Narrative:

After landing on runway 31R in des moines, ia, we turned onto the taxiway D5 which connected to the parallel taxiway D to runway 31R. I stopped short of the parallel taxiway D to get clearance to taxi from ground control. After receiving clearance to taxi, we were queried as to why we stopped short of the parallel taxiway, and why we did not turn the corner and continue onto the parallel taxiway prior to contacting ground. There was an air carrier aircraft in position and hold for takeoff, and the controller felt our tail was too close to the runway. According to the commercial pubs ATC section 4-69, the wording under the note ('the tower will issue the pilot with instructions which will normally permit the aircraft to enter another taxiway, runway, or ramp area when required to taxi clear of the runway') seems to apply as we did not receive any instructions from the tower. Also section 'C' below that says to stop the aircraft after clearing the runway if instructions have not been received from ATC. Also enclosed is a copy of the company flight operations manual runway clearing procedures. It states ('if after clearing the runway and no taxi instructions have been received from ATC, stop the aircraft short of the first intersecting taxiway, runway, or ramp area. Obtain taxi instructions prior to moving your aircraft'). The intent seems to be to clear the active runway and allow movement onto txwys to accomplish that, but in the same section we are told to hold short after clearing the runway. I believe the key would be to define 'clearing the runway.' does the entire aircraft need to be beyond the hold short line in order to be clear of the runway? I can think of several airports where crossing the hold line would cause traffic conflicts without receiving prior clearance (louisville, ky, for example). I feel that this is an area that could be more clearly defined. Supplemental information from acn 306531: the local controller instructed the crew to exit the runway at the next right turn and contact ground. No instructions were received to taxi onto or along the taxiway parallel to runway. He pulled up but not onto taxiway D. We both believed the airplane tail was clear of the runway. The ground controller asked us why we hadn't turned the corner onto taxiway D after clearing the runway. We replied we had no clearance from local control to do so. Ground control said he had expected us to turn the corner onto the parallel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISAGREEMENT BTWN FLC AND ATCT LCL CTLR AND GND CTLR OVER WHETHER THE ACFT HAD CLRED THE RWY.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 31R IN DES MOINES, IA, WE TURNED ONTO THE TXWY D5 WHICH CONNECTED TO THE PARALLEL TXWY D TO RWY 31R. I STOPPED SHORT OF THE PARALLEL TXWY D TO GET CLRNC TO TAXI FROM GND CTL. AFTER RECEIVING CLRNC TO TAXI, WE WERE QUERIED AS TO WHY WE STOPPED SHORT OF THE PARALLEL TXWY, AND WHY WE DID NOT TURN THE CORNER AND CONTINUE ONTO THE PARALLEL TXWY PRIOR TO CONTACTING GND. THERE WAS AN ACR ACFT IN POS AND HOLD FOR TKOF, AND THE CTLR FELT OUR TAIL WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE RWY. ACCORDING TO THE COMMERCIAL PUBS ATC SECTION 4-69, THE WORDING UNDER THE NOTE ('THE TWR WILL ISSUE THE PLT WITH INSTRUCTIONS WHICH WILL NORMALLY PERMIT THE ACFT TO ENTER ANOTHER TXWY, RWY, OR RAMP AREA WHEN REQUIRED TO TAXI CLR OF THE RWY') SEEMS TO APPLY AS WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE TWR. ALSO SECTION 'C' BELOW THAT SAYS TO STOP THE ACFT AFTER CLRING THE RWY IF INSTRUCTIONS HAVE NOT BEEN RECEIVED FROM ATC. ALSO ENCLOSED IS A COPY OF THE COMPANY FLT OPS MANUAL RWY CLRING PROCS. IT STATES ('IF AFTER CLRING THE RWY AND NO TAXI INSTRUCTIONS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED FROM ATC, STOP THE ACFT SHORT OF THE FIRST INTERSECTING TXWY, RWY, OR RAMP AREA. OBTAIN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS PRIOR TO MOVING YOUR ACFT'). THE INTENT SEEMS TO BE TO CLR THE ACTIVE RWY AND ALLOW MOVEMENT ONTO TXWYS TO ACCOMPLISH THAT, BUT IN THE SAME SECTION WE ARE TOLD TO HOLD SHORT AFTER CLRING THE RWY. I BELIEVE THE KEY WOULD BE TO DEFINE 'CLRING THE RWY.' DOES THE ENTIRE ACFT NEED TO BE BEYOND THE HOLD SHORT LINE IN ORDER TO BE CLR OF THE RWY? I CAN THINK OF SEVERAL ARPTS WHERE XING THE HOLD LINE WOULD CAUSE TFC CONFLICTS WITHOUT RECEIVING PRIOR CLRNC (LOUISVILLE, KY, FOR EXAMPLE). I FEEL THAT THIS IS AN AREA THAT COULD BE MORE CLRLY DEFINED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 306531: THE LCL CTLR INSTRUCTED THE CREW TO EXIT THE RWY AT THE NEXT R TURN AND CONTACT GND. NO INSTRUCTIONS WERE RECEIVED TO TAXI ONTO OR ALONG THE TXWY PARALLEL TO RWY. HE PULLED UP BUT NOT ONTO TXWY D. WE BOTH BELIEVED THE AIRPLANE TAIL WAS CLR OF THE RWY. THE GND CTLR ASKED US WHY WE HADN'T TURNED THE CORNER ONTO TXWY D AFTER CLRING THE RWY. WE REPLIED WE HAD NO CLRNC FROM LCL CTL TO DO SO. GND CTL SAID HE HAD EXPECTED US TO TURN THE CORNER ONTO THE PARALLEL.

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.