Narrative:

I believe my expectations (due to familiarity with this airport) and anticipation of controller's directions (due to many prior repetitions) contributed to this situation. Upon landing on runway 25, we are usually requested to 'turn left or right on taxiway B' to exit. Instead, the controller directed me to exit on intersection 'runway 15L or runway 15R and turn right at the next intersection.' for the direction of travel, he should have said runway 33R or runway 33L. I questioned those instructions prior to turning onto the intersecting runway and heard the controller say to continue. I then taxied to the end of the runway, bypassing the first intersection (intersection H). As I cleared the runway, the controller reminded me I should have turned onto the first intersection. He was right, of course, I had misinterped his approval to 'continue on the runway' as overriding prior instructions to turn off at the first intersection. I believed at the time I was correct in continuing but should have stopped the airplane and sought more specific clarification before continuing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C177B PLT FAILS TO ADHERE TO TAXI INSTRUCTIONS THAT WERE BOTH UNFAMILIAR AND CONFUSING AT HIS HOME ARPT SBA, CA.

Narrative: I BELIEVE MY EXPECTATIONS (DUE TO FAMILIARITY WITH THIS ARPT) AND ANTICIPATION OF CTLR'S DIRECTIONS (DUE TO MANY PRIOR REPETITIONS) CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SIT. UPON LNDG ON RWY 25, WE ARE USUALLY REQUESTED TO 'TURN L OR R ON TXWY B' TO EXIT. INSTEAD, THE CTLR DIRECTED ME TO EXIT ON INTXN 'RWY 15L OR RWY 15R AND TURN R AT THE NEXT INTXN.' FOR THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL, HE SHOULD HAVE SAID RWY 33R OR RWY 33L. I QUESTIONED THOSE INSTRUCTIONS PRIOR TO TURNING ONTO THE INTERSECTING RWY AND HEARD THE CTLR SAY TO CONTINUE. I THEN TAXIED TO THE END OF THE RWY, BYPASSING THE FIRST INTXN (INTXN H). AS I CLRED THE RWY, THE CTLR REMINDED ME I SHOULD HAVE TURNED ONTO THE FIRST INTXN. HE WAS RIGHT, OF COURSE, I HAD MISINTERPED HIS APPROVAL TO 'CONTINUE ON THE RWY' AS OVERRIDING PRIOR INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN OFF AT THE FIRST INTXN. I BELIEVED AT THE TIME I WAS CORRECT IN CONTINUING BUT SHOULD HAVE STOPPED THE AIRPLANE AND SOUGHT MORE SPECIFIC CLARIFICATION BEFORE CONTINUING.

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.