An aircraft crossed the LAX Runway 24L hold short line on Taxiway E7 because Runway 24L was closed and their clearance was to Runway 24R.
Synopsis
An aircraft crossed the LAX Runway 24L hold short line on Taxiway E7 because Runway 24L was closed and their clearance was to Runway 24R.
Narrative
LAX Ground Control issued the taxi clearance; 'Company flight number; taxi via the pad to 24L. Contact Tower at the pad.' Since Runway 24L was closed; I read back; 'The pad to 24L or 24R for Company flight number?' Ground Control replied; '24R.' We monitored the busy Tower frequency while facing northbound on Taxiway D7; holding short of Taxiway E7. Another Company aircraft was holding short of Runway 24R. The Captain stated; 'I wonder if he wants us to taxi to 24R.'I replied; 'He said to contact Tower at the pad for 24L; but then he changed it to 24R. We might as well just wait here because we can't really go anywhere with that guy there. (The Company aircraft was holding short at Runway 24R.) I'll try to get a word in and see what he wants.' Shortly thereafter; the Company aircraft holding short of Runway 24R taxied onto Runway 24R. The Captain began taxing northbound on Taxiway E7. I simultaneously asked the Tower if he wanted us to hold short of Runway 24R or remain on the pad. The Tower instructed us to stop and remarked that we were in the critical area. We had progressed a few feet north of the Taxiway D7/E7 line. After an aircraft landed on Runway 24R; the Tower cleared us to Runway 24R. The LAX airport diagram does not depict an ILS critical area at the Taxiway D7/E7 junction. I don't recall a reference/sign noting the same at D7/E7. If the area in question is in fact ILS critical; then it should be denoted as such. Regardless; the Captain should not have taxied beyond the pad without obtaining clarification from ATC. It never pays to get in a hurry. We may have taxied onto taxiway without proper clearance.
NASA callback
The reporter stated that when they were first cleared to taxi to Runway 24R hold short of 24L his clearance readback was with a questioning inflection; 'The pad to 24L or 24R?' That clearance question was answered with '24R'. The crew's confusion was that since Runway 24L was clearly closed with an large X on the runway's numbers and since they were cleared to 24R why hold short at a runway line that didn't apply? There was an aircraft on final for Runway 24R which the Tower asked if they wanted to continue because an aircraft had crossed the protected area. That caused further confusion because the runway markings clearly say 24L and are runway hold short lines not runway safety area lines. The aircraft was across the hold short line by about three feet before stopping in response to the Tower's command. The reporter is still confused. The runway protect line on Taxiways U and E7 prior to Runway 24R is an example of what the reporter had expected.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.