Unauthorized taxiway entry.

Attributes
ACN	157983
Time
Date	199009
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl
State Reference	GA
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	Medium Large Transport, 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 : 240 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	157983
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were cleared to taxi from #2 south to cross lima taxiway (inner), hold short outer (microphone). As we were crossing the inner the ground controller told us to 'follow the large transport on microphone to 27R.' at this time, there was an large transport almost directly in front of us crossing right to left. There was also another large transport exiting ramp #1 (to our right) who hadn't started or was just starting his turn onto microphone. After the first large transport passed, I pulled onto microphone. The controller nastily informed me that I didn't do what he wanted. He meant the second large transport. Well he didn't make that clear. He simply said to follow the large transport. Being that the second large transport hadn't joined microphone, how was I to know which aircraft he was talking about? Again, a case of controller issuing ambiguous clrncs and then in the driver's seat for issuing violations cause we couldn't read his mind.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH TXWY ENTRY.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI FROM #2 S TO CROSS LIMA TXWY (INNER), HOLD SHORT OUTER (MIKE). AS WE WERE XING THE INNER THE GND CTLR TOLD US TO 'FOLLOW THE LGT ON MIKE TO 27R.' AT THIS TIME, THERE WAS AN LGT ALMOST DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US XING RIGHT TO LEFT. THERE WAS ALSO ANOTHER LGT EXITING RAMP #1 (TO OUR RIGHT) WHO HADN'T STARTED OR WAS JUST STARTING HIS TURN ONTO MIKE. AFTER THE FIRST LGT PASSED, I PULLED ONTO MIKE. THE CTLR NASTILY INFORMED ME THAT I DIDN'T DO WHAT HE WANTED. HE MEANT THE SECOND LGT. WELL HE DIDN'T MAKE THAT CLR. HE SIMPLY SAID TO FOLLOW THE LGT. BEING THAT THE SECOND LGT HADN'T JOINED MIKE, HOW WAS I TO KNOW WHICH ACFT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT? AGAIN, A CASE OF CTLR ISSUING AMBIGUOUS CLRNCS AND THEN IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT FOR ISSUING VIOLATIONS CAUSE WE COULDN'T READ HIS MIND.

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.