Narrative:

We were late by 30 mins arriving into oakland. I had to coordination with dispatch and the refueler for extra fuel plus a planned divert on the release due to a temporary dust storm in phoenix. A normal pushback and clearance was performed from gate except that I missed the frequency being used for the clearance to push back which was initiated on clearance delivery (121.1) instead of the normal ground control frequency at oakland. Ground control was broadcasting on both frequencys. Normal checklists were accomplished and we didn't feel rushed and were not rushing our flows in order to make up any delays. Taxi instructions were to taxi via taxiway T and hold short of taxiway U for runway 29. We both read back the taxi instructions. I 'cleared left' and the first officer 'cleared right.' instead of holding short of taxiway U, I made the initial turn and stopped immediately when I saw that I was on taxiway U. Company was now coming into view at 2 O'clock position on taxiway west and held for us. We prudently apologized with ground on 121.1 and they stated we were still up on the clearance delivery frequency. Upon switching to the correct ground frequency, a normal taxi and takeoff was made on runway 29. I feel that my mind set when given the 2 letter taxi instructions was that the first taxiway when I turned right was taxiway T, and not taxiway U. Although it was a judgement error on my part, I also feel that not being up on the correct ground control frequency would have given the crew a better situational awareness of the incoming company flight. Even with having the airport diagram out in plain view on the control wheel, monitoring communication #2, I should have doublechked it when given any type of hold short taxi instructions. When I debriefed the problem with my first officer, we both felt that maybe a simple call from ground control could have been 'flight number, hold your position, company inbound' upon initial check-in. Although ZOA is very professional in their duties, I would recommend that they would not simultaneously broadcast on both clearance delivery and ground control using separate frequencys. That way the crews would immediately know if they are on the correct frequency, can monitor any inbound flts, and increase their awareness. In the future when clearing off the tug crew, I must be observant of the correct frequency being utilized, doublechk the airport diagram (even at night), verify the taxi clearance again with my first officer, and have better situational awareness of the taxi flow to the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEPARTING THE GATE AT OAK, A B737 CREW IS INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY U. WHILE HOLDING, THE CREW DISCOVERS THEY ARE STILL ON CLRNC DELIVERY FREQ.

Narrative: WE WERE LATE BY 30 MINS ARRIVING INTO OAKLAND. I HAD TO COORD WITH DISPATCH AND THE REFUELER FOR EXTRA FUEL PLUS A PLANNED DIVERT ON THE RELEASE DUE TO A TEMPORARY DUST STORM IN PHOENIX. A NORMAL PUSHBACK AND CLRNC WAS PERFORMED FROM GATE EXCEPT THAT I MISSED THE FREQ BEING USED FOR THE CLRNC TO PUSH BACK WHICH WAS INITIATED ON CLRNC DELIVERY (121.1) INSTEAD OF THE NORMAL GND CTL FREQ AT OAKLAND. GND CTL WAS BROADCASTING ON BOTH FREQS. NORMAL CHKLISTS WERE ACCOMPLISHED AND WE DIDN'T FEEL RUSHED AND WERE NOT RUSHING OUR FLOWS IN ORDER TO MAKE UP ANY DELAYS. TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO TAXI VIA TXWY T AND HOLD SHORT OF TXWY U FOR RWY 29. WE BOTH READ BACK THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. I 'CLRED L' AND THE FO 'CLRED R.' INSTEAD OF HOLDING SHORT OF TXWY U, I MADE THE INITIAL TURN AND STOPPED IMMEDIATELY WHEN I SAW THAT I WAS ON TXWY U. COMPANY WAS NOW COMING INTO VIEW AT 2 O'CLOCK POS ON TXWY W AND HELD FOR US. WE PRUDENTLY APOLOGIZED WITH GND ON 121.1 AND THEY STATED WE WERE STILL UP ON THE CLRNC DELIVERY FREQ. UPON SWITCHING TO THE CORRECT GND FREQ, A NORMAL TAXI AND TKOF WAS MADE ON RWY 29. I FEEL THAT MY MIND SET WHEN GIVEN THE 2 LETTER TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WAS THAT THE FIRST TXWY WHEN I TURNED R WAS TXWY T, AND NOT TXWY U. ALTHOUGH IT WAS A JUDGEMENT ERROR ON MY PART, I ALSO FEEL THAT NOT BEING UP ON THE CORRECT GND CTL FREQ WOULD HAVE GIVEN THE CREW A BETTER SITUATIONAL AWARENESS OF THE INCOMING COMPANY FLT. EVEN WITH HAVING THE ARPT DIAGRAM OUT IN PLAIN VIEW ON THE CTL WHEEL, MONITORING COM #2, I SHOULD HAVE DOUBLECHKED IT WHEN GIVEN ANY TYPE OF HOLD SHORT TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. WHEN I DEBRIEFED THE PROB WITH MY FO, WE BOTH FELT THAT MAYBE A SIMPLE CALL FROM GND CTL COULD HAVE BEEN 'FLT NUMBER, HOLD YOUR POS, COMPANY INBOUND' UPON INITIAL CHK-IN. ALTHOUGH ZOA IS VERY PROFESSIONAL IN THEIR DUTIES, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THEY WOULD NOT SIMULTANEOUSLY BROADCAST ON BOTH CLRNC DELIVERY AND GND CTL USING SEPARATE FREQS. THAT WAY THE CREWS WOULD IMMEDIATELY KNOW IF THEY ARE ON THE CORRECT FREQ, CAN MONITOR ANY INBOUND FLTS, AND INCREASE THEIR AWARENESS. IN THE FUTURE WHEN CLRING OFF THE TUG CREW, I MUST BE OBSERVANT OF THE CORRECT FREQ BEING UTILIZED, DOUBLECHK THE ARPT DIAGRAM (EVEN AT NIGHT), VERIFY THE TAXI CLRNC AGAIN WITH MY FO, AND HAVE BETTER SITUATIONAL AWARENESS OF THE TAXI FLOW TO THE RWY.

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.