Narrative:

We were initially given runway heading and 4000 ft, then a right turn south and handed off to departure control. During this very high workload timeframe (go around and vectors for the new ILS), we were assigned runway 4R. I swapped FMS flight plans, ran the checklists and the first officer did an excellent job flying the aircraft. We were vectored far inside the required approach gate (in my estimation) for the runway 4R ILS, 1 1/2 mi or so from rekks (4.2 mi from the runway) yet managed to be configured and stable at 1000 ft (as our operations manual requires). The tower cleared us to land on runway 4R and told us to 'roll it to the end.' we landed normally in the first 2/3 of the touchdown zone. Any notes about the runway 4R turnoff restrs on the ATIS were not present for me at this point in time due to high workload. The first officer chose to disengage the autobrakes just after main gear touchdown and apply manual braking. We slowed rapidly. Not having any knowledge of the ord restrs for runway 9R and taxiway Q operations, I thought that 'roll it to the end' was a courtesy option given to us by the tower (often given to heavy jets, especially when their parking area is near there), not an ATC clearance requiring us to use the taxiway D exit at the end of the runway. We had slowed to taxi speed upon reaching taxiway Q so in an effort to reduce runway occupancy time I made the left turn onto the taxiway Q high-speed. While headed for taxiway Q, my first officer did state something to the effect that the tower wanted us to turn off at the end. As we cleared runway 4R, I heard the tower issue a B757 a go around, stating 'air carrier X made a wrong turn.' I looked back thinking that perhaps I had not cleared runway 4R and that caused a runway 4R go around. Instead, I saw that we were clear of runway 4R and was now looking straight down runway 27L (runway 9R departure end) and saw the B757 begin its climb from approximately 300-400 ft. I looked down at my airport diagram to confirm that I was not on taxiway south (which does cross the end of runway 9R). We were clearly on taxiway Q and clear of runway 9R. Confused, I continued to our ramp uneventfully. I later called the tower on a landline and was informed that FAA region/airports had created the restr on some aircraft landing runway 9R while using taxiway Q. Taxiway Q does not intersect runway 9R (only the runway extended centerline). The individual on the phone told me that they (ATC) disagreed with the rule, but had to abide by it. I was informed that no loss of separation had occurred so nothing would be done with our mistaken early runway 4R turnoff. He told me that to the tower cabin attendant it appeared we were stopping on taxiway Q in line with runway 9R although we were still taxiing at approximately 20 KTS during this timeframe. Suggestions: if ATC needs an aircraft to exit at a particular turnoff, then the appropriate phraseology should be used. 'Roll to the end' is not as clear as 'exit the aircraft at the end of the runway' or 'exit all the way at the end.' information dissemination of this runway 9R/taxiway Q limitation would further prompt crews to be more aware. We now know.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD11 FLT CREW TURNS OFF THE RWY AT WRONG EXIT AND CROSSES THE CTRLINE OF AN INTERSECTING RWY CAUSING AN ACR TO INITIATE A GAR AT ORD.

