Taxi instruction confusion routing.

Attributes
ACN	326844
Time
Date	199601
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 4500
ASRS Report	326844
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 210
ASRS Report	326852
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Clearance to taxi via taxiway B to taxiway D to cut across the 'pad' to the parallel for runway 22L. Once we taxied across the pad there was no parallel. We were told to follow the fokker and air carrier X will follow us. The fokker we saw was in front of us for runway 27L. We began to think we had a runway change to runway 27L. There is a sign to runway 22L at runway 27L pad taxiway Q. We taxied forward on taxiway Q and were told to stop. We were then told to taxi out onto runway 22L to turn around to return to runway 27L pad for new sequence to runway 22L. The instructions to cut through the pad to the parallel is confusing as there is no parallel to any runway at that point. Also we were told to follow the fokker. The only fokker we saw at that point was holding short of runway 27L for runway 27L. The sign (runway 22L) at taxiway Q off of runway 27L pad is an intersection but just says 22L. I felt the instructions could have been more clear and when told to follow an aircraft type, the position of that aircraft is important as there were 2 fokkers. Had I to do it over I would have stopped the aircraft until we could clarify the instructions, which in ord could take some time as the frequency is constant chatter, but it would have been better.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAXI INSTRUCTION CONFUSION ROUTING.

Narrative: CLRNC TO TAXI VIA TXWY B TO TXWY D TO CUT ACROSS THE 'PAD' TO THE PARALLEL FOR RWY 22L. ONCE WE TAXIED ACROSS THE PAD THERE WAS NO PARALLEL. WE WERE TOLD TO FOLLOW THE FOKKER AND ACR X WILL FOLLOW US. THE FOKKER WE SAW WAS IN FRONT OF US FOR RWY 27L. WE BEGAN TO THINK WE HAD A RWY CHANGE TO RWY 27L. THERE IS A SIGN TO RWY 22L AT RWY 27L PAD TXWY Q. WE TAXIED FORWARD ON TXWY Q AND WERE TOLD TO STOP. WE WERE THEN TOLD TO TAXI OUT ONTO RWY 22L TO TURN AROUND TO RETURN TO RWY 27L PAD FOR NEW SEQUENCE TO RWY 22L. THE INSTRUCTIONS TO CUT THROUGH THE PAD TO THE PARALLEL IS CONFUSING AS THERE IS NO PARALLEL TO ANY RWY AT THAT POINT. ALSO WE WERE TOLD TO FOLLOW THE FOKKER. THE ONLY FOKKER WE SAW AT THAT POINT WAS HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 27L FOR RWY 27L. THE SIGN (RWY 22L) AT TXWY Q OFF OF RWY 27L PAD IS AN INTXN BUT JUST SAYS 22L. I FELT THE INSTRUCTIONS COULD HAVE BEEN MORE CLR AND WHEN TOLD TO FOLLOW AN ACFT TYPE, THE POS OF THAT ACFT IS IMPORTANT AS THERE WERE 2 FOKKERS. HAD I TO DO IT OVER I WOULD HAVE STOPPED THE ACFT UNTIL WE COULD CLARIFY THE INSTRUCTIONS, WHICH IN ORD COULD TAKE SOME TIME AS THE FREQ IS CONSTANT CHATTER, BUT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER.

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.