An air carrier medium large transport was given the command 'standby' by an overwhelmed lax ATCT gro...

Attributes
ACN	356788
Time
Date	199612
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : pit
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 2250
ASRS Report	356788
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

After clearing runway 7L ground control told us to taxi via the north route to the gate. On taxiway Q, we changed to north ground control at chkpoint #1 and checked in. We were told to 'standby' by the same individual working south ground control. We continued to taxi under our previous clearance to taxiway east to our gate. After established on taxiway east, ground control asked where we were. After we responded 'on taxiway east,' the controller told us 'standby' meant 'stop.' never has such an ambiguous transmission been given by lax ground (or any other ground) to mean 'stop.' previously, 'hold short of taxiway D' had been given meaning to stop on taxiway Q northbound. We took 'standby' from the overtaxed ground controller to mean continue as cleared, but don't call him, he'll call us. The fact that the same individual was working 2 ground control frequencys at lax (south 121.75 and north 121.65) overloaded this individual so that he could not remember what he said to whom. There were no conflicts on the taxi into our gate. The controller indicated there would be no violation, but he did seem stressed out at the overall situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG WAS GIVEN THE COMMAND 'STANDBY' BY AN OVERWHELMED LAX ATCT GND CTLR. THE RPTR CONTINUED WHEN THE CTLR MEANT FOR THE ACFT TO STOP.

Narrative: AFTER CLRING RWY 7L GND CTL TOLD US TO TAXI VIA THE N RTE TO THE GATE. ON TXWY Q, WE CHANGED TO N GND CTL AT CHKPOINT #1 AND CHKED IN. WE WERE TOLD TO 'STANDBY' BY THE SAME INDIVIDUAL WORKING S GND CTL. WE CONTINUED TO TAXI UNDER OUR PREVIOUS CLRNC TO TXWY E TO OUR GATE. AFTER ESTABLISHED ON TXWY E, GND CTL ASKED WHERE WE WERE. AFTER WE RESPONDED 'ON TXWY E,' THE CTLR TOLD US 'STANDBY' MEANT 'STOP.' NEVER HAS SUCH AN AMBIGUOUS XMISSION BEEN GIVEN BY LAX GND (OR ANY OTHER GND) TO MEAN 'STOP.' PREVIOUSLY, 'HOLD SHORT OF TXWY D' HAD BEEN GIVEN MEANING TO STOP ON TXWY Q NBOUND. WE TOOK 'STANDBY' FROM THE OVERTAXED GND CTLR TO MEAN CONTINUE AS CLRED, BUT DON'T CALL HIM, HE'LL CALL US. THE FACT THAT THE SAME INDIVIDUAL WAS WORKING 2 GND CTL FREQS AT LAX (S 121.75 AND N 121.65) OVERLOADED THIS INDIVIDUAL SO THAT HE COULD NOT REMEMBER WHAT HE SAID TO WHOM. THERE WERE NO CONFLICTS ON THE TAXI INTO OUR GATE. THE CTLR INDICATED THERE WOULD BE NO VIOLATION, BUT HE DID SEEM STRESSED OUT AT THE OVERALL SIT.

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.

An air carrier medium large transport was given the command 'standby' by an overwhelmed lax ATCT ground controller. The reporter continued when the controller meant for the aircraft to stop.