER APPROX 2 MINS GND CTL ISSUED US FURTHER TAXI INSTRUCTIONS THAT WERE HEARD BY THE FO ON RADIO 2. HE INFORMED ME THAT WE WERE TO CROSS 9L ON TAXIWAY C AND HOLD SHORT OF A TAXIWAY ON THE OTHER SIDE. RWY 9L WAS CLOSED (BY NOTAM AND ATIS); SO I TAXIED ACROSS AND ATTEMPTED TO CALL GND CTL TO CLR UP THE AMBIGUITY ON THE REMAINDER OF THE TAXI INSTRUCTION. GND CTL THEN INFORMED ME THAT THEIR INSTRUCTION HAD BEEN TO HOLD SHORT OF 9L ON TAXIWAY C. 2 FACTORS AFFECTED THIS SITUATION: EXTREME FREQ CONGESTION MAKING IT NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO INITIATE A CALL TO EITHER GND OR TWR. FO PASSING INCORRECT INFO TO THE CAPT ABOUT THE GND CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS. THE PROBLEM COULD BE ELIMINATED BY REQUIRING READBACK OF HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS VERBATIM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE PROBLEM WAS DEFINITELY CREW COORD. FO WAS FIRM THAT CLRED TO CROSS 9L BUT DID NOT GET HOLD SHORT POS. CAPT REQUESTED CONFIRM FROM FO THAT THEY WERE CLRED TO CROSS. FO ASSURED CAPT THEY WERE. AS USUAL IT WAS A NUMBER OF THINGS LEADING TO THE INFRACTION. THE SINGLE RWY OP CREATED MAJOR IMPACT. RPTR IS TRAINING OFFICER AND THIS WAS A TRAINING FLT. FO HAS A PROBLEM TRULY EXEMPLIFIED BY THIS INCIDENT. HE IS UNABLE TO ADMIT HE DOES NOT KNOW SOMETHING. CAPT DID NOT HEAR INSTRUCTION TO TAXI AND OBVIOUSLY FO DID NOT HEAR CORRECTLY. FO HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED FOR COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT TRAINING. CAPT ASSURES THAT IF THE RWY HAD BEEN ACTIVE HE NEVER WOULD HAVE CROSSED WITHOUT CONFIRMATION.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.