Narrative:

We (student and I) were inbound to 28L for touch and goes. After being cleared 28L, we were told to make a full stop and taxi back instead of touch and go. It was clear to me that the controller was trying to switch the active to 10 (listening to the frequency). He told us to exit next taxiway, do a 180 degree turn on that taxiway and ?. I was unclear of the instruction, so took over the microphone. It sounded like taxi back on the active, so I said 'confirm you want us to do a 180 on the taxiway, taxi back to 10R?' I had heard him clear someone to land on 10R! He told us to taxi back on 10, hold short 10R, advise when ready to go. (See diagram.) since he did not say to do a 180 degree turn (we were facing 10L), and I had heard him clear someone to land 10R, I figured he wanted us to taxi back on 10L, hold short 10R. We started to take 10L to taxi back and saw an aircraft on short final on 10L! I immediately taxied back to the asterisked position (on diagram). I said something to the effect of how unclear the instructions were. We eventually did taxi back on 10R, and then commenced our touch and goes (right traffic 10R), after the aircraft landed on 10R--so even if we had tried to taxi back 10R, there was a landing aircraft there, too. What would have been safer, and at one time we suggested it, would've been to taxi all the way to the taxiway xray, taxi back. When we did suggest it, he said 'I'll get you in a minute.' I know he was trying to save us time, but I think he caused the problem by having us taxi on an active when it was relatively busy and runways were being switched. Also, he did not help the problem by becoming 'short' with us when we asked for clarification (he was even stepped on one time, and I did not hear our call sign).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA CFI HAS PROBLEM WITH GND TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND TAXIS ONTO AN ACTIVE RWY.

Narrative: WE (STUDENT AND I) WERE INBND TO 28L FOR TOUCH AND GOES. AFTER BEING CLRED 28L, WE WERE TOLD TO MAKE A FULL STOP AND TAXI BACK INSTEAD OF TOUCH AND GO. IT WAS CLEAR TO ME THAT THE CTLR WAS TRYING TO SWITCH THE ACTIVE TO 10 (LISTENING TO THE FREQ). HE TOLD US TO EXIT NEXT TXWY, DO A 180 DEG TURN ON THAT TXWY AND ?. I WAS UNCLEAR OF THE INSTRUCTION, SO TOOK OVER THE MIC. IT SOUNDED LIKE TAXI BACK ON THE ACTIVE, SO I SAID 'CONFIRM YOU WANT US TO DO A 180 ON THE TXWY, TAXI BACK TO 10R?' I HAD HEARD HIM CLEAR SOMEONE TO LAND ON 10R! HE TOLD US TO TAXI BACK ON 10, HOLD SHORT 10R, ADVISE WHEN READY TO GO. (SEE DIAGRAM.) SINCE HE DID NOT SAY TO DO A 180 DEG TURN (WE WERE FACING 10L), AND I HAD HEARD HIM CLR SOMEONE TO LAND 10R, I FIGURED HE WANTED US TO TAXI BACK ON 10L, HOLD SHORT 10R. WE STARTED TO TAKE 10L TO TAXI BACK AND SAW AN ACFT ON SHORT FINAL ON 10L! I IMMEDIATELY TAXIED BACK TO THE ASTERISKED POS (ON DIAGRAM). I SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF HOW UNCLEAR THE INSTRUCTIONS WERE. WE EVENTUALLY DID TAXI BACK ON 10R, AND THEN COMMENCED OUR TOUCH AND GOES (RIGHT TFC 10R), AFTER THE ACFT LANDED ON 10R--SO EVEN IF WE HAD TRIED TO TAXI BACK 10R, THERE WAS A LNDG ACFT THERE, TOO. WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN SAFER, AND AT ONE TIME WE SUGGESTED IT, WOULD'VE BEEN TO TAXI ALL THE WAY TO THE TXWY XRAY, TAXI BACK. WHEN WE DID SUGGEST IT, HE SAID 'I'LL GET YOU IN A MINUTE.' I KNOW HE WAS TRYING TO SAVE US TIME, BUT I THINK HE CAUSED THE PROB BY HAVING US TAXI ON AN ACTIVE WHEN IT WAS RELATIVELY BUSY AND RWYS WERE BEING SWITCHED. ALSO, HE DID NOT HELP THE PROB BY BECOMING 'SHORT' WITH US WHEN WE ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION (HE WAS EVEN STEPPED ON ONE TIME, AND I DID NOT HEAR OUR CALL SIGN).

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.