Narrative:

I was acting as the first officer and the PF from the left seat of a king air B200 aircraft. The captain was occupying the right seat of the aircraft. At approximately XA20, we had started engines and received taxi clearance to runway 6 at teb airport from our position at the FBO. The tower controller was using tower frequency to control both ground and tower traffic, and instructed us to follow a mooney to runway 6. After we waited briefly and did not see the mooney, we queried the tower controller and the controller asked the mooney for his position. After the mooney replied stating he was delayed getting out of parking, the tower controller cleared us to taxi to runway 6. From our position at the FBO we were already at taxiway G, which crosses runway 6. It is necessary to cross runway 6 at taxiway G to get to the parallel taxiway on the other side of the runway and proceed to the hold short point for takeoff on runway 6. After receiving clearance to taxi to runway 6, we visually checked for traffic on the txwys, the runway, and in the air and proceeded across runway 6 at taxiway G and continued taxiing to the hold short point at the approach end of runway 6. At this point, the tower controller told us he had not given us clearance to cross runway 6, since it was the active runway and clearance to taxi to the active runway does not give you clearance to cross the active runway. Although the controller was correct, the terminology used for our taxi clearance strongly implied we should taxi across runway 6, since we were already close to the hold short line for runway 6 at taxiway G when the controller issued our taxi clearance. To us, the wording used in the clearance in no way implied we should hold short at taxiway G. With the problem runway incursions have become throughout the industry and at many locations, taxi instructions should be much more precise. Any clearance given to any runway should include instructions to hold short at any runway, if necessary. Aim section 4-3-18, paragraphs 5, 6, and 7, should be rewritten to remove confusing guidance, and to require the controller to issue hold short instructions for any runway, including the active/assigned departure runway, so as to avoid any possible ambiguity to both the controller and the pilot.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE20 FLC CROSS TEB RWY 6 ENRTE TO TXWY G TO RWY 6 APCH END AND CHALLENGED BY TWR BECAUSE OF THE XING. RPTR QUESTIONS AIM GUIDANCES TO PLT AND CTLR AS NOT SUFFICIENTLY CLR.

Narrative: I WAS ACTING AS THE FO AND THE PF FROM THE L SEAT OF A KING AIR B200 ACFT. THE CAPT WAS OCCUPYING THE R SEAT OF THE ACFT. AT APPROX XA20, WE HAD STARTED ENGS AND RECEIVED TAXI CLRNC TO RWY 6 AT TEB ARPT FROM OUR POS AT THE FBO. THE TWR CTLR WAS USING TWR FREQ TO CTL BOTH GND AND TWR TFC, AND INSTRUCTED US TO FOLLOW A MOONEY TO RWY 6. AFTER WE WAITED BRIEFLY AND DID NOT SEE THE MOONEY, WE QUERIED THE TWR CTLR AND THE CTLR ASKED THE MOONEY FOR HIS POS. AFTER THE MOONEY REPLIED STATING HE WAS DELAYED GETTING OUT OF PARKING, THE TWR CTLR CLRED US TO TAXI TO RWY 6. FROM OUR POS AT THE FBO WE WERE ALREADY AT TXWY G, WHICH CROSSES RWY 6. IT IS NECESSARY TO CROSS RWY 6 AT TXWY G TO GET TO THE PARALLEL TXWY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RWY AND PROCEED TO THE HOLD SHORT POINT FOR TKOF ON RWY 6. AFTER RECEIVING CLRNC TO TAXI TO RWY 6, WE VISUALLY CHKED FOR TFC ON THE TXWYS, THE RWY, AND IN THE AIR AND PROCEEDED ACROSS RWY 6 AT TXWY G AND CONTINUED TAXIING TO THE HOLD SHORT POINT AT THE APCH END OF RWY 6. AT THIS POINT, THE TWR CTLR TOLD US HE HAD NOT GIVEN US CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 6, SINCE IT WAS THE ACTIVE RWY AND CLRNC TO TAXI TO THE ACTIVE RWY DOES NOT GIVE YOU CLRNC TO CROSS THE ACTIVE RWY. ALTHOUGH THE CTLR WAS CORRECT, THE TERMINOLOGY USED FOR OUR TAXI CLRNC STRONGLY IMPLIED WE SHOULD TAXI ACROSS RWY 6, SINCE WE WERE ALREADY CLOSE TO THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 6 AT TXWY G WHEN THE CTLR ISSUED OUR TAXI CLRNC. TO US, THE WORDING USED IN THE CLRNC IN NO WAY IMPLIED WE SHOULD HOLD SHORT AT TXWY G. WITH THE PROB RWY INCURSIONS HAVE BECOME THROUGHOUT THE INDUSTRY AND AT MANY LOCATIONS, TAXI INSTRUCTIONS SHOULD BE MUCH MORE PRECISE. ANY CLRNC GIVEN TO ANY RWY SHOULD INCLUDE INSTRUCTIONS TO HOLD SHORT AT ANY RWY, IF NECESSARY. AIM SECTION 4-3-18, PARAGRAPHS 5, 6, AND 7, SHOULD BE REWRITTEN TO REMOVE CONFUSING GUIDANCE, AND TO REQUIRE THE CTLR TO ISSUE HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS FOR ANY RWY, INCLUDING THE ACTIVE/ASSIGNED DEP RWY, SO AS TO AVOID ANY POSSIBLE AMBIGUITY TO BOTH THE CTLR AND THE PLT.

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.