Narrative:

I was monitoring ground control frequency when we were instructed to taxi to runway 4R via taxiway a-e-south, hold short of runway 4L. Immediately after receiving our taxi instructions the ground control frequency became very congested. The controller was having some difficulty with other airplanes and their taxi clrncs (it seems the other aircraft were not sure which runway to taxi to and which taxi route to follow). While this was happening, the controller changed our taxi instructions to runway 9, via taxiway a-k-west-south, hold short of runway 4L. We were en route from our original taxi point, known as 'the old fire station,' when we received the new taxi instructions. I read back the new taxi instructions and my captain who was taxiing the aircraft checked the new taxi instructions on his chart. I was performing my taxi flows to xchk them with the checklist, an involved lengthy procedure, when I felt the captain make a sudden stop. Shortly after this, ground control was contacting us agitatedly asking us to hold short of runway 4L. When I looked away from my checklist I noticed that our aircraft was approximately 20 ft from the runway side line. Although our aircraft had crossed the hold short line, we were still clear from runway 4L in front of us. I noticed the intersection next to us and behind us were congested with aircraft and a landing aircraft going around. There was never a runway incursion since we had plenty of room to make a 180 degree turn and still remain clear of the runway as instructed by ground control. We received a third taxi clearance and eventually were cleared for takeoff. Upon clearance for takeoff, since it was my leg, I assumed the controls. During our climb out we experienced radio loss for a brief moment while switching frequency. During the handoff from tower to departure, my captain tried several times to establish contact with departure, and after a few attempts he returned back to the tower to notify them of our malfunction and we were given another frequency. Soon after this, all system operated normally. I believe that the unusually cold temperature in which the aircraft was exposed to through the night, and our being the first flight of the day, may have been a contributing factor to this brief radio glitch, as for the incident on the ground, it may well have been a breakdown in communication between us and ground control, combined with a heavy workload in a limited amount of time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC RUSHED, TAXI INSTRUCTIONS CHANGED BY GND CTL, FO OUT OF AWARENESS LOOP DURING CHKLIST AND ACFT INTRUDED ON RWY CAUSING ACFT ON APCH TO GAR.

Narrative: I WAS MONITORING GND CTL FREQ WHEN WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO RWY 4R VIA TXWY A-E-S, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4L. IMMEDIATELY AFTER RECEIVING OUR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS THE GND CTL FREQ BECAME VERY CONGESTED. THE CTLR WAS HAVING SOME DIFFICULTY WITH OTHER AIRPLANES AND THEIR TAXI CLRNCS (IT SEEMS THE OTHER ACFT WERE NOT SURE WHICH RWY TO TAXI TO AND WHICH TAXI RTE TO FOLLOW). WHILE THIS WAS HAPPENING, THE CTLR CHANGED OUR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO RWY 9, VIA TXWY A-K-W-S, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4L. WE WERE ENRTE FROM OUR ORIGINAL TAXI POINT, KNOWN AS 'THE OLD FIRE STATION,' WHEN WE RECEIVED THE NEW TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. I READ BACK THE NEW TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND MY CAPT WHO WAS TAXIING THE ACFT CHKED THE NEW TAXI INSTRUCTIONS ON HIS CHART. I WAS PERFORMING MY TAXI FLOWS TO XCHK THEM WITH THE CHKLIST, AN INVOLVED LENGTHY PROC, WHEN I FELT THE CAPT MAKE A SUDDEN STOP. SHORTLY AFTER THIS, GND CTL WAS CONTACTING US AGITATEDLY ASKING US TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4L. WHEN I LOOKED AWAY FROM MY CHKLIST I NOTICED THAT OUR ACFT WAS APPROX 20 FT FROM THE RWY SIDE LINE. ALTHOUGH OUR ACFT HAD CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE, WE WERE STILL CLR FROM RWY 4L IN FRONT OF US. I NOTICED THE INTXN NEXT TO US AND BEHIND US WERE CONGESTED WITH ACFT AND A LNDG ACFT GOING AROUND. THERE WAS NEVER A RWY INCURSION SINCE WE HAD PLENTY OF ROOM TO MAKE A 180 DEG TURN AND STILL REMAIN CLR OF THE RWY AS INSTRUCTED BY GND CTL. WE RECEIVED A THIRD TAXI CLRNC AND EVENTUALLY WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. UPON CLRNC FOR TKOF, SINCE IT WAS MY LEG, I ASSUMED THE CTLS. DURING OUR CLBOUT WE EXPERIENCED RADIO LOSS FOR A BRIEF MOMENT WHILE SWITCHING FREQ. DURING THE HDOF FROM TWR TO DEP, MY CAPT TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH DEP, AND AFTER A FEW ATTEMPTS HE RETURNED BACK TO THE TWR TO NOTIFY THEM OF OUR MALFUNCTION AND WE WERE GIVEN ANOTHER FREQ. SOON AFTER THIS, ALL SYS OPERATED NORMALLY. I BELIEVE THAT THE UNUSUALLY COLD TEMP IN WHICH THE ACFT WAS EXPOSED TO THROUGH THE NIGHT, AND OUR BEING THE FIRST FLT OF THE DAY, MAY HAVE BEEN A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS BRIEF RADIO GLITCH, AS FOR THE INCIDENT ON THE GND, IT MAY WELL HAVE BEEN A BREAKDOWN IN COM BTWN US AND GND CTL, COMBINED WITH A HVY WORKLOAD IN A LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME.

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.