Narrative: WE WERE INITIALLY GIVEN RWY HEADING AND 4000 FT, THEN A R TURN S AND HANDED OFF TO DEP CTL. DURING THIS VERY HIGH WORKLOAD TIMEFRAME (GAR AND VECTORS FOR THE NEW ILS), WE WERE ASSIGNED RWY 4R. I SWAPPED FMS FLT PLANS, RAN THE CHKLISTS AND THE FO DID AN EXCELLENT JOB FLYING THE ACFT. WE WERE VECTORED FAR INSIDE THE REQUIRED APCH GATE (IN MY ESTIMATION) FOR THE RWY 4R ILS, 1 1/2 MI OR SO FROM REKKS (4.2 MI FROM THE RWY) YET MANAGED TO BE CONFIGURED AND STABLE AT 1000 FT (AS OUR OPS MANUAL REQUIRES). THE TWR CLRED US TO LAND ON RWY 4R AND TOLD US TO 'ROLL IT TO THE END.' WE LANDED NORMALLY IN THE FIRST 2/3 OF THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE. ANY NOTES ABOUT THE RWY 4R TURNOFF RESTRS ON THE ATIS WERE NOT PRESENT FOR ME AT THIS POINT IN TIME DUE TO HIGH WORKLOAD. THE FO CHOSE TO DISENGAGE THE AUTOBRAKES JUST AFTER MAIN GEAR TOUCHDOWN AND APPLY MANUAL BRAKING. WE SLOWED RAPIDLY. NOT HAVING ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THE ORD RESTRS FOR RWY 9R AND TXWY Q OPS, I THOUGHT THAT 'ROLL IT TO THE END' WAS A COURTESY OPTION GIVEN TO US BY THE TWR (OFTEN GIVEN TO HVY JETS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEIR PARKING AREA IS NEAR THERE), NOT AN ATC CLRNC REQUIRING US TO USE THE TXWY D EXIT AT THE END OF THE RWY. WE HAD SLOWED TO TAXI SPD UPON REACHING TXWY Q SO IN AN EFFORT TO REDUCE RWY OCCUPANCY TIME I MADE THE L TURN ONTO THE TXWY Q HIGH-SPD. WHILE HEADED FOR TXWY Q, MY FO DID STATE SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT THAT THE TWR WANTED US TO TURN OFF AT THE END. AS WE CLRED RWY 4R, I HEARD THE TWR ISSUE A B757 A GAR, STATING 'ACR X MADE A WRONG TURN.' I LOOKED BACK THINKING THAT PERHAPS I HAD NOT CLRED RWY 4R AND THAT CAUSED A RWY 4R GAR. INSTEAD, I SAW THAT WE WERE CLR OF RWY 4R AND WAS NOW LOOKING STRAIGHT DOWN RWY 27L (RWY 9R DEP END) AND SAW THE B757 BEGIN ITS CLB FROM APPROX 300-400 FT. I LOOKED DOWN AT MY ARPT DIAGRAM TO CONFIRM THAT I WAS NOT ON TXWY S (WHICH DOES CROSS THE END OF RWY 9R). WE WERE CLRLY ON TXWY Q AND CLR OF RWY 9R. CONFUSED, I CONTINUED TO OUR RAMP UNEVENTFULLY. I LATER CALLED THE TWR ON A LANDLINE AND WAS INFORMED THAT FAA REGION/ARPTS HAD CREATED THE RESTR ON SOME ACFT LNDG RWY 9R WHILE USING TXWY Q. TXWY Q DOES NOT INTERSECT RWY 9R (ONLY THE RWY EXTENDED CTRLINE). THE INDIVIDUAL ON THE PHONE TOLD ME THAT THEY (ATC) DISAGREED WITH THE RULE, BUT HAD TO ABIDE BY IT. I WAS INFORMED THAT NO LOSS OF SEPARATION HAD OCCURRED SO NOTHING WOULD BE DONE WITH OUR MISTAKEN EARLY RWY 4R TURNOFF. HE TOLD ME THAT TO THE TWR CAB IT APPEARED WE WERE STOPPING ON TXWY Q IN LINE WITH RWY 9R ALTHOUGH WE WERE STILL TAXIING AT APPROX 20 KTS DURING THIS TIMEFRAME. SUGGESTIONS: IF ATC NEEDS AN ACFT TO EXIT AT A PARTICULAR TURNOFF, THEN THE APPROPRIATE PHRASEOLOGY SHOULD BE USED. 'ROLL TO THE END' IS NOT AS CLR AS 'EXIT THE ACFT AT THE END OF THE RWY' OR 'EXIT ALL THE WAY AT THE END.' INFO DISSEMINATION OF THIS RWY 9R/TXWY Q LIMITATION WOULD FURTHER PROMPT CREWS TO BE MORE AWARE. WE NOW KNOW.

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.