Narrative:

We were rolling out on runway 18 at dca. About 1/2 way down the runway, the tower controller began giving us instructions to get off the runway. He gave us several 'choices' while he was also giving other aircraft landing instructions. This is a very intense time during the rollout. We were in the process of braking the aircraft to a stop, bringing the engines out of reverse, and changing control of the airplane from the first officer back to the captain. It was dusk and hazy out and it was difficult to see the taxi/runway signs where runways 18 and 21 cross. From the controller's directions, it sounded like someone was landing close behind us, so one of his options was for us to turn at taxiway D. We had to get on the brakes to make the taxiway. As we were clearing, the tower controller said that we weren't where he wanted us to be. The captain called the controller on the phone after we were at the gate. He explained how his instructions amounted to a 'land and hold short' instruction while we were on landing roll. It is difficult to pick up the signs where runways 18 and 21 cross during low light conditions and haze. Supplemental information from acn 313846: we were practically abeam taxiway F when tower made his call. Because of the high cockpit workload at the moment, a real state of confusion ensued. I took control of the aircraft and I interpreted the tower controller's rapid and confusing transmission to mean he wanted me clear of runway 18 as soon as possible and wanted me to make the 'next turnoff' which happened to be runway 21 and taxiway D. A pilot simply cannot divert his/her attention away from this transitional phase of flight in order to consult taxiway diagrams to comply with rapidly worded instructions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FAILED TO MAKE THE PRESCRIBED RWY TURNOFF.

Narrative: WE WERE ROLLING OUT ON RWY 18 AT DCA. ABOUT 1/2 WAY DOWN THE RWY, THE TWR CTLR BEGAN GIVING US INSTRUCTIONS TO GET OFF THE RWY. HE GAVE US SEVERAL 'CHOICES' WHILE HE WAS ALSO GIVING OTHER ACFT LNDG INSTRUCTIONS. THIS IS A VERY INTENSE TIME DURING THE ROLLOUT. WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF BRAKING THE ACFT TO A STOP, BRINGING THE ENGS OUT OF REVERSE, AND CHANGING CTL OF THE AIRPLANE FROM THE FO BACK TO THE CAPT. IT WAS DUSK AND HAZY OUT AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE THE TAXI/RWY SIGNS WHERE RWYS 18 AND 21 CROSS. FROM THE CTLR'S DIRECTIONS, IT SOUNDED LIKE SOMEONE WAS LNDG CLOSE BEHIND US, SO ONE OF HIS OPTIONS WAS FOR US TO TURN AT TXWY D. WE HAD TO GET ON THE BRAKES TO MAKE THE TXWY. AS WE WERE CLRING, THE TWR CTLR SAID THAT WE WEREN'T WHERE HE WANTED US TO BE. THE CAPT CALLED THE CTLR ON THE PHONE AFTER WE WERE AT THE GATE. HE EXPLAINED HOW HIS INSTRUCTIONS AMOUNTED TO A 'LAND AND HOLD SHORT' INSTRUCTION WHILE WE WERE ON LNDG ROLL. IT IS DIFFICULT TO PICK UP THE SIGNS WHERE RWYS 18 AND 21 CROSS DURING LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS AND HAZE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 313846: WE WERE PRACTICALLY ABEAM TXWY F WHEN TWR MADE HIS CALL. BECAUSE OF THE HIGH COCKPIT WORKLOAD AT THE MOMENT, A REAL STATE OF CONFUSION ENSUED. I TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT AND I INTERPRETED THE TWR CTLR'S RAPID AND CONFUSING XMISSION TO MEAN HE WANTED ME CLR OF RWY 18 ASAP AND WANTED ME TO MAKE THE 'NEXT TURNOFF' WHICH HAPPENED TO BE RWY 21 AND TXWY D. A PLT SIMPLY CANNOT DIVERT HIS/HER ATTN AWAY FROM THIS TRANSITIONAL PHASE OF FLT IN ORDER TO CONSULT TXWY DIAGRAMS TO COMPLY WITH RAPIDLY WORDED INSTRUCTIONS.

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.