Narrative:

On arrival runway 14R, night VMC, we cleared at the appropriate first high speed, and contacted ground. He told us to turn left txwys A7, a, H, and P to our open gate. His words 'turn left' led us to believe at first thought we were south of taxiway A7, hence his term 'to left' -- otherwise the more normal instructions would have been 'continue on taxiway T to taxiway A7.' so we turned left after clearing no traffic on taxiway T. Ground informed us we had turned the wrong way, so we effected a turn back to rejoin taxiway T sbound and found taxiway A7 a distance down taxiway T to the south of our runway clearing taxiway. Other aircraft also had some difficulty during that short span determining his exact instructions. No conflict existed, but being professional we were not pleased we did not fully comply with his intended taxi route at first. I do feel somewhat nonstandard instructions were issued. We should have been directed to turn right on taxiway T first. Not all pilots are based at ord and intimately familiar. I am in the know and still got led down the path. This is not to say ord doesn't do the best -- they did -- and he did. Food for thought.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 PIC TURNS THE WRONG WAY ON TXWY T WHEN CONFUSED AS TO HIS POS RELATING TO THE GND CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS AT ORD, IL.

Narrative: ON ARR RWY 14R, NIGHT VMC, WE CLRED AT THE APPROPRIATE FIRST HIGH SPD, AND CONTACTED GND. HE TOLD US TO TURN L TXWYS A7, A, H, AND P TO OUR OPEN GATE. HIS WORDS 'TURN L' LED US TO BELIEVE AT FIRST THOUGHT WE WERE S OF TXWY A7, HENCE HIS TERM 'TO L' -- OTHERWISE THE MORE NORMAL INSTRUCTIONS WOULD HAVE BEEN 'CONTINUE ON TXWY T TO TXWY A7.' SO WE TURNED L AFTER CLRING NO TFC ON TXWY T. GND INFORMED US WE HAD TURNED THE WRONG WAY, SO WE EFFECTED A TURN BACK TO REJOIN TXWY T SBOUND AND FOUND TXWY A7 A DISTANCE DOWN TXWY T TO THE S OF OUR RWY CLRING TXWY. OTHER ACFT ALSO HAD SOME DIFFICULTY DURING THAT SHORT SPAN DETERMINING HIS EXACT INSTRUCTIONS. NO CONFLICT EXISTED, BUT BEING PROFESSIONAL WE WERE NOT PLEASED WE DID NOT FULLY COMPLY WITH HIS INTENDED TAXI RTE AT FIRST. I DO FEEL SOMEWHAT NONSTANDARD INSTRUCTIONS WERE ISSUED. WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DIRECTED TO TURN R ON TXWY T FIRST. NOT ALL PLTS ARE BASED AT ORD AND INTIMATELY FAMILIAR. I AM IN THE KNOW AND STILL GOT LED DOWN THE PATH. THIS IS NOT TO SAY ORD DOESN'T DO THE BEST -- THEY DID -- AND HE DID. FOOD FOR THOUGHT.

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.