Narrative:

I studied the REEDR3 STAR that would bring me to the approach routing, the SL13.sli SID for the departure, and the airport diagram for any possible ground taxiing. I read the standard taxi routing and noted the ATC non-visible area along the taxiway 48, 49 routing, while mentally commenting on the numerical designations verses phonetic alphabet labeling normally seen. The landing was uneventful but I was immediately requested to 'turn left next taxiway without delay.' this was taxiway 47. I was given a clearance to taxi across runway 24L either with the verbiage 'immediately or without delay' the urgency to comply was mentally sensed. Pilot inaction -- upon initial ground contact did not request a 'progressive taxi' nor did the ground controller ask where we were parking. After clearing runway 24L ground cleared us to 'turn right tango inner (?) left on taxiway 49 hold short of kilo inner, contact ground 121.75' (this is my best memory using the chart for validity). I remember reading back a taxiway number, either 49 or 48 and the word 'left.' had the taxi instructions said first left, or second left for taxiway 49? I do remember '40' something and 'left.' the ground control frequency was very busy, as was the taxiing traffic around our aircraft. I also was trying to determine where I would have to cross the other 2 active runways to arrive at the general aviation ramp. My mental workload was higher now than actually on the approach, the radio traffic, heat and jet exhaust added to the environment. I turned left (1ST left?) onto what I perceived to be taxiway 49 and proceeded to taxi toward the 50 yd line. At this time I was still monitoring the congested north ground frequency, but they could not see my aircraft. I had the chart on my clipboard oriented correctly for the direction of travel. I had even high-lighted the taxiway 49 routing for quick reference. While taxing I noted that there was not a parallel taxiway to my left, but I was busy listening for my north number on the radio and taxiing the aircraft. Something was wrong with the 'picture,' but the perceptions had not been assimilated. As we approached taxiway L48 I noted an aircraft opposing ours (757?) at taxiway J outer (?) I could not judge if he could turn right or left prior to our aircraft. I could not break into the radio traffic to query ground so I stopped the aircraft prior to L48 (still thinking, maybe he will turn left on L48?). I had switched to ground complex south but couldn't get a word in. Finally we were asked if we could turn onto L49. In spite of having L48 on my right, I still perceived, via the chart, for our aircraft to be on taxiway 49 and that would have required a left turn -- but there was no taxiway to my left. So I queried, 'what direction of turn?' now my perceptions of our position were totally amiss. A commuter flight that had a visual on our aircraft barked on the radio that we 'could' turn right onto L48 to rejoin taxiway 49. We turned right onto taxiway 49 and continued with an escort by the operations coordinator. Only after stopping was the error fully realized. There was never a 'safety' issue but the delays for the jetliners was surely not appreciated. Not until returning home that night did I see how we could have made the wrong turn onto the northbound taxiway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL FAILED TO FOLLOW TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AFTER LNDG RESULTING IN TAXI ON THE WRONG DIRECTION TXWY.

