Narrative:

During our taxi to the runway the ground controller transmitted the instruction 'XXX, stop.' I immediately stopped just short of runway 4L. I was not sure if I had taxied across the runway hold line or not. The WX was low visibility and there was a lot of snow covering the lighting and signs. The first officer was new to both the plane and the aircraft. We both had less than 100 hours in seat and type although we did not breach the 75 hour crew pairing rule. I had logged about 125 hours 2 yrs prior as a first officer. We both had less than 20 flts into or out of boston logan. The first officer was low time, about 450 total time. As we taxied from the gate we contacted clearance who then told us to monitor ground. Ground read us our taxi clearance and the first officer responded. I was busy looking at other aircraft on the taxiway and ramp to stay clear. I don't remember hearing the taxi instruction, but I do remember deliberately taxiing to runway 9 when interrupted by ground control. After we had stopped short of runway 4L as prompted by ground I asked the first officer 'what was our taxi instruction?' he said 'I think he said taxi to runway 9 via txwys K, west, south.' I asked him if he was sure and he admitted 'no he was not sure.' the controller said nothing else and I was not sure if we had made the mistake or if ground control had. The first officer's lack of experience caused him to spend most of the taxi time busy with the checklist so he was not assisting with our ground movement. I did not fully understand the taxi instruction before moving the aircraft. To prevent the situation from occurring again we agreed we would write down the taxi instructions each flight. We would also accomplish as much of the checklist as possible prior to leaving the gate until we were proficient at it. Thirdly, I personally vowed never to leave the gate until I fully understood the taxi clearance and route. By the way, runway 4L was active and there was an aircraft cleared to land on it as the controller stopped us.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF COMMUTER LTT IS TOLD TO 'STOP' BY GND CTLR WHEN TAXIING FOR TKOF. THEY WERE ABOUT TO ENTER AN ACTIVE RWY.

Narrative: DURING OUR TAXI TO THE RWY THE GND CTLR XMITTED THE INSTRUCTION 'XXX, STOP.' I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED JUST SHORT OF RWY 4L. I WAS NOT SURE IF I HAD TAXIED ACROSS THE RWY HOLD LINE OR NOT. THE WX WAS LOW VISIBILITY AND THERE WAS A LOT OF SNOW COVERING THE LIGHTING AND SIGNS. THE FO WAS NEW TO BOTH THE PLANE AND THE ACFT. WE BOTH HAD LESS THAN 100 HRS IN SEAT AND TYPE ALTHOUGH WE DID NOT BREACH THE 75 HR CREW PAIRING RULE. I HAD LOGGED ABOUT 125 HRS 2 YRS PRIOR AS A FO. WE BOTH HAD LESS THAN 20 FLTS INTO OR OUT OF BOSTON LOGAN. THE FO WAS LOW TIME, ABOUT 450 TOTAL TIME. AS WE TAXIED FROM THE GATE WE CONTACTED CLRNC WHO THEN TOLD US TO MONITOR GND. GND READ US OUR TAXI CLRNC AND THE FO RESPONDED. I WAS BUSY LOOKING AT OTHER ACFT ON THE TXWY AND RAMP TO STAY CLR. I DON'T REMEMBER HEARING THE TAXI INSTRUCTION, BUT I DO REMEMBER DELIBERATELY TAXIING TO RWY 9 WHEN INTERRUPTED BY GND CTL. AFTER WE HAD STOPPED SHORT OF RWY 4L AS PROMPTED BY GND I ASKED THE FO 'WHAT WAS OUR TAXI INSTRUCTION?' HE SAID 'I THINK HE SAID TAXI TO RWY 9 VIA TXWYS K, W, S.' I ASKED HIM IF HE WAS SURE AND HE ADMITTED 'NO HE WAS NOT SURE.' THE CTLR SAID NOTHING ELSE AND I WAS NOT SURE IF WE HAD MADE THE MISTAKE OR IF GND CTL HAD. THE FO'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE CAUSED HIM TO SPEND MOST OF THE TAXI TIME BUSY WITH THE CHKLIST SO HE WAS NOT ASSISTING WITH OUR GND MOVEMENT. I DID NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND THE TAXI INSTRUCTION BEFORE MOVING THE ACFT. TO PREVENT THE SIT FROM OCCURRING AGAIN WE AGREED WE WOULD WRITE DOWN THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS EACH FLT. WE WOULD ALSO ACCOMPLISH AS MUCH OF THE CHKLIST AS POSSIBLE PRIOR TO LEAVING THE GATE UNTIL WE WERE PROFICIENT AT IT. THIRDLY, I PERSONALLY VOWED NEVER TO LEAVE THE GATE UNTIL I FULLY UNDERSTOOD THE TAXI CLRNC AND RTE. BY THE WAY, RWY 4L WAS ACTIVE AND THERE WAS AN ACFT CLRED TO LAND ON IT AS THE CTLR STOPPED US.

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.