Air carrier widebody transport flight crew misunderstands taxi clearance.

Attributes
ACN	151197
Time
Date	199007
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : anu
State Reference	FO
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, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	151197
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The aircraft was ready to depart anu, engines running and a departure salute was received from the guideman. The hardstand was close to taxiway 'B' entrance to the active runway 07. ATC clearance, which was a change from the planned route. Taxi was begun, and first officer and I discussed the change as we approached the runway entrance point from taxiway 'B'. Both pilots visly cleared the runway in both directions. I stated 'cleared to backtrack on O7' and we entered and turned down runway 07. 30 yds down, tower called saying we had been instructed to taxi west to the holding point of 'a'. We immediately stated we could clear at 'a', but tower told us to continue. We stated that we understood we were cleared to taxi west down the active, and regretted the misunderstanding. I feel that too much happening at once caused this situation. Too much attention was given to the route change at a critical taxi time. Although no aircraft was in sight to us, and there was no near miss or go around. An aircraft did need to extend his pattern. It is essential to stop, figure out changes and make sure taxi instructions are fully understood, especially in areas where accents are difficult to understand, and terminology can vary.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB FLT CREW MISUNDERSTANDS TAXI CLRNC.

Narrative: THE ACFT WAS READY TO DEPART ANU, ENGS RUNNING AND A DEP SALUTE WAS RECEIVED FROM THE GUIDEMAN. THE HARDSTAND WAS CLOSE TO TXWY 'B' ENTRANCE TO THE ACTIVE RWY 07. ATC CLRNC, WHICH WAS A CHANGE FROM THE PLANNED RTE. TAXI WAS BEGUN, AND F/O AND I DISCUSSED THE CHANGE AS WE APCHED THE RWY ENTRANCE POINT FROM TXWY 'B'. BOTH PLTS VISLY CLRED THE RWY IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. I STATED 'CLRED TO BACKTRACK ON O7' AND WE ENTERED AND TURNED DOWN RWY 07. 30 YDS DOWN, TWR CALLED SAYING WE HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO TAXI W TO THE HOLDING POINT OF 'A'. WE IMMEDIATELY STATED WE COULD CLR AT 'A', BUT TWR TOLD US TO CONTINUE. WE STATED THAT WE UNDERSTOOD WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI W DOWN THE ACTIVE, AND REGRETTED THE MISUNDERSTANDING. I FEEL THAT TOO MUCH HAPPENING AT ONCE CAUSED THIS SITUATION. TOO MUCH ATTN WAS GIVEN TO THE RTE CHANGE AT A CRITICAL TAXI TIME. ALTHOUGH NO ACFT WAS IN SIGHT TO US, AND THERE WAS NO NEAR MISS OR GO AROUND. AN ACFT DID NEED TO EXTEND HIS PATTERN. IT IS ESSENTIAL TO STOP, FIGURE OUT CHANGES AND MAKE SURE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS ARE FULLY UNDERSTOOD, ESPECIALLY IN AREAS WHERE ACCENTS ARE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND, AND TERMINOLOGY CAN VARY.

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.