Narrative:

At detroit city airport, we pushed back from gate. We were cleared to taxi shortly thereafter. Our clearance, as near as I remember, was 'taxi up to runway 25 but do not taxi onto the runway.' at the time, this made sense to me because an small aircraft X was holding for takeoff just short of the runway edge on the north side of the runway. There was also an small aircraft Y holding short of my taxi route on another crossing taxiway. As I started taxiing south on taxiway a, the small aircraft Y, who was facing east on taxiway I, was told to hold short of a to 'let air carrier (us) get by.' as I began to taxi, another aircraft landed on runway 25 as the small aircraft X was holding short of runway 25 just northwest of the white lines marking the edge of runway 25 displaced threshold. Needless to say, it was very crowded and confusing. As I slowly taxied toward runway 25, the small aircraft X was cleared for takeoff, at which time I moved my aircraft toward the spot he had vacated. At the time I thought ground control wanted me to get up next to runway 25 where the small aircraft X had been and wait until the small aircraft Y had taken off. In doing this, I taxied past a 'dashed' hold short line that was almost even with taxiway I, where the small aircraft Y was stopped, some distance from the edge of runway 25. After I was cleared onto runway 25 to taxi to runway 33, I realized I had possibly violated the 'runway environment'. I tried to ask ground and tower if they had meant for me to taxi up close to runway 25, but the frequency was so busy that I was unable to get an answer. Also, the cockpit was busy with the 'taxi checklist.' as we approached runway 33, we were cleared for an immediate takeoff, so I concentrated on cockpit duties, finished the checklist, and made a quick takeoff. I never was able to talk to ground or tower about what had happened. The bottom line is this: I tried to comply with instructions issued by ground control, and there may have been a misunderstanding due to heavy traffic on the airport. Contributing to the confusion was the very tight space on the txwys at the northeast end of runway 25.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG FLC TAXIES PAST HOLD LINE OF ACTIVE RWY.

Narrative: AT DETROIT CITY ARPT, WE PUSHED BACK FROM GATE. WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI SHORTLY THEREAFTER. OUR CLRNC, AS NEAR AS I REMEMBER, WAS 'TAXI UP TO RWY 25 BUT DO NOT TAXI ONTO THE RWY.' AT THE TIME, THIS MADE SENSE TO ME BECAUSE AN SMA X WAS HOLDING FOR TKOF JUST SHORT OF THE RWY EDGE ON THE N SIDE OF THE RWY. THERE WAS ALSO AN SMA Y HOLDING SHORT OF MY TAXI RTE ON ANOTHER XING TXWY. AS I STARTED TAXIING S ON TXWY A, THE SMA Y, WHO WAS FACING E ON TXWY I, WAS TOLD TO HOLD SHORT OF A TO 'LET ACR (US) GET BY.' AS I BEGAN TO TAXI, ANOTHER ACFT LANDED ON RWY 25 AS THE SMA X WAS HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 25 JUST NW OF THE WHITE LINES MARKING THE EDGE OF RWY 25 DISPLACED THRESHOLD. NEEDLESS TO SAY, IT WAS VERY CROWDED AND CONFUSING. AS I SLOWLY TAXIED TOWARD RWY 25, THE SMA X WAS CLRED FOR TKOF, AT WHICH TIME I MOVED MY ACFT TOWARD THE SPOT HE HAD VACATED. AT THE TIME I THOUGHT GND CTL WANTED ME TO GET UP NEXT TO RWY 25 WHERE THE SMA X HAD BEEN AND WAIT UNTIL THE SMA Y HAD TAKEN OFF. IN DOING THIS, I TAXIED PAST A 'DASHED' HOLD SHORT LINE THAT WAS ALMOST EVEN WITH TXWY I, WHERE THE SMA Y WAS STOPPED, SOME DISTANCE FROM THE EDGE OF RWY 25. AFTER I WAS CLRED ONTO RWY 25 TO TAXI TO RWY 33, I REALIZED I HAD POSSIBLY VIOLATED THE 'RWY ENVIRONMENT'. I TRIED TO ASK GND AND TWR IF THEY HAD MEANT FOR ME TO TAXI UP CLOSE TO RWY 25, BUT THE FREQ WAS SO BUSY THAT I WAS UNABLE TO GET AN ANSWER. ALSO, THE COCKPIT WAS BUSY WITH THE 'TAXI CHKLIST.' AS WE APCHED RWY 33, WE WERE CLRED FOR AN IMMEDIATE TKOF, SO I CONCENTRATED ON COCKPIT DUTIES, FINISHED THE CHKLIST, AND MADE A QUICK TKOF. I NEVER WAS ABLE TO TALK TO GND OR TWR ABOUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS: I TRIED TO COMPLY WITH INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED BY GND CTL, AND THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A MISUNDERSTANDING DUE TO HVY TFC ON THE ARPT. CONTRIBUTING TO THE CONFUSION WAS THE VERY TIGHT SPACE ON THE TXWYS AT THE NE END OF RWY 25.

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.