Narrative:

We were located on taxiway B, facing east, awaiting takeoff on runway 26L when we decided to return to the gate for fuel. We had been taxiing for over an hour and had exhausted our fuel reserves. There was bad WX to the northeast and all north departures were being held on the ground. The first few were being released with 30 mi in trail spacing when we asked tower for clearance to return to the gate for fuel. I informed tower that we needed to return to the gate via ramp X. We were cleared to cross runway 26L at taxiway B10 and 'join taxiway east high speed, contact ground, point 9 on the other side.' at our location, there was a taxiway E11 which curved off to our left, ending in a taxiway east, which had a long line of planes backed up nearly to taxiway D. To go left on taxiway E11 did not even occur to us as a viable option, so we began to taxi down runway 26L to join taxiway E7 past taxiway D and en route to our ramp. I read back these instructions, realizing that I had read back 'cross runway 26L, join taxiway east high speed' using an incorrect flight number. As I was about to correct myself, the tower controller said 'I meant for you to join taxiway east high speed to your left.' we expedited down to taxiway C where we were now cleared to exit. There was no separation problem, as the only traffic was holding in position, awaiting his 30 NM separation due to WX. The situation did not create any hazardous condition, but did leave me thinking about the subject of taxiway names. If you look at the atl chart, all high speeds entering taxiway east are taxiway E1 through taxiway E11. Controllers often say 'exit high speed echo.' when landing since there are numerous high speeds named echo, this creates the potential for misunderstanding. I think this misunderstanding would have been avoided entirely if each high speed had a clearly different phonetic name, or if controllers referred to them as taxiway E1 or taxiway E2 consistently. It is difficult to be clear about which taxiway east to use when there are 7 on that particular runway. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: callback revealed that this is not a problem at atl. Runway 26L is rarely used for landing traffic. When the tower uses phraseology 'exit high speed at echo' for landing runway 26L traffic, the pilot has the option, based on the speed of the aircraft, to exit the runway at either taxiway E7, taxiway E3, or taxiway E1. If the tower had other traffic that would be a factor to what high speed taxiway would be used by landing traffic, then they would assign a particular high speed taxiway to exit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR COMPLAINED THAT THE PHRASEOLOGY USED BY ATL TWR TO IDENT HIGH SPD TXWYS MAY LEAD TO CONFUSION.

Narrative: WE WERE LOCATED ON TXWY B, FACING E, AWAITING TKOF ON RWY 26L WHEN WE DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE GATE FOR FUEL. WE HAD BEEN TAXIING FOR OVER AN HR AND HAD EXHAUSTED OUR FUEL RESERVES. THERE WAS BAD WX TO THE NE AND ALL N DEPS WERE BEING HELD ON THE GND. THE FIRST FEW WERE BEING RELEASED WITH 30 MI IN TRAIL SPACING WHEN WE ASKED TWR FOR CLRNC TO RETURN TO THE GATE FOR FUEL. I INFORMED TWR THAT WE NEEDED TO RETURN TO THE GATE VIA RAMP X. WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS RWY 26L AT TXWY B10 AND 'JOIN TXWY E HIGH SPD, CONTACT GND, POINT 9 ON THE OTHER SIDE.' AT OUR LOCATION, THERE WAS A TXWY E11 WHICH CURVED OFF TO OUR L, ENDING IN A TXWY E, WHICH HAD A LONG LINE OF PLANES BACKED UP NEARLY TO TXWY D. TO GO L ON TXWY E11 DID NOT EVEN OCCUR TO US AS A VIABLE OPTION, SO WE BEGAN TO TAXI DOWN RWY 26L TO JOIN TXWY E7 PAST TXWY D AND ENRTE TO OUR RAMP. I READ BACK THESE INSTRUCTIONS, REALIZING THAT I HAD READ BACK 'CROSS RWY 26L, JOIN TXWY E HIGH SPD' USING AN INCORRECT FLT NUMBER. AS I WAS ABOUT TO CORRECT MYSELF, THE TWR CTLR SAID 'I MEANT FOR YOU TO JOIN TXWY E HIGH SPD TO YOUR L.' WE EXPEDITED DOWN TO TXWY C WHERE WE WERE NOW CLRED TO EXIT. THERE WAS NO SEPARATION PROB, AS THE ONLY TFC WAS HOLDING IN POS, AWAITING HIS 30 NM SEPARATION DUE TO WX. THE SIT DID NOT CREATE ANY HAZARDOUS CONDITION, BUT DID LEAVE ME THINKING ABOUT THE SUBJECT OF TXWY NAMES. IF YOU LOOK AT THE ATL CHART, ALL HIGH SPDS ENTERING TXWY E ARE TXWY E1 THROUGH TXWY E11. CTLRS OFTEN SAY 'EXIT HIGH SPD ECHO.' WHEN LNDG SINCE THERE ARE NUMEROUS HIGH SPDS NAMED ECHO, THIS CREATES THE POTENTIAL FOR MISUNDERSTANDING. I THINK THIS MISUNDERSTANDING WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED ENTIRELY IF EACH HIGH SPD HAD A CLRLY DIFFERENT PHONETIC NAME, OR IF CTLRS REFERRED TO THEM AS TXWY E1 OR TXWY E2 CONSISTENTLY. IT IS DIFFICULT TO BE CLR ABOUT WHICH TXWY E TO USE WHEN THERE ARE 7 ON THAT PARTICULAR RWY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CALLBACK REVEALED THAT THIS IS NOT A PROB AT ATL. RWY 26L IS RARELY USED FOR LNDG TFC. WHEN THE TWR USES PHRASEOLOGY 'EXIT HIGH SPD AT ECHO' FOR LNDG RWY 26L TFC, THE PLT HAS THE OPTION, BASED ON THE SPD OF THE ACFT, TO EXIT THE RWY AT EITHER TXWY E7, TXWY E3, OR TXWY E1. IF THE TWR HAD OTHER TFC THAT WOULD BE A FACTOR TO WHAT HIGH SPD TXWY WOULD BE USED BY LNDG TFC, THEN THEY WOULD ASSIGN A PARTICULAR HIGH SPD TXWY TO EXIT.

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.