Narrative:

The problem occurred shortly after power-back from the gate at rdu. There has been a continuing problem at raleigh with aircraft crossing the poorly defined 'dividing line' between air carrier ramp control and raleigh ground -- we did it also. In this case, we were cleared by ramp control for a right 180 degree turn to A3 spot. We were expecting a left turn -- first confusion. During the turn, we had to stop to avoid a suicidal catering truck driver -- second 'glitch.' as we continued the turn, the captain was thinking that we were cleared to runway 23 (vs A3). Ground frequency was very congested and contact could not be established prior to the completion of the 180 turn (which put us on top of A3). By the time I realized we weren't going to stop and made a verbal input we had crossed into rdu ground control's taxiway and were unable to stop without blocking the parallel taxiway. The captain had visually cleared the taxi route and there were no conflicts -- we just got about 1 aircraft length into raleigh ground's area of responsibility before we got clearance to do so. We finally managed to get a word to ground as we were halfway through the turn onto the parallel. After the fact, we figured out that the incident with the truck had broken our plan of action and the captain had fixated on runway 23 (actual runway in use was 05) and had forgotten the hold short point. On the other hand, I was late contacting ground due to the truck and frequency congestion and was expecting us to stop -- by the time I realized we weren't, it was too late.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG CREW TAXIED OUT OF ITS COMPANY'S RAMP AREA WITHOUT TWR CLRNC.

Narrative: THE PROB OCCURRED SHORTLY AFTER PWR-BACK FROM THE GATE AT RDU. THERE HAS BEEN A CONTINUING PROB AT RALEIGH WITH ACFT XING THE POORLY DEFINED 'DIVIDING LINE' BTWN ACR RAMP CTL AND RALEIGH GND -- WE DID IT ALSO. IN THIS CASE, WE WERE CLRED BY RAMP CTL FOR A R 180 DEG TURN TO A3 SPOT. WE WERE EXPECTING A L TURN -- FIRST CONFUSION. DURING THE TURN, WE HAD TO STOP TO AVOID A SUICIDAL CATERING TRUCK DRIVER -- SECOND 'GLITCH.' AS WE CONTINUED THE TURN, THE CAPT WAS THINKING THAT WE WERE CLRED TO RWY 23 (VS A3). GND FREQ WAS VERY CONGESTED AND CONTACT COULD NOT BE ESTABLISHED PRIOR TO THE COMPLETION OF THE 180 TURN (WHICH PUT US ON TOP OF A3). BY THE TIME I REALIZED WE WEREN'T GOING TO STOP AND MADE A VERBAL INPUT WE HAD CROSSED INTO RDU GND CTL'S TXWY AND WERE UNABLE TO STOP WITHOUT BLOCKING THE PARALLEL TXWY. THE CAPT HAD VISUALLY CLRED THE TAXI RTE AND THERE WERE NO CONFLICTS -- WE JUST GOT ABOUT 1 ACFT LENGTH INTO RALEIGH GND'S AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY BEFORE WE GOT CLRNC TO DO SO. WE FINALLY MANAGED TO GET A WORD TO GND AS WE WERE HALFWAY THROUGH THE TURN ONTO THE PARALLEL. AFTER THE FACT, WE FIGURED OUT THAT THE INCIDENT WITH THE TRUCK HAD BROKEN OUR PLAN OF ACTION AND THE CAPT HAD FIXATED ON RWY 23 (ACTUAL RWY IN USE WAS 05) AND HAD FORGOTTEN THE HOLD SHORT POINT. ON THE OTHER HAND, I WAS LATE CONTACTING GND DUE TO THE TRUCK AND FREQ CONGESTION AND WAS EXPECTING US TO STOP -- BY THE TIME I REALIZED WE WEREN'T, IT WAS TOO LATE.

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.