AN ACR CREW TURNED OFF THE RWY IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.
Synopsis
AN ACR CREW TURNED OFF THE RWY IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.
Narrative
ON SHORT FINAL TO ORD RWY 14R; TWR CTLR ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTINUE ROLLOUT TO THE T-10 INTXN. I ACKNOWLEDGED INSTRUCTIONS TO T-10 AT APPROX 500 FT AGL WHILE MONITORING FO'S FLYING AND MAKING STANDARD ALT; AIRSPD AND RATE OF DSCNT CALLOUTS. DURING THE ROLLOUT; TWR ISSUED FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS WHILE I WAS CALLING OUT REVERSE THRUST INDICATIONS; AIRSPD; MONITORING ENG INSTS AND TRANSITIONING TO TAKE ACFT CTL FOR TAXI. I HEARD ESSENTIALLY THAT WE WERE TO EXIT T-10; TURN R AND 'GET IN LINE BEHIND COMPANY.' EXPECTING TO TAXI TO OUR GATE; I EXITED T-10 (TO THE L) AND BEGAN AN IMMEDIATE R TURN ONTO TXWY T. SINCE WE SAW NO OTHER ACFT; I ASKED THE FO TO CONFIRM OUR INSTRUCTIONS. TWR POINTED OUT WE WERE TO EXIT RWY R AT T-10 (OPPOSITE DIRECTION FROM TERMINALS) AS GATES WERE OCCUPIED. BOTH HE AND THE GND CTLR WERE QUITE UPSET WITH OUR NON-COMPLIANCE EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS NO RWY INCURSION OR COMPROMISE OF TAXI SEPARATION. I BELIEVE A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT IS A LONG-STANDING ATC PRACTICE OF ISSUING SPECIFIC OR LENGTHY TAXI INSTRUCTIONS DURING LNDG; SHORT FINAL; OR ROLLOUT. EVEN SEEMINGLY SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONS CAN BE MISUNDERSTOOD OR MISSED ENTIRELY DURING THIS CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT. COMBINING THIS WITH THE PRESSURE TO QUICKLY CLR ACTIVE RWYS AT BUSY TERMINALS; I FEEL PAST HISTORY AND STATISTICS MAY BELIE THE TRUE POTENTIAL FOR GND ACCIDENTS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.