Narrative:

Had been practicing landing and takeoff at microphone. Remained in traffic pattern for 31R constantly in contact with tower. Landed and taxied for fuel. Restarted engine and contacted ground 121.6. Advised 'small aircraft taxi wiley north from FBO.' advised by ground, 'taxi wiley, hold short 31R.' readback 'small aircraft copies taxi wiley north, hold short 31R.' was also monitoring tower on communication 1 (appropriate taxi instruction -- no traffic on 31L -- landing traffic 31R). Checked for traffic before crossing 31L. Stopped at 31R. Was advised by ground I crossed 13R without clearance. Cleared to cross 13L. Continue to wiley north. Hangared plane then called tower and spoke to ground controller. She advised she cleared me to taxi wiley north, hold short 13R. I advised I read back hold short 31R. She claims to have heard 13R. She also advised she always identifies runways by the departure end. Problem: ATC handbook states controllers identify active runway and issue instructions in reference to active runway. Problem: tower controller, who had been controling me, used reference to active runway 31R/31L -- proper phraseology. Problem: changing phraseology and method of identing runway adds to tower and traffic confusion, opportunity for error, e.g., calling 31R, 13L. Solution: both tower and ground controllers should standardize phraseology be referring to active runways using active runway designator. Also, all controllers should follow same protocol, e.g., identing runway by active number. Controller indicated she has no desire to write incident as violation, however, this problem is of great concern to me as it creates a possible collision situation. How can we resolve this? Pilots are used to thinking of runways in terms of active number, changing from one designation system (tower) to ground using another system has potential for creating a conflict situation. P.south., can you send additional forms. Would like to give out at flying club meeting. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter noted in discussion with controller that she was extremely defensive. After some interchange there was a more conciliatory attitude and suggestion that no violation would be filed if all was kept quiet. Reporter felt ASRS report was safety measure for himself.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA READBACK OF TAXI CLRNC. COMPLIES, CTLR CLAIMS CROSSED ACTIVE RWY. RWY NUMBERS REVERSED.

Narrative: HAD BEEN PRACTICING LNDG AND TKOF AT MIC. REMAINED IN TFC PATTERN FOR 31R CONSTANTLY IN CONTACT WITH TWR. LANDED AND TAXIED FOR FUEL. RESTARTED ENG AND CONTACTED GND 121.6. ADVISED 'SMA TAXI WILEY N FROM FBO.' ADVISED BY GND, 'TAXI WILEY, HOLD SHORT 31R.' READBACK 'SMA COPIES TAXI WILEY N, HOLD SHORT 31R.' WAS ALSO MONITORING TWR ON COM 1 (APPROPRIATE TAXI INSTRUCTION -- NO TFC ON 31L -- LNDG TFC 31R). CHKED FOR TFC BEFORE XING 31L. STOPPED AT 31R. WAS ADVISED BY GND I CROSSED 13R WITHOUT CLRNC. CLRED TO CROSS 13L. CONTINUE TO WILEY N. HANGARED PLANE THEN CALLED TWR AND SPOKE TO GND CTLR. SHE ADVISED SHE CLRED ME TO TAXI WILEY N, HOLD SHORT 13R. I ADVISED I READ BACK HOLD SHORT 31R. SHE CLAIMS TO HAVE HEARD 13R. SHE ALSO ADVISED SHE ALWAYS IDENTIFIES RWYS BY THE DEP END. PROBLEM: ATC HANDBOOK STATES CTLRS IDENT ACTIVE RWY AND ISSUE INSTRUCTIONS IN REF TO ACTIVE RWY. PROBLEM: TWR CTLR, WHO HAD BEEN CTLING ME, USED REF TO ACTIVE RWY 31R/31L -- PROPER PHRASEOLOGY. PROBLEM: CHANGING PHRASEOLOGY AND METHOD OF IDENTING RWY ADDS TO TWR AND TFC CONFUSION, OPPORTUNITY FOR ERROR, E.G., CALLING 31R, 13L. SOLUTION: BOTH TWR AND GND CTLRS SHOULD STANDARDIZE PHRASEOLOGY BE REFERRING TO ACTIVE RWYS USING ACTIVE RWY DESIGNATOR. ALSO, ALL CTLRS SHOULD FOLLOW SAME PROTOCOL, E.G., IDENTING RWY BY ACTIVE NUMBER. CTLR INDICATED SHE HAS NO DESIRE TO WRITE INCIDENT AS VIOLATION, HOWEVER, THIS PROBLEM IS OF GREAT CONCERN TO ME AS IT CREATES A POSSIBLE COLLISION SITUATION. HOW CAN WE RESOLVE THIS? PLTS ARE USED TO THINKING OF RWYS IN TERMS OF ACTIVE NUMBER, CHANGING FROM ONE DESIGNATION SYS (TWR) TO GND USING ANOTHER SYS HAS POTENTIAL FOR CREATING A CONFLICT SITUATION. P.S., CAN YOU SEND ADDITIONAL FORMS. WOULD LIKE TO GIVE OUT AT FLYING CLUB MEETING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR NOTED IN DISCUSSION WITH CTLR THAT SHE WAS EXTREMELY DEFENSIVE. AFTER SOME INTERCHANGE THERE WAS A MORE CONCILIATORY ATTITUDE AND SUGGESTION THAT NO VIOLATION WOULD BE FILED IF ALL WAS KEPT QUIET. RPTR FELT ASRS RPT WAS SAFETY MEASURE FOR HIMSELF.

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.