Narrative:

After switching from lga ramp frequency to lga ground, we were told to, 'follow air carrier Y to runway 4, hold short at ILS hold line,' which I repeated to the controller and recorded on my yoke note. Normally, I read the clearance to the captain again. I don't recall if I did so this time. As we approached the ILS hold line I stated, 'I think we're supposed to hold short here.' we stopped approximately 1 meter or so past the line. I advised tower that we had done so and the controller surprised both of us with an immediate go around call for the air carrier Z, B757, on final to runway 4. The cause of this go around appears to be our crew's failure to comply with the lga ground controller's clearance. Contributing factors: nearly all pilots will equate the ILS hold line with poor WX conditions. WX conditions at lga were good with 10 SM visibility and overcast at 20000 ft. This creates a 'logic disconnect' and an increased likelihood of forgetting this instruction, or not actually hearing or understanding it in the first place. Lga ground should consider restating their script to read 'hold short at the ILS hold line to clear landing traffic.' pilots frequently receive the same clearance as the aircraft in front of them. Therefore, pilots learn to expect the same clearance, particularly when the word 'follow' is used. In our case, air carrier Y was cleared to taxi to runway 4, and we were cleared to follow air carrier Y to taxi to runway 4 as well -- thus setting the stage for this error. When instructions differ only slightly between 2 aircraft, and one is following the other, ATC should consider pausing, then emphasizing the portion of the clearance which differs rather than reading the entire clearance in the same rapid fire manner. Lga ground chart states, 'caution: aircraft taxiing on taxiway B for runway 4 departure may be instructed to hold at the ILS hold line.' this block of text is in small print, and is placed as far away from the actual hazard area as it could possibly be placed, yet still be on the same page. We should encourage commercial chart company to use a larger dashed line for the warning box given the large amount of available space that's otherwise wasted. The caution text and box at the top right should be increased in size. The phrase, '...for wingtip clearance from landing aircraft,' might be added to the warning box for additional clarity and enhanced pilot understanding.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 TAXIING FOR DEP AT LGA FAILED TO HOLD AT ATC DIRECTED POINT, RESULTING IN A GAR.

Narrative: AFTER SWITCHING FROM LGA RAMP FREQ TO LGA GND, WE WERE TOLD TO, 'FOLLOW ACR Y TO RWY 4, HOLD SHORT AT ILS HOLD LINE,' WHICH I REPEATED TO THE CTLR AND RECORDED ON MY YOKE NOTE. NORMALLY, I READ THE CLRNC TO THE CAPT AGAIN. I DON'T RECALL IF I DID SO THIS TIME. AS WE APCHED THE ILS HOLD LINE I STATED, 'I THINK WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HOLD SHORT HERE.' WE STOPPED APPROX 1 METER OR SO PAST THE LINE. I ADVISED TWR THAT WE HAD DONE SO AND THE CTLR SURPRISED BOTH OF US WITH AN IMMEDIATE GAR CALL FOR THE ACR Z, B757, ON FINAL TO RWY 4. THE CAUSE OF THIS GAR APPEARS TO BE OUR CREW'S FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE LGA GND CTLR'S CLRNC. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: NEARLY ALL PLTS WILL EQUATE THE ILS HOLD LINE WITH POOR WX CONDITIONS. WX CONDITIONS AT LGA WERE GOOD WITH 10 SM VISIBILITY AND OVCST AT 20000 FT. THIS CREATES A 'LOGIC DISCONNECT' AND AN INCREASED LIKELIHOOD OF FORGETTING THIS INSTRUCTION, OR NOT ACTUALLY HEARING OR UNDERSTANDING IT IN THE FIRST PLACE. LGA GND SHOULD CONSIDER RESTATING THEIR SCRIPT TO READ 'HOLD SHORT AT THE ILS HOLD LINE TO CLR LNDG TFC.' PLTS FREQUENTLY RECEIVE THE SAME CLRNC AS THE ACFT IN FRONT OF THEM. THEREFORE, PLTS LEARN TO EXPECT THE SAME CLRNC, PARTICULARLY WHEN THE WORD 'FOLLOW' IS USED. IN OUR CASE, ACR Y WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 4, AND WE WERE CLRED TO FOLLOW ACR Y TO TAXI TO RWY 4 AS WELL -- THUS SETTING THE STAGE FOR THIS ERROR. WHEN INSTRUCTIONS DIFFER ONLY SLIGHTLY BTWN 2 ACFT, AND ONE IS FOLLOWING THE OTHER, ATC SHOULD CONSIDER PAUSING, THEN EMPHASIZING THE PORTION OF THE CLRNC WHICH DIFFERS RATHER THAN READING THE ENTIRE CLRNC IN THE SAME RAPID FIRE MANNER. LGA GND CHART STATES, 'CAUTION: ACFT TAXIING ON TXWY B FOR RWY 4 DEP MAY BE INSTRUCTED TO HOLD AT THE ILS HOLD LINE.' THIS BLOCK OF TEXT IS IN SMALL PRINT, AND IS PLACED AS FAR AWAY FROM THE ACTUAL HAZARD AREA AS IT COULD POSSIBLY BE PLACED, YET STILL BE ON THE SAME PAGE. WE SHOULD ENCOURAGE COMMERCIAL CHART COMPANY TO USE A LARGER DASHED LINE FOR THE WARNING BOX GIVEN THE LARGE AMOUNT OF AVAILABLE SPACE THAT'S OTHERWISE WASTED. THE CAUTION TEXT AND BOX AT THE TOP R SHOULD BE INCREASED IN SIZE. THE PHRASE, '...FOR WINGTIP CLRNC FROM LNDG ACFT,' MIGHT BE ADDED TO THE WARNING BOX FOR ADDITIONAL CLARITY AND ENHANCED PLT UNDERSTANDING.

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.