Narrative:

Upon rollout near the end of the runway, tower instructed us to 'exit to the abbreviated FBO ramp'. Neither me nor my copilot understood what tower meant, so I asked tower to say again. The reply was the same and came very quickly. Confused now and noticing two aircraft awaiting for me to clear the runway for their departure, and not wanting to converse any longer with tower on the runway, I pulled the aircraft to the right side and on to the displaced threshold of runway 14 and held where I called tower again. I received no answer after 2 calls so I went to ground. Ground instructed me to do a 180 degree turn and hold short of runway 18. After the 2 waiting aircraft departed I was cleared across runway 18 and taxi to park. As we were holding short runway 18, my copilot and I both noticed sign with full FBO name. We then realized what tower had intended us to do, taxi to the full name FBO ramp to let the waiting traffic depart. If the tower would have said to 'make a left turn and exit onto the full name FBO ramp', instead of 'exit abbreviated FBO ramp' things might not have been fouled up and I would not have made a wrong turn onto the displaced threshold of another runway. Communication is very important in aviation. Keeping calls short and abbreviated is fine as long as it does not cause anyone to guess or be 'misled'. Late that night I called the tower and discussed the problem with them. They said no problem and they would talk with the controller on that matter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AMBIGUOUS INSTRUCTIONS TO EXIT RWY.

Narrative: UPON ROLLOUT NEAR THE END OF THE RWY, TWR INSTRUCTED US TO 'EXIT TO THE ABBREVIATED FBO RAMP'. NEITHER ME NOR MY COPLT UNDERSTOOD WHAT TWR MEANT, SO I ASKED TWR TO SAY AGAIN. THE REPLY WAS THE SAME AND CAME VERY QUICKLY. CONFUSED NOW AND NOTICING TWO ACFT AWAITING FOR ME TO CLEAR THE RWY FOR THEIR DEP, AND NOT WANTING TO CONVERSE ANY LONGER WITH TWR ON THE RWY, I PULLED THE ACFT TO THE RIGHT SIDE AND ON TO THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD OF RWY 14 AND HELD WHERE I CALLED TWR AGAIN. I RECEIVED NO ANSWER AFTER 2 CALLS SO I WENT TO GND. GND INSTRUCTED ME TO DO A 180 DEG TURN AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 18. AFTER THE 2 WAITING ACFT DEPARTED I WAS CLRED ACROSS RWY 18 AND TAXI TO PARK. AS WE WERE HOLDING SHORT RWY 18, MY COPLT AND I BOTH NOTICED SIGN WITH FULL FBO NAME. WE THEN REALIZED WHAT TWR HAD INTENDED US TO DO, TAXI TO THE FULL NAME FBO RAMP TO LET THE WAITING TFC DEPART. IF THE TWR WOULD HAVE SAID TO 'MAKE A LEFT TURN AND EXIT ONTO THE FULL NAME FBO RAMP', INSTEAD OF 'EXIT ABBREVIATED FBO RAMP' THINGS MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN FOULED UP AND I WOULD NOT HAVE MADE A WRONG TURN ONTO THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD OF ANOTHER RWY. COM IS VERY IMPORTANT IN AVIATION. KEEPING CALLS SHORT AND ABBREVIATED IS FINE AS LONG AS IT DOES NOT CAUSE ANYONE TO GUESS OR BE 'MISLED'. LATE THAT NIGHT I CALLED THE TWR AND DISCUSSED THE PROBLEM WITH THEM. THEY SAID NO PROBLEM AND THEY WOULD TALK WITH THE CTLR ON THAT MATTER.

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.