Narrative:

After landing on our assigned runway, 18R, dfw international airport in tx, we exited at the high speed taxiway 2S. Just as we were exiting the runway and still on the high speed taxiway 2S at approximately 70 KTS of indicated airspeed, we recall receiving the following clearance from dfw tower (frequency 124.15), '...hold short of runway 18L on this frequency and advise if your gate is available before crossing taxiway 31.' after acknowledging this clearance we continued our taxiing south down the parallel taxiway between runway 18L and 18R (taxiway east). Prior to reaching taxiway 31 on taxiway east. Tower called us and said, 'I guess I didn't make myself clear, turn left at taxiway 32 and hold short of runway 18L.' we acknowledged this clearance and advised tower that our gate was available. The fact that tower made this statement to us made us wonder if perhaps we had misinterpreted the clearance that we had received. After gate arrival, I asked the FAA air carried inspector that was observing the flight from the cockpit jumpseat if he had any comments regarding the flight crews' performance. He replied that with regard to our interpretation of the clearance received from the west dfw tower controller during roll out and runway exit, he inferred that perhaps we were in error in its interpretation, but did not elaborate or cite what essential element had been overlooked. Contributing to this potential misinterp/oversight was the fact that the cockpit crew was still quite busy decelerating/braking the aircraft and exiting the runway when the clearance was issued to us, and, second, the crew was somewhat mentally preoccupied with a distressing and accusative ACARS plain text message received en route from our company accusing the flight crew of needlessly delaying the flight at the departure station.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAXI CLRNC CONFUSION AT DFW.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON OUR ASSIGNED RWY, 18R, DFW INTL ARPT IN TX, WE EXITED AT THE HIGH SPD TXWY 2S. JUST AS WE WERE EXITING THE RWY AND STILL ON THE HIGH SPD TXWY 2S AT APPROX 70 KTS OF INDICATED AIRSPD, WE RECALL RECEIVING THE FOLLOWING CLRNC FROM DFW TWR (FREQ 124.15), '...HOLD SHORT OF RWY 18L ON THIS FREQ AND ADVISE IF YOUR GATE IS AVAILABLE BEFORE XING TXWY 31.' AFTER ACKNOWLEDGING THIS CLRNC WE CONTINUED OUR TAXIING S DOWN THE PARALLEL TXWY BTWN RWY 18L AND 18R (TXWY E). PRIOR TO REACHING TXWY 31 ON TXWY E. TWR CALLED US AND SAID, 'I GUESS I DIDN'T MAKE MYSELF CLR, TURN L AT TXWY 32 AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 18L.' WE ACKNOWLEDGED THIS CLRNC AND ADVISED TWR THAT OUR GATE WAS AVAILABLE. THE FACT THAT TWR MADE THIS STATEMENT TO US MADE US WONDER IF PERHAPS WE HAD MISINTERPRETED THE CLRNC THAT WE HAD RECEIVED. AFTER GATE ARR, I ASKED THE FAA AIR CARRIED INSPECTOR THAT WAS OBSERVING THE FLT FROM THE COCKPIT JUMPSEAT IF HE HAD ANY COMMENTS REGARDING THE FLT CREWS' PERFORMANCE. HE REPLIED THAT WITH REGARD TO OUR INTERPRETATION OF THE CLRNC RECEIVED FROM THE W DFW TWR CTLR DURING ROLL OUT AND RWY EXIT, HE INFERRED THAT PERHAPS WE WERE IN ERROR IN ITS INTERPRETATION, BUT DID NOT ELABORATE OR CITE WHAT ESSENTIAL ELEMENT HAD BEEN OVERLOOKED. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS POTENTIAL MISINTERP/OVERSIGHT WAS THE FACT THAT THE COCKPIT CREW WAS STILL QUITE BUSY DECELERATING/BRAKING THE ACFT AND EXITING THE RWY WHEN THE CLRNC WAS ISSUED TO US, AND, SECOND, THE CREW WAS SOMEWHAT MENTALLY PREOCCUPIED WITH A DISTRESSING AND ACCUSATIVE ACARS PLAIN TEXT MESSAGE RECEIVED ENRTE FROM OUR COMPANY ACCUSING THE FLT CREW OF NEEDLESSLY DELAYING THE FLT AT THE DEP STATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.