Air carrier flight crew objects to taxi clearance phraseology which almost led them into crossing an...

Attributes
ACN	95696
Time
Date	198809
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	95696
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 5700 flight time type : 1700
ASRS Report	95309
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

After gate departure we pulled up #2 in the alleyway. We waited several mins, listening intently for our call sign and taxi clearance. It was a very busy night and as was the norm, ground control was issuing initial taxi instructions in rapid fire order west/O giving the aircraft a chance to acknowledge or question the initial receipt of these instructions. After quite a while ground asked us if we were #2 and we replied in the affirmative. We were then issued the following clearance, 'taxi to runway 14L, follow your company.' the captain taxied behind the company, out the alleyway and across the 32 bridge. As the aircraft we were to follow crossed the departure end of runway 14L, the captain commented that he did not believe this was the correct route and that this was the active runway. The captain brought the aircraft to a stop short of runway 14L departure end. At this time we noted an aircraft on departure roll which subsequently passed in front of us at several hundred ft. When we contacted ground to sort things out, ground was still very busy, we were given several frequency changes. The captain wanted to make a right 270 degree turn and proceed down the runway 14L/32R parallel, but was unsure of the clearance behind our aircraft. Further clearance was finally received: a right 270 degree turn around and further taxi accomplished west/O further problem. The captain commented that in the future he would not accept a follow your company taxi clearance as you do not know that the aircraft you are following knows where to go. I agree! Supplemental information from acn 95309: the aircraft we had been following had been cleared to cross runway 9L and 22R, but he had lost track in the dark and crossed the wrong runway. Supplemental information from acn 95307: in the future I will not accept a 'follow your company' taxi clearance, as you cannot be certain that the aircraft in front of you is taking the correct path to the runway. I doubt that 'follow your company' is a legal clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT CREW OBJECTS TO TAXI CLRNC PHRASEOLOGY WHICH ALMOST LED THEM INTO CROSSING AN ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT APPROVAL. ACR THEY WERE FOLLOWING DID CROSS RWY WITHOUT CLRNC. RWY INCURSION. PLT DEVIATION.

Narrative: AFTER GATE DEP WE PULLED UP #2 IN THE ALLEYWAY. WE WAITED SEVERAL MINS, LISTENING INTENTLY FOR OUR CALL SIGN AND TAXI CLRNC. IT WAS A VERY BUSY NIGHT AND AS WAS THE NORM, GND CTL WAS ISSUING INITIAL TAXI INSTRUCTIONS IN RAPID FIRE ORDER W/O GIVING THE ACFT A CHANCE TO ACKNOWLEDGE OR QUESTION THE INITIAL RECEIPT OF THESE INSTRUCTIONS. AFTER QUITE A WHILE GND ASKED US IF WE WERE #2 AND WE REPLIED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. WE WERE THEN ISSUED THE FOLLOWING CLRNC, 'TAXI TO RWY 14L, FOLLOW YOUR COMPANY.' THE CAPT TAXIED BEHIND THE COMPANY, OUT THE ALLEYWAY AND ACROSS THE 32 BRIDGE. AS THE ACFT WE WERE TO FOLLOW CROSSED THE DEP END OF RWY 14L, THE CAPT COMMENTED THAT HE DID NOT BELIEVE THIS WAS THE CORRECT ROUTE AND THAT THIS WAS THE ACTIVE RWY. THE CAPT BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A STOP SHORT OF RWY 14L DEP END. AT THIS TIME WE NOTED AN ACFT ON DEP ROLL WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY PASSED IN FRONT OF US AT SEVERAL HUNDRED FT. WHEN WE CONTACTED GND TO SORT THINGS OUT, GND WAS STILL VERY BUSY, WE WERE GIVEN SEVERAL FREQ CHANGES. THE CAPT WANTED TO MAKE A RIGHT 270 DEG TURN AND PROCEED DOWN THE RWY 14L/32R PARALLEL, BUT WAS UNSURE OF THE CLRNC BEHIND OUR ACFT. FURTHER CLRNC WAS FINALLY RECEIVED: A RIGHT 270 DEG TURN AROUND AND FURTHER TAXI ACCOMPLISHED W/O FURTHER PROB. THE CAPT COMMENTED THAT IN THE FUTURE HE WOULD NOT ACCEPT A FOLLOW YOUR COMPANY TAXI CLRNC AS YOU DO NOT KNOW THAT THE ACFT YOU ARE FOLLOWING KNOWS WHERE TO GO. I AGREE! SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 95309: THE ACFT WE HAD BEEN FOLLOWING HAD BEEN CLRED TO CROSS RWY 9L AND 22R, BUT HE HAD LOST TRACK IN THE DARK AND CROSSED THE WRONG RWY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 95307: IN THE FUTURE I WILL NOT ACCEPT A 'FOLLOW YOUR COMPANY' TAXI CLRNC, AS YOU CANNOT BE CERTAIN THAT THE ACFT IN FRONT OF YOU IS TAKING THE CORRECT PATH TO THE RWY. I DOUBT THAT 'FOLLOW YOUR COMPANY' IS A LEGAL CLRNC.

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.

Air carrier flight crew objects to taxi clearance phraseology which almost led them into crossing an active runway without approval. Air carrier they were following did cross runway without clearance. Runway incursion. Pilot deviation.