Widebody transport flight crew passed the CAT ii-III hold short line during taxi out in fog. The fol...

Attributes
ACN	536590
Time
Date	200201
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : limc.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Fog
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 350 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	536590
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather Environmental Factor ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

In CAT ii/III WX conditions, we were instructed to follow low visibility procedures as we taxied to runway 35R at mxp (milan, malpensa). A follow-me truck was in position ahead of us and we were instructed to follow it. Our instructions were to taxi south via taxiway west to various points along this taxiway. The commercial page of mxp does not clearly indicate all the points we were directed to as we progressed along 'west,' especially nearing the CAT ii/III hold point to runway 35L. Several times while taxiing, we had to reconfirm our taxi limit point, as we had difficulty understanding the ATC controller due to language problems. When we asked for clarification, we were told to follow the truck. Approaching the CAT ii/III hold point at runway 35L, the vehicle flashed a series of 'stop/follow-me' signals followed by a steady 'follow-me.' in the confusion, we passed this point holding well short of runway 35L. When queried as to why we passed this point we replied we were following the vehicle. No other problems were encountered after this point. Contributing factors were: 1) language difficulty in understanding this controller. 2) conflicting signals issued by follow-me vehicle. 3) lack of a page for mxp (limc). 4) CAT III WX conditions 150 meters or less.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB FLC PASSED THE CAT II-III HOLD SHORT LINE DURING TAXI OUT IN FOG. THE FOLLOW-ME TRUCK SIGN WAS CONFUSING AS WELL AS UNDERSTANDING THE LANGUAGE ACCENT IN FOREIGN COUNTRY.

Narrative: IN CAT II/III WX CONDITIONS, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO FOLLOW LOW VISIBILITY PROCS AS WE TAXIED TO RWY 35R AT MXP (MILAN, MALPENSA). A FOLLOW-ME TRUCK WAS IN POS AHEAD OF US AND WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO FOLLOW IT. OUR INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO TAXI S VIA TXWY W TO VARIOUS POINTS ALONG THIS TXWY. THE COMMERCIAL PAGE OF MXP DOES NOT CLRLY INDICATE ALL THE POINTS WE WERE DIRECTED TO AS WE PROGRESSED ALONG 'W,' ESPECIALLY NEARING THE CAT II/III HOLD POINT TO RWY 35L. SEVERAL TIMES WHILE TAXIING, WE HAD TO RECONFIRM OUR TAXI LIMIT POINT, AS WE HAD DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING THE ATC CTLR DUE TO LANGUAGE PROBS. WHEN WE ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION, WE WERE TOLD TO FOLLOW THE TRUCK. APCHING THE CAT II/III HOLD POINT AT RWY 35L, THE VEHICLE FLASHED A SERIES OF 'STOP/FOLLOW-ME' SIGNALS FOLLOWED BY A STEADY 'FOLLOW-ME.' IN THE CONFUSION, WE PASSED THIS POINT HOLDING WELL SHORT OF RWY 35L. WHEN QUERIED AS TO WHY WE PASSED THIS POINT WE REPLIED WE WERE FOLLOWING THE VEHICLE. NO OTHER PROBS WERE ENCOUNTERED AFTER THIS POINT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: 1) LANGUAGE DIFFICULTY IN UNDERSTANDING THIS CTLR. 2) CONFLICTING SIGNALS ISSUED BY FOLLOW-ME VEHICLE. 3) LACK OF A PAGE FOR MXP (LIMC). 4) CAT III WX CONDITIONS 150 METERS OR LESS.

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.

Widebody transport flight crew passed the CAT ii-III hold short line during taxi out in fog. The follow-me truck sign was confusing as well as understanding the language accent in foreign country.