Narrative:

There is no 'incident' related to this report, but instead I think there is a strong potential for safety incidents. Air carrier ramp is south of runway 13L/31R at dsm airport. When operating on runway 13L, aircraft leave the air carrier ramp via taxiway D1 which immediately intersects runways 13L/31R. There is no other exit. When calling for taxi from the ramp, dsm ground routinely issues 'taxi to runway 13L.' nothing more. I realize that in the aim, this does not mean a clearance to cross runway 31R, but at no other airport I operate at is a hold short instruction 'implied' by ATC only. In fact, now we must read back all hold short instructions. Does this mean we acknowledge the taxi instruction as 'taxi to runway 13L, hold short of runway 13L or 31R?' actually, I have heard that 2 air carrier aircraft have been stopped by ATC after crossing the hold line of runway 31R, when they misunderstood the clearance, yet the dsm ground controllers still insist on the implied hold short instead of explicit 'hold short of runway 31R' instructions. If runway incursion is a problem and pilot misunderstanding, pilot error, controller vagueness have led to accidents and mandatory readbacks everywhere of hold short instructions, would it not then be a good idea to mandate explicit, direct hold short instructions, especially when there are runway conflicts rather than resort to 'live' pilot knowledge quizzes or aim guessing games? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated he flies the DC8. 2 757's recently have experienced runway incursions because they failed to hold short of runway 31R when instructed to 'taxi to runway 13L' from air carrier area southwest of runway 31R. The tower will not instruct the pilot to 'hold short of runway 31R' because they expect the 'professionals' from the air carrier to know the book. The book says to repeat all hold short instructions. The hold short instruction is 'implied' by the book. So, does the pilot repeat instructions that are 'implied' by the book? The reporter suggests that the ground controller at the dsm airport, due to the unusual design of the airport, instruct the pilot to 'taxi to runway 13L and hold short of runway 31R' if that is what the ground controller wants to occur. And, if ground does not need the pilot to hold short of runway 31R then instruct the pilot to 'taxi to runway 13L and cleared to cross runway 31R.' the pilot would then repeat back and do explicitly what is expected.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR ASSERTS UNNECESSARY AMBIGUITY, CONTROVERSY, AND UNCERTAINTY PREVAILS WHEN THE DSM GND CTLR INSTRUCTS ACR TO TAXI FROM SW RWY 31R TO RWY 13L VIA TXWY D WITHOUT SPECIFICALLY INSTRUCTING THE PLT WHETHER OR NOT TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 31R.

Narrative: THERE IS NO 'INCIDENT' RELATED TO THIS RPT, BUT INSTEAD I THINK THERE IS A STRONG POTENTIAL FOR SAFETY INCIDENTS. ACR RAMP IS S OF RWY 13L/31R AT DSM ARPT. WHEN OPERATING ON RWY 13L, ACFT LEAVE THE ACR RAMP VIA TXWY D1 WHICH IMMEDIATELY INTERSECTS RWYS 13L/31R. THERE IS NO OTHER EXIT. WHEN CALLING FOR TAXI FROM THE RAMP, DSM GND ROUTINELY ISSUES 'TAXI TO RWY 13L.' NOTHING MORE. I REALIZE THAT IN THE AIM, THIS DOES NOT MEAN A CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 31R, BUT AT NO OTHER ARPT I OPERATE AT IS A HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTION 'IMPLIED' BY ATC ONLY. IN FACT, NOW WE MUST READ BACK ALL HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS. DOES THIS MEAN WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE TAXI INSTRUCTION AS 'TAXI TO RWY 13L, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 13L OR 31R?' ACTUALLY, I HAVE HEARD THAT 2 ACR ACFT HAVE BEEN STOPPED BY ATC AFTER XING THE HOLD LINE OF RWY 31R, WHEN THEY MISUNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC, YET THE DSM GND CTLRS STILL INSIST ON THE IMPLIED HOLD SHORT INSTEAD OF EXPLICIT 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 31R' INSTRUCTIONS. IF RWY INCURSION IS A PROB AND PLT MISUNDERSTANDING, PLT ERROR, CTLR VAGUENESS HAVE LED TO ACCIDENTS AND MANDATORY READBACKS EVERYWHERE OF HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS, WOULD IT NOT THEN BE A GOOD IDEA TO MANDATE EXPLICIT, DIRECT HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE ARE RWY CONFLICTS RATHER THAN RESORT TO 'LIVE' PLT KNOWLEDGE QUIZZES OR AIM GUESSING GAMES? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED HE FLIES THE DC8. 2 757'S RECENTLY HAVE EXPERIENCED RWY INCURSIONS BECAUSE THEY FAILED TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 31R WHEN INSTRUCTED TO 'TAXI TO RWY 13L' FROM ACR AREA SW OF RWY 31R. THE TWR WILL NOT INSTRUCT THE PLT TO 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 31R' BECAUSE THEY EXPECT THE 'PROFESSIONALS' FROM THE ACR TO KNOW THE BOOK. THE BOOK SAYS TO REPEAT ALL HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS. THE HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTION IS 'IMPLIED' BY THE BOOK. SO, DOES THE PLT REPEAT INSTRUCTIONS THAT ARE 'IMPLIED' BY THE BOOK? THE RPTR SUGGESTS THAT THE GND CTLR AT THE DSM ARPT, DUE TO THE UNUSUAL DESIGN OF THE ARPT, INSTRUCT THE PLT TO 'TAXI TO RWY 13L AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 31R' IF THAT IS WHAT THE GND CTLR WANTS TO OCCUR. AND, IF GND DOES NOT NEED THE PLT TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 31R THEN INSTRUCT THE PLT TO 'TAXI TO RWY 13L AND CLRED TO CROSS RWY 31R.' THE PLT WOULD THEN REPEAT BACK AND DO EXPLICITLY WHAT IS EXPECTED.

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.