Failed to comply with clearance to hold short of taxiway.

Attributes
ACN	90352
Time
Date	198806
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iad
State Reference	VA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	90352
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

On taxiout from midfield terminal at iad we were instructed to taxi to runway 1L to hold short of taxiway west 2. The initial call was made to midfield ramp control. Upon leaving the ramp area we switched to monitor ground and continued taxi until we were holding short of what we thought was west 2. It turns out that we actually taxied on west 2. The confusion arose from the fact that the txwys at dulles are poorly marked, where they are marked at all, and the taxiway chart (published by X) is extremely confusing. We spoke with several pilots who fly in and out of dulles more often than we do and they said that not only do they also still find this confusing, but that they have complained both to airline mgt and to the FAA at iad. Taxiway markings should be improved and the chart improved before someone gets hurt.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAILED TO COMPLY WITH CLRNC TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY.

Narrative: ON TAXIOUT FROM MIDFIELD TERMINAL AT IAD WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO RWY 1L TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY W 2. THE INITIAL CALL WAS MADE TO MIDFIELD RAMP CTL. UPON LEAVING THE RAMP AREA WE SWITCHED TO MONITOR GND AND CONTINUED TAXI UNTIL WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS W 2. IT TURNS OUT THAT WE ACTUALLY TAXIED ON W 2. THE CONFUSION AROSE FROM THE FACT THAT THE TXWYS AT DULLES ARE POORLY MARKED, WHERE THEY ARE MARKED AT ALL, AND THE TXWY CHART (PUBLISHED BY X) IS EXTREMELY CONFUSING. WE SPOKE WITH SEVERAL PLTS WHO FLY IN AND OUT OF DULLES MORE OFTEN THAN WE DO AND THEY SAID THAT NOT ONLY DO THEY ALSO STILL FIND THIS CONFUSING, BUT THAT THEY HAVE COMPLAINED BOTH TO AIRLINE MGT AND TO THE FAA AT IAD. TXWY MARKINGS SHOULD BE IMPROVED AND THE CHART IMPROVED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.