The crew taxied toward the beginning of the displaced threshold of runway 23. The route of taxi subs...

Attributes
ACN	329956
Time
Date	199603
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bhm
State Reference	AL
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	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	329956
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 125 flight time total : 8300 flight time type : 560
ASRS Report	329479
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

On taxi out ground cleared us to 'taxi to runway 23.' from our ramp that meant north on the parallel, cross runway 18/36, txwys north and M. When we approached, but had not yet crossed runway 18, we queried ground about our clearance. He said he meant for us to 'taxi to taxiway A5 and runway 23 intersection.' we were effectively past that point. Then he cleared us to, 'cross runway 18, left on taxiway G, to runway 23, hold on runway 23 north of runway 18/36 intersection.' he handed us over to tower. We confirmed the clearance with tower and held on runway 23 as instructed until cleared for takeoff. Prior to takeoff I noticed on 10-9 bhm chart that there is a note regarding taxiway G. It is restr to aircraft of 65000 pounds or less. Also, there are no airport NOTAMS/remarks concerning this taxiway G. To use all available runway length on runway 23 aircraft must either back taxi on runway 23 or use txwys north and M. There are no NOTAMS or remarks concerning this and that txwys north and M are not preferred (or even restr due to weight, wingtip clearance, etc) rtes. It is easy to see that ATC might want to keep larger aircraft out/off these txwys due to their narrow width and the GA aircraft and FBO ramp nearby, but clrer instructions and advisories would help a lot. Nothing unsafe occurred to my knowledge, but the potential for it and or damage to airport property is certainly there if this were to continue. Supplemental information from acn 329479: to prevent this from reoccurring, I will review the ATC communications section in aim. In the future, I'll scrutinize all notes on the airport diagram and runway information charts individually and with respect to each other, looking for 'red flags' and then question ground control specifically. If any confusion exists, I learned a long time ago that asking questions prevents a lot of mistakes in this business. In this case, had I asked the questions I was preparing to ask just a little sooner, this situation would have been avoided.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE CREW TAXIED TOWARD THE BEGINNING OF THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD OF RWY 23. THE RTE OF TAXI SUBSEQUENTLY APPROVED BY THE TWR WAS VIA A TXWY RESTR TO ACFT 65000 LBS OR LESS. THE CREW QUESTIONS HOW PLTS OF ACFT OVER 65000 LBS COULD ROUTINELY GET TO THE BEGINNING OF THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 23 WITHOUT BACK TAXIING ON THE RWY 23 THRESHOLD.

Narrative: ON TAXI OUT GND CLRED US TO 'TAXI TO RWY 23.' FROM OUR RAMP THAT MEANT N ON THE PARALLEL, CROSS RWY 18/36, TXWYS N AND M. WHEN WE APCHED, BUT HAD NOT YET CROSSED RWY 18, WE QUERIED GND ABOUT OUR CLRNC. HE SAID HE MEANT FOR US TO 'TAXI TO TXWY A5 AND RWY 23 INTXN.' WE WERE EFFECTIVELY PAST THAT POINT. THEN HE CLRED US TO, 'CROSS RWY 18, L ON TXWY G, TO RWY 23, HOLD ON RWY 23 N OF RWY 18/36 INTXN.' HE HANDED US OVER TO TWR. WE CONFIRMED THE CLRNC WITH TWR AND HELD ON RWY 23 AS INSTRUCTED UNTIL CLRED FOR TKOF. PRIOR TO TKOF I NOTICED ON 10-9 BHM CHART THAT THERE IS A NOTE REGARDING TXWY G. IT IS RESTR TO ACFT OF 65000 LBS OR LESS. ALSO, THERE ARE NO ARPT NOTAMS/REMARKS CONCERNING THIS TXWY G. TO USE ALL AVAILABLE RWY LENGTH ON RWY 23 ACFT MUST EITHER BACK TAXI ON RWY 23 OR USE TXWYS N AND M. THERE ARE NO NOTAMS OR REMARKS CONCERNING THIS AND THAT TXWYS N AND M ARE NOT PREFERRED (OR EVEN RESTR DUE TO WT, WINGTIP CLRNC, ETC) RTES. IT IS EASY TO SEE THAT ATC MIGHT WANT TO KEEP LARGER ACFT OUT/OFF THESE TXWYS DUE TO THEIR NARROW WIDTH AND THE GA ACFT AND FBO RAMP NEARBY, BUT CLRER INSTRUCTIONS AND ADVISORIES WOULD HELP A LOT. NOTHING UNSAFE OCCURRED TO MY KNOWLEDGE, BUT THE POTENTIAL FOR IT AND OR DAMAGE TO ARPT PROPERTY IS CERTAINLY THERE IF THIS WERE TO CONTINUE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 329479: TO PREVENT THIS FROM REOCCURRING, I WILL REVIEW THE ATC COMS SECTION IN AIM. IN THE FUTURE, I'LL SCRUTINIZE ALL NOTES ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM AND RWY INFO CHARTS INDIVIDUALLY AND WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, LOOKING FOR 'RED FLAGS' AND THEN QUESTION GND CTL SPECIFICALLY. IF ANY CONFUSION EXISTS, I LEARNED A LONG TIME AGO THAT ASKING QUESTIONS PREVENTS A LOT OF MISTAKES IN THIS BUSINESS. IN THIS CASE, HAD I ASKED THE QUESTIONS I WAS PREPARING TO ASK JUST A LITTLE SOONER, THIS SIT WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.

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.