Flight crew of medium large transport misinterpreted their taxi and ground hold instructions.

Attributes
ACN	169957
Time
Date	199102
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca
State Reference	DC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dtw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
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 pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 13700 flight time type : 1530
ASRS Report	169957
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

When cleared to cross runway 3 to taxi to 36, ground control said stay on concrete which we thought he meant crossing runway 3. We later found out he meant on the other side and not to taxi into the holding area. It was an apparently confusing situation to several other aircraft also. One flight was already in the holding area and another flight began to enter it before told not to.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MLG MISINTERPRETED THEIR TAXI AND GND HOLD INSTRUCTIONS.

Narrative: WHEN CLRED TO CROSS RWY 3 TO TAXI TO 36, GND CTL SAID STAY ON CONCRETE WHICH WE THOUGHT HE MEANT XING RWY 3. WE LATER FOUND OUT HE MEANT ON THE OTHER SIDE AND NOT TO TAXI INTO THE HOLDING AREA. IT WAS AN APPARENTLY CONFUSING SITUATION TO SEVERAL OTHER ACFT ALSO. ONE FLT WAS ALREADY IN THE HOLDING AREA AND ANOTHER FLT BEGAN TO ENTER IT BEFORE TOLD NOT TO.

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.