Narrative:

Clearing problem -- landed runway 36R at clt. Instructed to 'turn off left on to taxiway C5, hold short of taxiway C' (which is parallel taxiway for 36R) no traffic on taxiway C. In order to be sure tail of aircraft was clear, I taxied onto taxiway C. Local controller got upset and started yelling at us. We indicated that the only way to insure that the tail was clear was to taxi onto C because local had already cleared airplane for takeoff behind us. Had a considerable discussion on the phone with tower supervisor. I explained that the recent change in ATC procedures allows/required aircraft that are exiting the runway to roll onto the taxiway to insure that they were clear of the active runway. I also stated that I believed that it was appropriate that no part of my aircraft be beyond the hold line (between the hold line and the runway. I believe that it is the intended purpose of the hold line to provide a buffer between aircraft taking off or landing and aircraft taxiing on the parallel. Supervisor indicated to me that it was the interpretation of the ATC handbook that the tail of an aircraft only had to be clear by 1 ft and then it was okay to roll a widebody transport behind the clearing aircraft and that it was okay to have the entire aircraft between the hold short line and runway edge. Nowhere is this distance between the runway edge and the hold short line available to pilots or controllers. When pilots are clearing runways with large aircraft, they have no way of exactly determining when their tail is clear of the runway by 1 ft. For the controller to be able to say that it is his judgement call to determine if an aircraft's tail is clear from a distance of over a mi away is questionable at best. I believe that atpac should address this issue. I also believe that the ATC handbook be clarified to require the space between the edge of the runway and the hold line to be vacant prior to the passage of another aircraft on the runway. I believe this issue should be brought to the attention of both pilots and controllers. Many controllers do not understand that if a widebody transport is on centerline of the runway his wingtips extend beyond the edge of the runway. It is not acceptable for wingtips to touch tails of other aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated he did not know where the recent change to ATC procedures was covered. Reporter interpretation of clear of runway is the tail of aircraft is beyond the old line for runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X NON ADHERENCE TO ATC INSTRUCTION MADE TXWY INCURSION WHEN INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT.

Narrative: CLRING PROB -- LANDED RWY 36R AT CLT. INSTRUCTED TO 'TURN OFF L ON TO TXWY C5, HOLD SHORT OF TXWY C' (WHICH IS PARALLEL TXWY FOR 36R) NO TFC ON TXWY C. IN ORDER TO BE SURE TAIL OF ACFT WAS CLR, I TAXIED ONTO TXWY C. LCL CTLR GOT UPSET AND STARTED YELLING AT US. WE INDICATED THAT THE ONLY WAY TO INSURE THAT THE TAIL WAS CLR WAS TO TAXI ONTO C BECAUSE LCL HAD ALREADY CLRED AIRPLANE FOR TKOF BEHIND US. HAD A CONSIDERABLE DISCUSSION ON THE PHONE WITH TWR SUPVR. I EXPLAINED THAT THE RECENT CHANGE IN ATC PROCS ALLOWS/REQUIRED ACFT THAT ARE EXITING THE RWY TO ROLL ONTO THE TXWY TO INSURE THAT THEY WERE CLR OF THE ACTIVE RWY. I ALSO STATED THAT I BELIEVED THAT IT WAS APPROPRIATE THAT NO PART OF MY ACFT BE BEYOND THE HOLD LINE (BTWN THE HOLD LINE AND THE RWY. I BELIEVE THAT IT IS THE INTENDED PURPOSE OF THE HOLD LINE TO PROVIDE A BUFFER BTWN ACFT TAKING OFF OR LNDG AND ACFT TAXIING ON THE PARALLEL. SUPVR INDICATED TO ME THAT IT WAS THE INTERPRETATION OF THE ATC HANDBOOK THAT THE TAIL OF AN ACFT ONLY HAD TO BE CLR BY 1 FT AND THEN IT WAS OKAY TO ROLL A WDB BEHIND THE CLRING ACFT AND THAT IT WAS OKAY TO HAVE THE ENTIRE ACFT BTWN THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND RWY EDGE. NOWHERE IS THIS DISTANCE BTWN THE RWY EDGE AND THE HOLD SHORT LINE AVAILABLE TO PLTS OR CTLRS. WHEN PLTS ARE CLRING RWYS WITH LARGE ACFT, THEY HAVE NO WAY OF EXACTLY DETERMINING WHEN THEIR TAIL IS CLR OF THE RWY BY 1 FT. FOR THE CTLR TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT IT IS HIS JUDGEMENT CALL TO DETERMINE IF AN ACFT'S TAIL IS CLR FROM A DISTANCE OF OVER A MI AWAY IS QUESTIONABLE AT BEST. I BELIEVE THAT ATPAC SHOULD ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE ATC HANDBOOK BE CLARIFIED TO REQUIRE THE SPACE BTWN THE EDGE OF THE RWY AND THE HOLD LINE TO BE VACANT PRIOR TO THE PASSAGE OF ANOTHER ACFT ON THE RWY. I BELIEVE THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO THE ATTN OF BOTH PLTS AND CTLRS. MANY CTLRS DO NOT UNDERSTAND THAT IF A WDB IS ON CTRLINE OF THE RWY HIS WINGTIPS EXTEND BEYOND THE EDGE OF THE RWY. IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR WINGTIPS TO TOUCH TAILS OF OTHER ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED HE DID NOT KNOW WHERE THE RECENT CHANGE TO ATC PROCS WAS COVERED. RPTR INTERP OF CLR OF RWY IS THE TAIL OF ACFT IS BEYOND THE OLD LINE FOR RWY.

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.