Narrative: I STUDIED THE REEDR3 STAR THAT WOULD BRING ME TO THE APCH ROUTING, THE SL13.SLI SID FOR THE DEP, AND THE ARPT DIAGRAM FOR ANY POSSIBLE GND TAXIING. I READ THE STANDARD TAXI ROUTING AND NOTED THE ATC NON-VISIBLE AREA ALONG THE TXWY 48, 49 ROUTING, WHILE MENTALLY COMMENTING ON THE NUMERICAL DESIGNATIONS VERSES PHONETIC ALPHABET LABELING NORMALLY SEEN. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL BUT I WAS IMMEDIATELY REQUESTED TO 'TURN L NEXT TXWY WITHOUT DELAY.' THIS WAS TXWY 47. I WAS GIVEN A CLRNC TO TAXI ACROSS RWY 24L EITHER WITH THE VERBIAGE 'IMMEDIATELY OR WITHOUT DELAY' THE URGENCY TO COMPLY WAS MENTALLY SENSED. PLT INACTION -- UPON INITIAL GND CONTACT DID NOT REQUEST A 'PROGRESSIVE TAXI' NOR DID THE GND CTLR ASK WHERE WE WERE PARKING. AFTER CLRING RWY 24L GND CLRED US TO 'TURN R TANGO INNER (?) L ON TXWY 49 HOLD SHORT OF KILO INNER, CONTACT GND 121.75' (THIS IS MY BEST MEMORY USING THE CHART FOR VALIDITY). I REMEMBER READING BACK A TXWY NUMBER, EITHER 49 OR 48 AND THE WORD 'L.' HAD THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS SAID FIRST L, OR SECOND L FOR TXWY 49? I DO REMEMBER '40' SOMETHING AND 'L.' THE GND CTL FREQ WAS VERY BUSY, AS WAS THE TAXIING TFC AROUND OUR ACFT. I ALSO WAS TRYING TO DETERMINE WHERE I WOULD HAVE TO CROSS THE OTHER 2 ACTIVE RWYS TO ARRIVE AT THE GENERAL AVIATION RAMP. MY MENTAL WORKLOAD WAS HIGHER NOW THAN ACTUALLY ON THE APCH, THE RADIO TFC, HEAT AND JET EXHAUST ADDED TO THE ENVIRONMENT. I TURNED L (1ST L?) ONTO WHAT I PERCEIVED TO BE TXWY 49 AND PROCEEDED TO TAXI TOWARD THE 50 YD LINE. AT THIS TIME I WAS STILL MONITORING THE CONGESTED N GND FREQ, BUT THEY COULD NOT SEE MY ACFT. I HAD THE CHART ON MY CLIPBOARD ORIENTED CORRECTLY FOR THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL. I HAD EVEN HIGH-LIGHTED THE TXWY 49 ROUTING FOR QUICK REF. WHILE TAXING I NOTED THAT THERE WAS NOT A PARALLEL TXWY TO MY L, BUT I WAS BUSY LISTENING FOR MY N NUMBER ON THE RADIO AND TAXIING THE ACFT. SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE 'PICTURE,' BUT THE PERCEPTIONS HAD NOT BEEN ASSIMILATED. AS WE APCHED TXWY L48 I NOTED AN ACFT OPPOSING OURS (757?) AT TXWY J OUTER (?) I COULD NOT JUDGE IF HE COULD TURN R OR L PRIOR TO OUR ACFT. I COULD NOT BREAK INTO THE RADIO TFC TO QUERY GND SO I STOPPED THE ACFT PRIOR TO L48 (STILL THINKING, MAYBE HE WILL TURN L ON L48?). I HAD SWITCHED TO GND COMPLEX S BUT COULDN'T GET A WORD IN. FINALLY WE WERE ASKED IF WE COULD TURN ONTO L49. IN SPITE OF HAVING L48 ON MY R, I STILL PERCEIVED, VIA THE CHART, FOR OUR ACFT TO BE ON TXWY 49 AND THAT WOULD HAVE REQUIRED A L TURN -- BUT THERE WAS NO TXWY TO MY L. SO I QUERIED, 'WHAT DIRECTION OF TURN?' NOW MY PERCEPTIONS OF OUR POS WERE TOTALLY AMISS. A COMMUTER FLT THAT HAD A VISUAL ON OUR ACFT BARKED ON THE RADIO THAT WE 'COULD' TURN R ONTO L48 TO REJOIN TXWY 49. WE TURNED R ONTO TXWY 49 AND CONTINUED WITH AN ESCORT BY THE OPS COORDINATOR. ONLY AFTER STOPPING WAS THE ERROR FULLY REALIZED. THERE WAS NEVER A 'SAFETY' ISSUE BUT THE DELAYS FOR THE JETLINERS WAS SURELY NOT APPRECIATED. NOT UNTIL RETURNING HOME THAT NIGHT DID I SEE HOW WE COULD HAVE MADE THE WRONG TURN ONTO THE NBOUND TXWY.

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.