2005-10 · NASA ASRS report 676882
CE525 PLT INTERP OF CLRNC TO 'TAXI INTO HOLDING POS' AS CLRNC TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD RESULTS IN A RWY INCURSION AT BGSF.
I HAD CALLED SONDRESTROM TWR FOR A TAXI CLRNC AND WAS GIVEN THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTION: 'TAXI INTO HOLDING POS; RWY 28.' AFTER READING BACK THIS CLRNC; I PROCEEDED TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD FROM THE N APRON. THE CTLR CALLED AFTER I HAD ENTERED THE RWY TO INQUIRE AS TO WHAT I WAS DOING. I REPLIED THAT I HAD UNDERSTOOD '...TO TAXI INTO HOLDING POS ON RWY 28.' HE INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD NOT CLRED ME ONTO THE RWY; RATHER INTO THE 'HOLDING POS.' IT THEN OCCURRED TO ME THAT WHAT HE WANTED ME TO DO WAS TO TAXI ONTO TXWY A AND HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY. ADDING TO MY CONFUSION ABOUT THE CLRNC IS A LACK OF MARKINGS DEFINING A 'HOLDING POS' EITHER ON THE FIELD OR IN THE GRAPHIC DEPICTION OF THE ARPT ON THE COMMERCIAL CHART WHICH I WAS USING (AND WHICH I BELIEVE TO BE CURRENT). WHEREAS IN THE UNITED STATES GND AND TWR CTLRS ARE SPECIFIC (AND GENERALLY REQUIRE A CLR READBACK) ABOUT RWY HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS; THIS WAS NOT THE CASE HERE. THE PHRASEOLOGY USED IN THIS SITUATION WAS SIMILAR TO (BUT NOT THE SAME AS) THE STANDARD UNITED STATES INSTRUCTION TO '...TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD;' INDICATING THAT THE AIRPLANE HAS BEEN CLRED ONTO THE RWY; BUT NOT FOR TKOF. I AM AWARE OF ONGOING EFFORTS TO STANDARDIZE PHRASEOLOGY AMONG ALL ICAO NATIONS; AND GIVEN THE FREQUENCY (AND ALSO THE RISKS) PRESENTED BY RWY INCURSION INCIDENTS; IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF ALL COULD AGREE ON A STANDARD WHICH IS UNAMBIGUOUS ABOUT WHEN AN ACFT HAS IN FACT BEEN CLRED ONTO A RWY. THE IMPLICATION THAT TXWY A IS A 'HOLDING POS' LACKS SOME CLARITY. THE LARGER LESSON IS; OF COURSE; THAT WHEN OPERATING IN A FOREIGN ENVIRONMENT; ESPECIALLY WHERE ENGLISH IT NOT THE PRIMARY LANGUAGE; ONE SHOULD ALWAYS SEEK CLARIFICATION. THE CTLRS AT SONDRESTROM (KANGERLUSSUAQ) ARE HIGHLY TRAINED; VERY PROFESSIONAL AND THEY HAVE AN EXCELLENT COMMAND OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. THE PHRASEOLOGY THEY USE IS ALWAYS STANDARD; EVEN IF THIS STANDARD DIFFERS FROM THE STANDARDS OF ONE'S HOME COUNTRY. IT IS INCUMBENT ON PLTS/CREWS SUCH AS MYSELF TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY CLRNC IS FULLY UNDERSTOOD AND COMPLIED WITH.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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