Narrative:

The chain of events for this was easy. 5 different taxi instructions in less than 1 min. The captain was a little unfamiliar with the txwys at lax. I was at best a little more familiar. As we left our space on the ramp, the ground controller cleared us to taxi 'via taxiway K and hold short of runway 30.' as we exited the ramp and started to turn onto taxiway K (inner) she said, 'now taxi via taxiway J (outer).' I acknowledged and asked if she still wanted us to hold short and she said 'no, just taxi on taxiway J to the north route.' within about 5 second, she said 'hold short of runway 30.' I acknowledged but the sign in front of us said 'runway 32' and we were just past runway 30. We realized the numbers were increasing and not decreasing, but she still gave us the instruction too late as we were passing it. She said 'just stop there.' another commuter aircraft was told to go around us to the left as the taxiway at that point becomes extremely wide in an apron like shape. She then said that she had told us to hold short of runway 30. We were now not just busy, but a little confused and because of that I said that I thought it was coming up, instead of reminding her that she did not tell us to hold there and then issued the instruction too late. She then told us to continue on taxiway J (outer) to the north route. There must have been a controller change because the next controller's voice was a little different. As we began to resume the taxi, we were confronted by an opposite direction aircraft at the turn to the north route. He stopped, we stopped and he asked ATC what we were doing. She asked us if we were transitioning to taxiway K. We said that we were instructed to stay on taxiway J. She apologized and asked us if we could get to taxiway K and continue our taxi. We complied.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: JETSTREAM COMMUTER GIVEN 5 CHANGES IN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. MUCH CONFUSION.

Narrative: THE CHAIN OF EVENTS FOR THIS WAS EASY. 5 DIFFERENT TAXI INSTRUCTIONS IN LESS THAN 1 MIN. THE CAPT WAS A LITTLE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE TXWYS AT LAX. I WAS AT BEST A LITTLE MORE FAMILIAR. AS WE LEFT OUR SPACE ON THE RAMP, THE GND CTLR CLRED US TO TAXI 'VIA TXWY K AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 30.' AS WE EXITED THE RAMP AND STARTED TO TURN ONTO TXWY K (INNER) SHE SAID, 'NOW TAXI VIA TXWY J (OUTER).' I ACKNOWLEDGED AND ASKED IF SHE STILL WANTED US TO HOLD SHORT AND SHE SAID 'NO, JUST TAXI ON TXWY J TO THE N RTE.' WITHIN ABOUT 5 SEC, SHE SAID 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 30.' I ACKNOWLEDGED BUT THE SIGN IN FRONT OF US SAID 'RWY 32' AND WE WERE JUST PAST RWY 30. WE REALIZED THE NUMBERS WERE INCREASING AND NOT DECREASING, BUT SHE STILL GAVE US THE INSTRUCTION TOO LATE AS WE WERE PASSING IT. SHE SAID 'JUST STOP THERE.' ANOTHER COMMUTER ACFT WAS TOLD TO GO AROUND US TO THE L AS THE TXWY AT THAT POINT BECOMES EXTREMELY WIDE IN AN APRON LIKE SHAPE. SHE THEN SAID THAT SHE HAD TOLD US TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 30. WE WERE NOW NOT JUST BUSY, BUT A LITTLE CONFUSED AND BECAUSE OF THAT I SAID THAT I THOUGHT IT WAS COMING UP, INSTEAD OF REMINDING HER THAT SHE DID NOT TELL US TO HOLD THERE AND THEN ISSUED THE INSTRUCTION TOO LATE. SHE THEN TOLD US TO CONTINUE ON TXWY J (OUTER) TO THE N RTE. THERE MUST HAVE BEEN A CTLR CHANGE BECAUSE THE NEXT CTLR'S VOICE WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT. AS WE BEGAN TO RESUME THE TAXI, WE WERE CONFRONTED BY AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION ACFT AT THE TURN TO THE N RTE. HE STOPPED, WE STOPPED AND HE ASKED ATC WHAT WE WERE DOING. SHE ASKED US IF WE WERE TRANSITIONING TO TXWY K. WE SAID THAT WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO STAY ON TXWY J. SHE APOLOGIZED AND ASKED US IF WE COULD GET TO TXWY K AND CONTINUE OUR TAXI. WE COMPLIED.

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.