Narrative:

While on the gate I dealt with numerous problems, mechanical, flight release discrepancies, improperly cleared log book entries, late passenger boarding and first officer just off IOE showed to aircraft 40 mins late. Aircraft push and engine start was normal. I instructed first officer please write down all taxi clrncs, just as I do. He complied. First officer and I looked at airport diagram after receiving taxi clearance. Entire cockpit crew not very familiar with logan airport so we discussed the taxi routing, from terminal C gate - taxi kilo to bravo, hold at bravo hold point for runway 4R. Before releasing brakes as usual, I asked flight engineer to back us up on the taxi. We ran the taxi checklist and the before takeoff checklist down to runway items. I saw abc airlines on bravo taxiway and said something to the effect, 'that must be it, there's abc.' when I set brakes behind abc the ground controller called on the radio, 'air carrier X for your information the bravo hold point is 300 ft behind you.' the first officer apologized, ground control said, 'no problem.' I just couldn't believe I had failed to comply with a taxi instruction. I am so meticulous about writing everything down, readbacks and sterile cockpit to prevent distrs, my first thought was bravo hold point must not be clearly marked. To my surprise, the next day I discovered the hold point was clearly marked. All 3 of us failed to notice the obvious marking. I cannot explain it other than the crew may have been distracted while running taxi and before takeoff checklists and takeoff briefing. There was no unnecessary activity or conversation in cockpit during taxi, everyone was alert and mission oriented. It was a humbling, embarrassing and unforgettable experience I never want repeated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC INSTRUCTION BY TAXIING TFC.

Narrative: WHILE ON THE GATE I DEALT WITH NUMEROUS PROBS, MECHANICAL, FLT RELEASE DISCREPANCIES, IMPROPERLY CLRED LOG BOOK ENTRIES, LATE PAX BOARDING AND FO JUST OFF IOE SHOWED TO ACFT 40 MINS LATE. ACFT PUSH AND ENG START WAS NORMAL. I INSTRUCTED FO PLEASE WRITE DOWN ALL TAXI CLRNCS, JUST AS I DO. HE COMPLIED. FO AND I LOOKED AT ARPT DIAGRAM AFTER RECEIVING TAXI CLRNC. ENTIRE COCKPIT CREW NOT VERY FAMILIAR WITH LOGAN ARPT SO WE DISCUSSED THE TAXI ROUTING, FROM TERMINAL C GATE - TAXI KILO TO BRAVO, HOLD AT BRAVO HOLD POINT FOR RWY 4R. BEFORE RELEASING BRAKES AS USUAL, I ASKED FE TO BACK US UP ON THE TAXI. WE RAN THE TAXI CHKLIST AND THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST DOWN TO RWY ITEMS. I SAW ABC AIRLINES ON BRAVO TXWY AND SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT, 'THAT MUST BE IT, THERE'S ABC.' WHEN I SET BRAKES BEHIND ABC THE GND CTLR CALLED ON THE RADIO, 'ACR X FOR YOUR INFO THE BRAVO HOLD POINT IS 300 FT BEHIND YOU.' THE FO APOLOGIZED, GND CTL SAID, 'NO PROB.' I JUST COULDN'T BELIEVE I HAD FAILED TO COMPLY WITH A TAXI INSTRUCTION. I AM SO METICULOUS ABOUT WRITING EVERYTHING DOWN, READBACKS AND STERILE COCKPIT TO PREVENT DISTRS, MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS BRAVO HOLD POINT MUST NOT BE CLRLY MARKED. TO MY SURPRISE, THE NEXT DAY I DISCOVERED THE HOLD POINT WAS CLRLY MARKED. ALL 3 OF US FAILED TO NOTICE THE OBVIOUS MARKING. I CANNOT EXPLAIN IT OTHER THAN THE CREW MAY HAVE BEEN DISTRACTED WHILE RUNNING TAXI AND BEFORE TKOF CHKLISTS AND TKOF BRIEFING. THERE WAS NO UNNECESSARY ACTIVITY OR CONVERSATION IN COCKPIT DURING TAXI, EVERYONE WAS ALERT AND MISSION ORIENTED. IT WAS A HUMBLING, EMBARRASSING AND UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE I NEVER WANT REPEATED.

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.