Narrative:

At about XB30 local time, one other crew member and I were taxiing from the FBO to runway 24L at lax. After crossing the south parallel runways, we were instructed to call ground control on 121.75. From taxiway P, just north of runway 25R, ground control instructed us to 'follow the air carrier B737 to runway 24L, north route.' since we were not aware of any coded taxi procedure, we followed the air carrier B737 north along taxiway Q, then onto taxiway D, and then onto taxiway east without any stops. At that point, ground control instructed us to hold our position and contact ground on 121.65. This controller reprimanded us for not complying with the 'north route' standard taxi procedure by not holding short of taxiway D. Since the error had already been made, and we were stopped on taxiway east, a busy taxiway with traffic following us, we asked for instructions from that point. The response was another reprimand for not holding short of taxiway D, but no further instructions. Again we asked for further instructions, with the same response. At that time, we decided to continue to the end of runway 24L, hold short, and ask if we should call tower or pull over to wait out of the line of traffic. We were switched to tower for departure, and the remainder of the trip was uneventful. The next day, we rechked all available sources for a standard taxi route at lax. We found nothing for the southwest region in part 4 of the NOTAMS, or any other of our government pubs. After calling jonesboro FSS, commercial chart company, and lax tower, it seems the only place the north route or south route at lax is published is on the commercial taxi chart. Since we subscribe to commercial terminal procedures charts, the procedures were not available to us. At least 3 things might have helped us avoid this situation. It should have been published in the commercial terminal procedures. The southwest region should not have been omitted from NOTAMS. The phraseology could have been more alerting, such as 'via north procedure,' giving us a clue that there might be a procedure we were not aware of. Sometimes, brevity for the sake of shortness causes more delay than a descriptive word. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: in speaking with the reporter, he essentially stated the same as in the text of the narrative, while emphasizing a degree of frustration at the attitude of the ground controller in holding further taxi instructions, delaying many following aircraft, while continuing to reprimand the flight crew for not holding short of taxiway D. The reporter also states that the commercial charts should contain the required information on airport specific taxi instructions in order to prevent similar future incidents.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF CESSNA CITATION 560 AT LAX TXWY INCURSION USING GOV CHARTS WITHOUT COMPLETE ARPT SPECIFIC INFO AS PUBLISHED IN COM CHARTS.

Narrative: AT ABOUT XB30 LCL TIME, ONE OTHER CREW MEMBER AND I WERE TAXIING FROM THE FBO TO RWY 24L AT LAX. AFTER XING THE S PARALLEL RWYS, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CALL GND CTL ON 121.75. FROM TXWY P, JUST N OF RWY 25R, GND CTL INSTRUCTED US TO 'FOLLOW THE ACR B737 TO RWY 24L, N RTE.' SINCE WE WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY CODED TAXI PROC, WE FOLLOWED THE ACR B737 N ALONG TXWY Q, THEN ONTO TXWY D, AND THEN ONTO TXWY E WITHOUT ANY STOPS. AT THAT POINT, GND CTL INSTRUCTED US TO HOLD OUR POS AND CONTACT GND ON 121.65. THIS CTLR REPRIMANDED US FOR NOT COMPLYING WITH THE 'N RTE' STANDARD TAXI PROC BY NOT HOLDING SHORT OF TXWY D. SINCE THE ERROR HAD ALREADY BEEN MADE, AND WE WERE STOPPED ON TXWY E, A BUSY TXWY WITH TFC FOLLOWING US, WE ASKED FOR INSTRUCTIONS FROM THAT POINT. THE RESPONSE WAS ANOTHER REPRIMAND FOR NOT HOLDING SHORT OF TXWY D, BUT NO FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. AGAIN WE ASKED FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS, WITH THE SAME RESPONSE. AT THAT TIME, WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO THE END OF RWY 24L, HOLD SHORT, AND ASK IF WE SHOULD CALL TWR OR PULL OVER TO WAIT OUT OF THE LINE OF TFC. WE WERE SWITCHED TO TWR FOR DEP, AND THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE NEXT DAY, WE RECHKED ALL AVAILABLE SOURCES FOR A STANDARD TAXI RTE AT LAX. WE FOUND NOTHING FOR THE SW REGION IN PART 4 OF THE NOTAMS, OR ANY OTHER OF OUR GOV PUBS. AFTER CALLING JONESBORO FSS, COMMERCIAL CHART COMPANY, AND LAX TWR, IT SEEMS THE ONLY PLACE THE N RTE OR S RTE AT LAX IS PUBLISHED IS ON THE COMMERCIAL TAXI CHART. SINCE WE SUBSCRIBE TO COMMERCIAL TERMINAL PROCS CHARTS, THE PROCS WERE NOT AVAILABLE TO US. AT LEAST 3 THINGS MIGHT HAVE HELPED US AVOID THIS SIT. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED IN THE COMMERCIAL TERMINAL PROCS. THE SW REGION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN OMITTED FROM NOTAMS. THE PHRASEOLOGY COULD HAVE BEEN MORE ALERTING, SUCH AS 'VIA N PROC,' GIVING US A CLUE THAT THERE MIGHT BE A PROC WE WERE NOT AWARE OF. SOMETIMES, BREVITY FOR THE SAKE OF SHORTNESS CAUSES MORE DELAY THAN A DESCRIPTIVE WORD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: IN SPEAKING WITH THE RPTR, HE ESSENTIALLY STATED THE SAME AS IN THE TEXT OF THE NARRATIVE, WHILE EMPHASIZING A DEG OF FRUSTRATION AT THE ATTITUDE OF THE GND CTLR IN HOLDING FURTHER TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, DELAYING MANY FOLLOWING ACFT, WHILE CONTINUING TO REPRIMAND THE FLC FOR NOT HOLDING SHORT OF TXWY D. THE RPTR ALSO STATES THAT THE COMMERCIAL CHARTS SHOULD CONTAIN THE REQUIRED INFO ON ARPT SPECIFIC TAXI INSTRUCTIONS IN ORDER TO PREVENT SIMILAR FUTURE INCIDENTS.

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.