Narrative:

The first call to ground control was answered with a taxi clearance that was unintelligible due to excessive backgnd noise in the tower. The airport was not very busy at the time. I estimate that there were only 2 other aircraft moving at the time, the noise sounded like a party was taking place in the tower. Lots of laughter, etc. We asked for the taxi clearance again because neither the first officer nor myself could understand any part of the first response. The second time I thought I understood the taxi clearance to be 'taxi via taxiway a, right on taxiway F, left on taxiway B, hold short of the runway.' later I found out that it was actually 'hold short of taxiway east.' as soon as we started taxiing, we were given a rerte, at which point I should have stopped the airplane until we had our new clearance. We also saw that only 1 other airplane was ahead of us for the runway and we needed to start the third engine. As we were approaching taxiway D, the ground controller asked if we were holding short of taxiway east. I stated no, and she informed us that taxiway east was our clearance limit. I stopped the airplane until we were cleared to proceed to the runway. The bottom line is we were just too busy while we were taxiing to the runway which left only 1 person to taxi and no one left to back me up and therefore catch the misunderstanding I had with our taxi limit. Also, another contributing factor is a recent company decision to allow only 1 commercial chart in the cockpit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CREW DID NOT UNDERSTAND CLRNC RESULTING IN TAXI BEYOND CLRNC LIMIT AT MAJOR ARPT.

Narrative: THE FIRST CALL TO GND CTL WAS ANSWERED WITH A TAXI CLRNC THAT WAS UNINTELLIGIBLE DUE TO EXCESSIVE BACKGND NOISE IN THE TWR. THE ARPT WAS NOT VERY BUSY AT THE TIME. I ESTIMATE THAT THERE WERE ONLY 2 OTHER ACFT MOVING AT THE TIME, THE NOISE SOUNDED LIKE A PARTY WAS TAKING PLACE IN THE TWR. LOTS OF LAUGHTER, ETC. WE ASKED FOR THE TAXI CLRNC AGAIN BECAUSE NEITHER THE FO NOR MYSELF COULD UNDERSTAND ANY PART OF THE FIRST RESPONSE. THE SECOND TIME I THOUGHT I UNDERSTOOD THE TAXI CLRNC TO BE 'TAXI VIA TXWY A, R ON TXWY F, L ON TXWY B, HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY.' LATER I FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS ACTUALLY 'HOLD SHORT OF TXWY E.' AS SOON AS WE STARTED TAXIING, WE WERE GIVEN A RERTE, AT WHICH POINT I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED THE AIRPLANE UNTIL WE HAD OUR NEW CLRNC. WE ALSO SAW THAT ONLY 1 OTHER AIRPLANE WAS AHEAD OF US FOR THE RWY AND WE NEEDED TO START THE THIRD ENG. AS WE WERE APCHING TXWY D, THE GND CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF TXWY E. I STATED NO, AND SHE INFORMED US THAT TXWY E WAS OUR CLRNC LIMIT. I STOPPED THE AIRPLANE UNTIL WE WERE CLRED TO PROCEED TO THE RWY. THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE WERE JUST TOO BUSY WHILE WE WERE TAXIING TO THE RWY WHICH LEFT ONLY 1 PERSON TO TAXI AND NO ONE LEFT TO BACK ME UP AND THEREFORE CATCH THE MISUNDERSTANDING I HAD WITH OUR TAXI LIMIT. ALSO, ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS A RECENT COMPANY DECISION TO ALLOW ONLY 1 COMMERCIAL CHART IN THE COCKPIT.

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.