Narrative:

I was practicing full-stop night lndgs at a tower-controled field. There was one other aircraft in the pattern. Typically, after each of my lndgs, the controller's instructions were something to the effect of, 'when able, do a 180 degree, taxi to the end of the runway and advise when ready to go.' on one occasion, after I had back-taxied and had announced that I was ready to go, the controller replied, 'hold short.' shortly thereafter he instructed the other aircraft in the pattern to 'go around.' then he informed me that he had wanted me to 'hold short.' it was only then that I realized that I should have been clear of the active runway rather than holding in position. The instructions to 'hold short' are unambiguous, but I nonetheless misinterpreted them, possibly because I had been performing a routine maneuver repeatedly and heard what I had expected to hear rather than what was actually said. A contributing factor was probably my low time (less than 44 hours total and less than 0.5 hours of that at night) in the aircraft I was flying and lack of recent night experience in general (less than 0.5 hours in the last 6 months). I was very intent on properly executing aircraft system checks. Given my low time in the aircraft, I should have had the foresight to bring along a flight instructor. Had I done so, I probably would not be submitting this form. As a final note, it would have been perhaps more helpful had the controller said something more explicit like, 'taxi clear of the active,' nonetheless, his instructions to 'hold short' should have been interpreted correctly by me.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A BEECH BONANZA 35 FAILED TO HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY AFTER TAXIING BACK FOR ANOTHER TKOF AFTER LNDG, CAUSING ANOTHER ACFT TO BE SENT AROUND BY THE TWR.

Narrative: I WAS PRACTICING FULL-STOP NIGHT LNDGS AT A TWR-CTLED FIELD. THERE WAS ONE OTHER ACFT IN THE PATTERN. TYPICALLY, AFTER EACH OF MY LNDGS, THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS WERE SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF, 'WHEN ABLE, DO A 180 DEG, TAXI TO THE END OF THE RWY AND ADVISE WHEN READY TO GO.' ON ONE OCCASION, AFTER I HAD BACK-TAXIED AND HAD ANNOUNCED THAT I WAS READY TO GO, THE CTLR REPLIED, 'HOLD SHORT.' SHORTLY THEREAFTER HE INSTRUCTED THE OTHER ACFT IN THE PATTERN TO 'GO AROUND.' THEN HE INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD WANTED ME TO 'HOLD SHORT.' IT WAS ONLY THEN THAT I REALIZED THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLR OF THE ACTIVE RWY RATHER THAN HOLDING IN POS. THE INSTRUCTIONS TO 'HOLD SHORT' ARE UNAMBIGUOUS, BUT I NONETHELESS MISINTERPRETED THEM, POSSIBLY BECAUSE I HAD BEEN PERFORMING A ROUTINE MANEUVER REPEATEDLY AND HEARD WHAT I HAD EXPECTED TO HEAR RATHER THAN WHAT WAS ACTUALLY SAID. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS PROBABLY MY LOW TIME (LESS THAN 44 HRS TOTAL AND LESS THAN 0.5 HRS OF THAT AT NIGHT) IN THE ACFT I WAS FLYING AND LACK OF RECENT NIGHT EXPERIENCE IN GENERAL (LESS THAN 0.5 HRS IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS). I WAS VERY INTENT ON PROPERLY EXECUTING ACFT SYS CHKS. GIVEN MY LOW TIME IN THE ACFT, I SHOULD HAVE HAD THE FORESIGHT TO BRING ALONG A FLT INSTRUCTOR. HAD I DONE SO, I PROBABLY WOULD NOT BE SUBMITTING THIS FORM. AS A FINAL NOTE, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN PERHAPS MORE HELPFUL HAD THE CTLR SAID SOMETHING MORE EXPLICIT LIKE, 'TAXI CLR OF THE ACTIVE,' NONETHELESS, HIS INSTRUCTIONS TO 'HOLD SHORT' SHOULD HAVE BEEN INTERPRETED CORRECTLY BY ME.

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.