Narrative:

I picked up a clearance from lga clearance delivery which was to 'taxi to runway 4 via txwys a, F, B, hold short of taxiway east.' after reading the clearance back, we were told to contact clearance delivery for a change to the routing. I then stated to the captain our taxi clearance and said 'I am off on communication #2, you have communication #1.' I left the ground frequency and proceeded to pick up our new clearance while aircraft was taxiing. When I returned to communication #1, I heard ground state that we were told to hold short of taxiway east. Our position was just short of taxiway D which is south of taxiway east. At this point, the captain stopped the aircraft and asked ground 'are we clear now to taxi to runway 4?' the answer was 'affirmative' and we continued taxi to runway 4. At no time were we in conflict with another aircraft. The biggest contributing factor to crossing over taxiway east when told to hold short was I (first officer) was copying the second full route clearance 'while' we were taxiing. This takes out the third crew member in a very busy airport environment. A second factor is my air carrier has recently adopted a '1 chart program' where the first officer has available all required commercial charts, but the captain is no longer offered the complete commercial navigation chart manual. At the time of the taxiway crossing, the airport diagram was placed on my yoke as is standard at my air carrier, so the captain did not have an airport diagram in front of him. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that his carrier, about 8 months ago, went to a '1 chart policy' whereby only first officer's are provided with company-paid commercial charts. It capts want coverage, they must buy them with their own proceeds. Reporter says his air carrier went to this policy under the rationale that during simulator training, pilots only have 1 chart out. If, goes the company logic, pilots can get by with only 1 chart while performing a variety of irregular and emergency procedures, they can operate effectively with only 1 chart during real-world operations. This air carrier's SOP allegedly now calls for only 1 chart to be out and available to the flight crew during any flight phase -- taxi, climb, cruise, descent, approach, landing. Reporter did state that each aircraft, of the type he flies, has on board a 'kit bag' in which is located an up-to-date complete set of commercial charts. However, SOP does not call for more than 1 chart to be out and available. Reporter also states that crews are reluctant to use charts out of the kit bag, because constant use results in either charts becoming dog-eared through use or missing when crew members who use them forget to put them back.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLC FAILS TO ADHERE TO TAXI CLRNC AT LGA.

Narrative: I PICKED UP A CLRNC FROM LGA CLRNC DELIVERY WHICH WAS TO 'TAXI TO RWY 4 VIA TXWYS A, F, B, HOLD SHORT OF TXWY E.' AFTER READING THE CLRNC BACK, WE WERE TOLD TO CONTACT CLRNC DELIVERY FOR A CHANGE TO THE ROUTING. I THEN STATED TO THE CAPT OUR TAXI CLRNC AND SAID 'I AM OFF ON COM #2, YOU HAVE COM #1.' I LEFT THE GND FREQ AND PROCEEDED TO PICK UP OUR NEW CLRNC WHILE ACFT WAS TAXIING. WHEN I RETURNED TO COM #1, I HEARD GND STATE THAT WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY E. OUR POS WAS JUST SHORT OF TXWY D WHICH IS S OF TXWY E. AT THIS POINT, THE CAPT STOPPED THE ACFT AND ASKED GND 'ARE WE CLR NOW TO TAXI TO RWY 4?' THE ANSWER WAS 'AFFIRMATIVE' AND WE CONTINUED TAXI TO RWY 4. AT NO TIME WERE WE IN CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER ACFT. THE BIGGEST CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO XING OVER TXWY E WHEN TOLD TO HOLD SHORT WAS I (FO) WAS COPYING THE SECOND FULL RTE CLRNC 'WHILE' WE WERE TAXIING. THIS TAKES OUT THE THIRD CREW MEMBER IN A VERY BUSY ARPT ENVIRONMENT. A SECOND FACTOR IS MY ACR HAS RECENTLY ADOPTED A '1 CHART PROGRAM' WHERE THE FO HAS AVAILABLE ALL REQUIRED COMMERCIAL CHARTS, BUT THE CAPT IS NO LONGER OFFERED THE COMPLETE COMMERCIAL NAV CHART MANUAL. AT THE TIME OF THE TXWY XING, THE ARPT DIAGRAM WAS PLACED ON MY YOKE AS IS STANDARD AT MY ACR, SO THE CAPT DID NOT HAVE AN ARPT DIAGRAM IN FRONT OF HIM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HIS CARRIER, ABOUT 8 MONTHS AGO, WENT TO A '1 CHART POLICY' WHEREBY ONLY FO'S ARE PROVIDED WITH COMPANY-PAID COMMERCIAL CHARTS. IT CAPTS WANT COVERAGE, THEY MUST BUY THEM WITH THEIR OWN PROCEEDS. RPTR SAYS HIS ACR WENT TO THIS POLICY UNDER THE RATIONALE THAT DURING SIMULATOR TRAINING, PLTS ONLY HAVE 1 CHART OUT. IF, GOES THE COMPANY LOGIC, PLTS CAN GET BY WITH ONLY 1 CHART WHILE PERFORMING A VARIETY OF IRREGULAR AND EMER PROCS, THEY CAN OPERATE EFFECTIVELY WITH ONLY 1 CHART DURING REAL-WORLD OPS. THIS ACR'S SOP ALLEGEDLY NOW CALLS FOR ONLY 1 CHART TO BE OUT AND AVAILABLE TO THE FLC DURING ANY FLT PHASE -- TAXI, CLB, CRUISE, DSCNT, APCH, LNDG. RPTR DID STATE THAT EACH ACFT, OF THE TYPE HE FLIES, HAS ON BOARD A 'KIT BAG' IN WHICH IS LOCATED AN UP-TO-DATE COMPLETE SET OF COMMERCIAL CHARTS. HOWEVER, SOP DOES NOT CALL FOR MORE THAN 1 CHART TO BE OUT AND AVAILABLE. RPTR ALSO STATES THAT CREWS ARE RELUCTANT TO USE CHARTS OUT OF THE KIT BAG, BECAUSE CONSTANT USE RESULTS IN EITHER CHARTS BECOMING DOG-EARED THROUGH USE OR MISSING WHEN CREW MEMBERS WHO USE THEM FORGET TO PUT THEM BACK.

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.