Narrative:

Was riding as observer on flight. Landed on runway 23R and taxied back on taxiway a. Crew was instructed to make a right turn on taxiway north and a comment regarding to 'hold short,' which they interpreted to mean at the hold bars approximately midfield on taxiway north. What ATC wanted was to hold short of clearway for approach to runway 23R, not midfield. Crew was instructed to continue taxiing to ramp. There was no traffic conflict. Runway 23L was closed causing unusual ground traffic flow (temporary closure). I called ATC next day and was informed that each controller handles that taxi flow differently, with variations on terminology (ie, some say 'make a right turn on 'north' and stop'). No hold bars are on 'north' to hold short of runway 23R when turning from taxiway a to taxiway north. ATC said they were trying to get them painted, but didn't think they had been done. Prevention: use standard ATC 'hold short' terminology. Do not allow aircraft to turn from taxiway a to taxiway north until hold short bars have been painted. ATC said another aircraft had to make a go around due to a similar event later that afternoon. Supplemental information from acn 472204: told to turn right on taxiway north and hold short at hold short line. Was not told which hold short line to observe. Accordingly, held short at the only one I saw which was 1/2 way down taxiway north. Controller should have been more specific as to which hold short line was desired. Potential existed for interference with aircraft on final to runway 23R. Better taxiway markings and more explicit controller communications would have avoided this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CARGO ACR ACFT TAXIES PAST THE ATC ASSIGNED HOLD POINT ON TXWY 'N' ON TO RWY 23R AT IND, IN.

Narrative: WAS RIDING AS OBSERVER ON FLT. LANDED ON RWY 23R AND TAXIED BACK ON TXWY A. CREW WAS INSTRUCTED TO MAKE A R TURN ON TXWY N AND A COMMENT REGARDING TO 'HOLD SHORT,' WHICH THEY INTERPED TO MEAN AT THE HOLD BARS APPROX MIDFIELD ON TXWY N. WHAT ATC WANTED WAS TO HOLD SHORT OF CLEARWAY FOR APCH TO RWY 23R, NOT MIDFIELD. CREW WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONTINUE TAXIING TO RAMP. THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT. RWY 23L WAS CLOSED CAUSING UNUSUAL GND TFC FLOW (TEMPORARY CLOSURE). I CALLED ATC NEXT DAY AND WAS INFORMED THAT EACH CTLR HANDLES THAT TAXI FLOW DIFFERENTLY, WITH VARIATIONS ON TERMINOLOGY (IE, SOME SAY 'MAKE A R TURN ON 'N' AND STOP'). NO HOLD BARS ARE ON 'N' TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 23R WHEN TURNING FROM TXWY A TO TXWY N. ATC SAID THEY WERE TRYING TO GET THEM PAINTED, BUT DIDN'T THINK THEY HAD BEEN DONE. PREVENTION: USE STANDARD ATC 'HOLD SHORT' TERMINOLOGY. DO NOT ALLOW ACFT TO TURN FROM TXWY A TO TXWY N UNTIL HOLD SHORT BARS HAVE BEEN PAINTED. ATC SAID ANOTHER ACFT HAD TO MAKE A GAR DUE TO A SIMILAR EVENT LATER THAT AFTERNOON. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 472204: TOLD TO TURN R ON TXWY N AND HOLD SHORT AT HOLD SHORT LINE. WAS NOT TOLD WHICH HOLD SHORT LINE TO OBSERVE. ACCORDINGLY, HELD SHORT AT THE ONLY ONE I SAW WHICH WAS 1/2 WAY DOWN TXWY N. CTLR SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE SPECIFIC AS TO WHICH HOLD SHORT LINE WAS DESIRED. POTENTIAL EXISTED FOR INTERFERENCE WITH ACFT ON FINAL TO RWY 23R. BETTER TXWY MARKINGS AND MORE EXPLICIT CTLR COMS WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS INCIDENT.

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.