Clearance confusion. Airport chart very clear and specific.

Attributes
ACN	312810
Time
Date	199508
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bos
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	King Air C90 E90
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 85 flight time total : 5365 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	312810
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

BE90 aircraft was located at the ramp at logan international airport. We were advised by ground control to taxi to the bravo hold point (while departing). No departure runway was specified. Upon reaching the taxiway B hold point, an X airlines md-80 was holding to our left. We heard ground advise X to hold for the king air. My first officer advised me to continue taxiing on taxiway B because X was holding for us. As we continued, ground made us stop and complete a 180 degree turn back to the hold point. We were both unsure as to exactly where the hold point was. After completing the 180 degree turn, we were issued instructions to taxi to runway 4L via taxiway B. No conflict with traffic occurred at any time. I feel this problem arose due to several factors: a departure runway was not given. We assumed runway 09 would be our departure runway because that was stated in the ATIS. If we would have known that runway 4L would be used, we would have realized that a right turn on taxiway B would be wrong. We assumed that X airlines was holding for us. We should have confirmed with ground. My first officer convinced me that we were safe to continue. I think more specific instructions (stating a departure runway) when taxiing at large airports would help solve problems like these. I also think flcs are somewhat afraid to question instructions when unsure.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLRNC CONFUSION. ARPT CHART VERY CLR AND SPECIFIC.

Narrative: BE90 ACFT WAS LOCATED AT THE RAMP AT LOGAN INTL ARPT. WE WERE ADVISED BY GND CTL TO TAXI TO THE BRAVO HOLD POINT (WHILE DEPARTING). NO DEP RWY WAS SPECIFIED. UPON REACHING THE TXWY B HOLD POINT, AN X AIRLINES MD-80 WAS HOLDING TO OUR L. WE HEARD GND ADVISE X TO HOLD FOR THE KING AIR. MY FO ADVISED ME TO CONTINUE TAXIING ON TXWY B BECAUSE X WAS HOLDING FOR US. AS WE CONTINUED, GND MADE US STOP AND COMPLETE A 180 DEG TURN BACK TO THE HOLD POINT. WE WERE BOTH UNSURE AS TO EXACTLY WHERE THE HOLD POINT WAS. AFTER COMPLETING THE 180 DEG TURN, WE WERE ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI TO RWY 4L VIA TXWY B. NO CONFLICT WITH TFC OCCURRED AT ANY TIME. I FEEL THIS PROB AROSE DUE TO SEVERAL FACTORS: A DEP RWY WAS NOT GIVEN. WE ASSUMED RWY 09 WOULD BE OUR DEP RWY BECAUSE THAT WAS STATED IN THE ATIS. IF WE WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT RWY 4L WOULD BE USED, WE WOULD HAVE REALIZED THAT A R TURN ON TXWY B WOULD BE WRONG. WE ASSUMED THAT X AIRLINES WAS HOLDING FOR US. WE SHOULD HAVE CONFIRMED WITH GND. MY FO CONVINCED ME THAT WE WERE SAFE TO CONTINUE. I THINK MORE SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS (STATING A DEP RWY) WHEN TAXIING AT LARGE ARPTS WOULD HELP SOLVE PROBS LIKE THESE. I ALSO THINK FLCS ARE SOMEWHAT AFRAID TO QUESTION INSTRUCTIONS WHEN UNSURE.

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.