B757 crosses taxiway that ground controller had intended them to hold short of.

Attributes
ACN	343350
Time
Date	199608
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bos
State Reference	MA
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	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
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 : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 5600
ASRS Report	343350
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 17500 flight time type : 6400
ASRS Report	343543
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We had been cleared to position and hold on runway 9 in bos. After a very short period on the runway, tower said he required greater in-trail spacing and instructed us to clear the runway on taxiway south. After clearing the runway, I (first officer) made a quick announcement to the passenger to avoid any worries/concerns they had. The captain asked tower for further instructions, and what I heard was 'at the wide part of taxiway U make a 180 degree turn and hold short.' after completing the turn and taxiing back towards runway 9, tower called and said 'I wanted you to hold short of taxiway south, but that's ok, hold short of runway 9.' I had completed my short PA when the tower issued our instructions, and my perception was the same as the captain's, that after the 180 degree turn tower wanted us to hold short of the runway. Possible distrs were the somewhat unusual clearance to clear the runway and then do a 180 degree turn on the taxiway, and also the fact we had a FAA inspector in the jumpseat. Later the inspector said that he thought the clearance was confusing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 CROSSES TXWY THAT GND CTLR HAD INTENDED THEM TO HOLD SHORT OF.

Narrative: WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 9 IN BOS. AFTER A VERY SHORT PERIOD ON THE RWY, TWR SAID HE REQUIRED GREATER IN-TRAIL SPACING AND INSTRUCTED US TO CLR THE RWY ON TXWY S. AFTER CLRING THE RWY, I (FO) MADE A QUICK ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PAX TO AVOID ANY WORRIES/CONCERNS THEY HAD. THE CAPT ASKED TWR FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS, AND WHAT I HEARD WAS 'AT THE WIDE PART OF TXWY U MAKE A 180 DEG TURN AND HOLD SHORT.' AFTER COMPLETING THE TURN AND TAXIING BACK TOWARDS RWY 9, TWR CALLED AND SAID 'I WANTED YOU TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY S, BUT THAT'S OK, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 9.' I HAD COMPLETED MY SHORT PA WHEN THE TWR ISSUED OUR INSTRUCTIONS, AND MY PERCEPTION WAS THE SAME AS THE CAPT'S, THAT AFTER THE 180 DEG TURN TWR WANTED US TO HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY. POSSIBLE DISTRS WERE THE SOMEWHAT UNUSUAL CLRNC TO CLR THE RWY AND THEN DO A 180 DEG TURN ON THE TXWY, AND ALSO THE FACT WE HAD A FAA INSPECTOR IN THE JUMPSEAT. LATER THE INSPECTOR SAID THAT HE THOUGHT THE CLRNC WAS CONFUSING.

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.