Narrative:

I started my engine and obtained ATIS information. ATIS information advised that the active runway was runway 29. I usually taxi from T hangars, to runway 29 via txwys west and east to runway 29. I checked with bedford ground. I reported 'ready to taxi with ATIS,' upon which bedford ground instructed me to taxi to runway 29 via taxiway M up runway 5 to runway 29. There was discussion about taxiway west whereupon bedford ground instructed me to go around taxiway west to runway 29. I thereupon turned left onto taxiway M, slowly as usual towards the approach end of runway 11, runway 5 was to the right. Taxiway west was dead ahead and to my right as I turned left out of the hangar, proceeded about 1000 ft along taxiway M towards the approach end of runway 11. I looked down the runway, since ATIS advised that the active runway was runway 29. I saw no aircraft. I was stopped. I then observed a jet aircraft approaching from the left, as if to land on runway 11 instead of runway 29. He passed overhead at about 500 ft or more. Bedford ground then instructed me to 'do a 180 degree' which I did. Bedford ground then instructed me that I was facing taxiway M -- this was the taxiway on which I was anyway. I then asked bedford ground for a 'progressive' to make sure I understood instructions. Ground then told me to taxi forward towards runway 5. I then understood what it was that he wanted me to do. I politely apologized for misunderstanding ground. At that point, ground then told me to taxi to the west ramp and wait rather than to taxi to runway 5. I did this. After waiting, a cessna citation jet pulled in front of me. Ground then told me to follow the cessna to runway 29, which I did. Following run-up at runway 29, ground instructed me to phone the tower upon reaching my destination. Reaching new bedford, I called the bedford tower. He then took down my name, address and home and work phone numbers. He said someone would be calling me. When I asked what was the story, he stated he could make no further statement. I waited until sep/xx/96, at XA30. Mr X idented himself as 'FAA at bedford tower' called. He stated, 'you know why I am calling, and you know what I am calling about.' we made an appointment to meet at his office oct/xx/96. What I believe caused the problems here was obviously my having taken a left hand turn out of the ramp onto taxiway M rather than a right hand turn. The airport was busier than usual and even though my movements were deliberate and slow, ATC became too distracted to notice me. Secondly, I feel the taxi instructions could have been made clearer as whether I should have turned right or left, since taxiway M was both right and left of me. Thirdly, what appeared to be a jet aircraft approaching from the wrong direction towards aircraft which would be taking off from runway 29 takeoff position caused ATC some concern, especially when the jet came about 500 ft overhead my stopped aircraft. Fourth, tower appeared to be familiarizing a new ATC not fully familiar with bedford's environment. Most importantly, however, when I asked for a 'progressive,' I was following my best instincts to achieve safety on the taxiway. But I feel that ATC overreacted to this request. Instead of simply giving me progressive directions, ATC made me wait for a twin jet aircraft and had me follow this jet out to runway 29. I do not feel that it was wise to instruct a small aircraft like mine to follow a jet aircraft with 2 jet engines ahead of me on the taxiway. To maintain safety, I followed at a safer than normal distance behind this jet. This might have further provoked ATC. If the major mistake here was in my taking a left instead of a right onto taxiway M was the problem, I admit the problem. But if my following a twin jet at a safer than usual distance to the runway was what provoked ATC, I have no excuse. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is a lawyer who has been flying for 15 yrs and enjoying every min of it, except for the period covered by this report. He kept his appointment with the tower personnel, and there was a representative from the FSDO in attendance also. They advised him to be more careful in the future. The reporter still believes that he got incomplete instructions for taxi as there are 2 ways to get to RWY29 from the 'T' hangars. There has been no further FAA action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PLT TURNED THE WRONG WAY ONTO TXWY M AT BED. THIS IS AN UNUSUAL WAY TO TAXI TO RWY 29. NON ADHERENCE TO ATCT INSTRUCTIONS. ERROR ADMITTED.

