Narrative:

Problem occurred due to miscom among crew members and controllers at rdu. My airline has its own ramp frequency which controls the inner ramp area. Ground controls all other traffic. I heard 'hold short of B2' and thought the first officer was talking to ground, when in fact, he was talking to ramp and they said 'hold short of 52.' they never said 'and contact ground.' this was the first officer's first trip here as an first officer. He was brand new as an first officer also. He never contacted ground, and I never questioned it because I thought he was already on ground. The solution which I believe is appropriate is for the first officer to verbally announce controller frequency changes on the ground. My head is outside the cockpit, I'm just listening while I complete a pwrback, get a salute from my guideman, clear the area for a 180 degree turn, etc. The taxi environment is one of the busiest periods and should be treated as such. Good communication amongst crew members is essential. A contributing factor is the naming of the taxiways. 52 and B2 sound too much alike. A second contribution factor at rdu is controllers do not use the phonetic alphabet for taxi instructions. Tango 2 would be much easier to decipher from bravo 2. Instead ground controllers (ramp and ATC) say 'T and B.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF LGT ACR ACFT INADVERTENTLY TAXIED ONTO TAXIWAY WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: PROBLEM OCCURRED DUE TO MISCOM AMONG CREW MEMBERS AND CTLRS AT RDU. MY AIRLINE HAS ITS OWN RAMP FREQ WHICH CTLS THE INNER RAMP AREA. GND CTLS ALL OTHER TFC. I HEARD 'HOLD SHORT OF B2' AND THOUGHT THE FO WAS TALKING TO GND, WHEN IN FACT, HE WAS TALKING TO RAMP AND THEY SAID 'HOLD SHORT OF 52.' THEY NEVER SAID 'AND CONTACT GND.' THIS WAS THE FO'S FIRST TRIP HERE AS AN FO. HE WAS BRAND NEW AS AN FO ALSO. HE NEVER CONTACTED GND, AND I NEVER QUESTIONED IT BECAUSE I THOUGHT HE WAS ALREADY ON GND. THE SOLUTION WHICH I BELIEVE IS APPROPRIATE IS FOR THE FO TO VERBALLY ANNOUNCE CTLR FREQ CHANGES ON THE GND. MY HEAD IS OUTSIDE THE COCKPIT, I'M JUST LISTENING WHILE I COMPLETE A PWRBACK, GET A SALUTE FROM MY GUIDEMAN, CLR THE AREA FOR A 180 DEG TURN, ETC. THE TAXI ENVIRONMENT IS ONE OF THE BUSIEST PERIODS AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH. GOOD COM AMONGST CREW MEMBERS IS ESSENTIAL. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS THE NAMING OF THE TAXIWAYS. 52 AND B2 SOUND TOO MUCH ALIKE. A SECOND CONTRIBUTION FACTOR AT RDU IS CTLRS DO NOT USE THE PHONETIC ALPHABET FOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. TANGO 2 WOULD BE MUCH EASIER TO DECIPHER FROM BRAVO 2. INSTEAD GND CTLRS (RAMP AND ATC) SAY 'T AND B.'

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.