Narrative: I STARTED MY ENG AND OBTAINED ATIS INFO. ATIS INFO ADVISED THAT THE ACTIVE RWY WAS RWY 29. I USUALLY TAXI FROM T HANGARS, TO RWY 29 VIA TXWYS W AND E TO RWY 29. I CHKED WITH BEDFORD GND. I RPTED 'READY TO TAXI WITH ATIS,' UPON WHICH BEDFORD GND INSTRUCTED ME TO TAXI TO RWY 29 VIA TXWY M UP RWY 5 TO RWY 29. THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT TXWY W WHEREUPON BEDFORD GND INSTRUCTED ME TO GAR TXWY W TO RWY 29. I THEREUPON TURNED L ONTO TXWY M, SLOWLY AS USUAL TOWARDS THE APCH END OF RWY 11, RWY 5 WAS TO THE R. TXWY W WAS DEAD AHEAD AND TO MY R AS I TURNED L OUT OF THE HANGAR, PROCEEDED ABOUT 1000 FT ALONG TXWY M TOWARDS THE APCH END OF RWY 11. I LOOKED DOWN THE RWY, SINCE ATIS ADVISED THAT THE ACTIVE RWY WAS RWY 29. I SAW NO ACFT. I WAS STOPPED. I THEN OBSERVED A JET ACFT APCHING FROM THE L, AS IF TO LAND ON RWY 11 INSTEAD OF RWY 29. HE PASSED OVERHEAD AT ABOUT 500 FT OR MORE. BEDFORD GND THEN INSTRUCTED ME TO 'DO A 180 DEG' WHICH I DID. BEDFORD GND THEN INSTRUCTED ME THAT I WAS FACING TXWY M -- THIS WAS THE TXWY ON WHICH I WAS ANYWAY. I THEN ASKED BEDFORD GND FOR A 'PROGRESSIVE' TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD INSTRUCTIONS. GND THEN TOLD ME TO TAXI FORWARD TOWARDS RWY 5. I THEN UNDERSTOOD WHAT IT WAS THAT HE WANTED ME TO DO. I POLITELY APOLOGIZED FOR MISUNDERSTANDING GND. AT THAT POINT, GND THEN TOLD ME TO TAXI TO THE W RAMP AND WAIT RATHER THAN TO TAXI TO RWY 5. I DID THIS. AFTER WAITING, A CESSNA CITATION JET PULLED IN FRONT OF ME. GND THEN TOLD ME TO FOLLOW THE CESSNA TO RWY 29, WHICH I DID. FOLLOWING RUN-UP AT RWY 29, GND INSTRUCTED ME TO PHONE THE TWR UPON REACHING MY DEST. REACHING NEW BEDFORD, I CALLED THE BEDFORD TWR. HE THEN TOOK DOWN MY NAME, ADDRESS AND HOME AND WORK PHONE NUMBERS. HE SAID SOMEONE WOULD BE CALLING ME. WHEN I ASKED WHAT WAS THE STORY, HE STATED HE COULD MAKE NO FURTHER STATEMENT. I WAITED UNTIL SEP/XX/96, AT XA30. MR X IDENTED HIMSELF AS 'FAA AT BEDFORD TWR' CALLED. HE STATED, 'YOU KNOW WHY I AM CALLING, AND YOU KNOW WHAT I AM CALLING ABOUT.' WE MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO MEET AT HIS OFFICE OCT/XX/96. WHAT I BELIEVE CAUSED THE PROBS HERE WAS OBVIOUSLY MY HAVING TAKEN A L HAND TURN OUT OF THE RAMP ONTO TXWY M RATHER THAN A R HAND TURN. THE ARPT WAS BUSIER THAN USUAL AND EVEN THOUGH MY MOVEMENTS WERE DELIBERATE AND SLOW, ATC BECAME TOO DISTRACTED TO NOTICE ME. SECONDLY, I FEEL THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS COULD HAVE BEEN MADE CLEARER AS WHETHER I SHOULD HAVE TURNED R OR L, SINCE TXWY M WAS BOTH R AND L OF ME. THIRDLY, WHAT APPEARED TO BE A JET ACFT APCHING FROM THE WRONG DIRECTION TOWARDS ACFT WHICH WOULD BE TAKING OFF FROM RWY 29 TKOF POS CAUSED ATC SOME CONCERN, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE JET CAME ABOUT 500 FT OVERHEAD MY STOPPED ACFT. FOURTH, TWR APPEARED TO BE FAMILIARIZING A NEW ATC NOT FULLY FAMILIAR WITH BEDFORD'S ENVIRONMENT. MOST IMPORTANTLY, HOWEVER, WHEN I ASKED FOR A 'PROGRESSIVE,' I WAS FOLLOWING MY BEST INSTINCTS TO ACHIEVE SAFETY ON THE TXWY. BUT I FEEL THAT ATC OVERREACTED TO THIS REQUEST. INSTEAD OF SIMPLY GIVING ME PROGRESSIVE DIRECTIONS, ATC MADE ME WAIT FOR A TWIN JET ACFT AND HAD ME FOLLOW THIS JET OUT TO RWY 29. I DO NOT FEEL THAT IT WAS WISE TO INSTRUCT A SMALL ACFT LIKE MINE TO FOLLOW A JET ACFT WITH 2 JET ENGS AHEAD OF ME ON THE TXWY. TO MAINTAIN SAFETY, I FOLLOWED AT A SAFER THAN NORMAL DISTANCE BEHIND THIS JET. THIS MIGHT HAVE FURTHER PROVOKED ATC. IF THE MAJOR MISTAKE HERE WAS IN MY TAKING A L INSTEAD OF A R ONTO TXWY M WAS THE PROB, I ADMIT THE PROB. BUT IF MY FOLLOWING A TWIN JET AT A SAFER THAN USUAL DISTANCE TO THE RWY WAS WHAT PROVOKED ATC, I HAVE NO EXCUSE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS A LAWYER WHO HAS BEEN FLYING FOR 15 YRS AND ENJOYING EVERY MIN OF IT, EXCEPT FOR THE PERIOD COVERED BY THIS RPT. HE KEPT HIS APPOINTMENT WITH THE TWR PERSONNEL, AND THERE WAS A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE FSDO IN ATTENDANCE ALSO. THEY ADVISED HIM TO BE MORE CAREFUL IN THE FUTURE. THE RPTR STILL BELIEVES THAT HE GOT INCOMPLETE INSTRUCTIONS FOR TAXI AS THERE ARE 2 WAYS TO GET TO RWY29 FROM THE 'T' HANGARS. THERE HAS BEEN NO FURTHER FAA ACTION.

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.