Narrative:

During the landing rollout on phx new runway 7R, while slowing to exit speed for taxiway F7, tower gave us directions for taxi, which I heard as 'ok, flight XXX, I want you to make 2 lefts, blah, blah foxtrot blah, blah, hold short blah, blah intersection.' I was braking the aircraft, stowing the reversers and pulling off the runway during the transmission. Taxiway F7 has about a 30 degree high speed turn angle, followed by a 90 degree turn to the left, perpendicular to runway 7L. These 2 runways are extremely close together and are divided by an east/west taxiway F. When I heard the '2 lefts' instruction, I thought the tower wanted, the 30 degree left high speed cutoff turn, followed by the 90 degree left facing runway 7L. What he actually wanted was a 30 degree turn at taxiway F7, followed by a 150 degree turn back wbound on taxiway F. When I rolled past taxiway F, tower started yelling 'turn left, turn left.' I had already proceeded too far past taxiway F to make the turn, and was looking back over my left shoulder trying to determine where he wanted me. I realized then that we had overshot taxiway F, and with abrupt braking, stopped short of the hold line of runway 7L. While I will certainly be anticipating this 180 degree turn between runways the next time I land in phx, I must say that in 26 yrs of flying heavy aircraft, I have never been asked to perform such a turn after rollout. This could easily have resulted in a runway incursion, and I feel that it could potentially be extremely hazardous. If we had been told simply to hold short of runway 7L, this would not have occurred, and because the instructions were unclr to me, I should have stopped immediately after clearing the runway. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter felt that the controller was probably clear in his intentions, but the clearance was not absorbed by either the captain or the first officer. The captain missed the intent of the clearance and the first officer said later, 'he wasn't certain' of the intent, being confused also as to the intent of the controller. Controller had planned them to use taxiway F4 or taxiway F5. Captain had used the near runway 25L, but not runway 7R, the reciprocal runway. Reporter has not yet contacted the company, but plans to upon return from vacation. He did not discuss the incident with ATC nor did ATC call him for a review. Captain stated that he assumed that the controller wanted him to hold at taxiway F7. The runway layout is similar to the usage of runway 24R at lax, where crews exit on a high speed and hold short of runway 24L. He felt this runway layout left little room for error. Finally, he felt that had the tower prewarned him on final of their taxi plan, he could have planned for a slower exit speed at the high speed at taxiway F7.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A NEAR RWY INCURSION. AN MD80 FLC ON ROLLOUT FAILS TO ADHERE TO THE TWR CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT TURNING BACK ONTO TXWY F AND ENTERS TXWY F7, STOPPING JUST SHORT OF THE HOLD LINE FOR RWY 7L AT PHX, AZ.

Narrative: DURING THE LNDG ROLLOUT ON PHX NEW RWY 7R, WHILE SLOWING TO EXIT SPD FOR TXWY F7, TWR GAVE US DIRECTIONS FOR TAXI, WHICH I HEARD AS 'OK, FLT XXX, I WANT YOU TO MAKE 2 LEFTS, BLAH, BLAH FOXTROT BLAH, BLAH, HOLD SHORT BLAH, BLAH INTXN.' I WAS BRAKING THE ACFT, STOWING THE REVERSERS AND PULLING OFF THE RWY DURING THE XMISSION. TXWY F7 HAS ABOUT A 30 DEG HIGH SPD TURN ANGLE, FOLLOWED BY A 90 DEG TURN TO THE L, PERPENDICULAR TO RWY 7L. THESE 2 RWYS ARE EXTREMELY CLOSE TOGETHER AND ARE DIVIDED BY AN E/W TXWY F. WHEN I HEARD THE '2 LEFTS' INSTRUCTION, I THOUGHT THE TWR WANTED, THE 30 DEG L HIGH SPD CUTOFF TURN, FOLLOWED BY THE 90 DEG L FACING RWY 7L. WHAT HE ACTUALLY WANTED WAS A 30 DEG TURN AT TXWY F7, FOLLOWED BY A 150 DEG TURN BACK WBOUND ON TXWY F. WHEN I ROLLED PAST TXWY F, TWR STARTED YELLING 'TURN L, TURN L.' I HAD ALREADY PROCEEDED TOO FAR PAST TXWY F TO MAKE THE TURN, AND WAS LOOKING BACK OVER MY L SHOULDER TRYING TO DETERMINE WHERE HE WANTED ME. I REALIZED THEN THAT WE HAD OVERSHOT TXWY F, AND WITH ABRUPT BRAKING, STOPPED SHORT OF THE HOLD LINE OF RWY 7L. WHILE I WILL CERTAINLY BE ANTICIPATING THIS 180 DEG TURN BTWN RWYS THE NEXT TIME I LAND IN PHX, I MUST SAY THAT IN 26 YRS OF FLYING HVY ACFT, I HAVE NEVER BEEN ASKED TO PERFORM SUCH A TURN AFTER ROLLOUT. THIS COULD EASILY HAVE RESULTED IN A RWY INCURSION, AND I FEEL THAT IT COULD POTENTIALLY BE EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS. IF WE HAD BEEN TOLD SIMPLY TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 7L, THIS WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED, AND BECAUSE THE INSTRUCTIONS WERE UNCLR TO ME, I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED IMMEDIATELY AFTER CLRING THE RWY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FELT THAT THE CTLR WAS PROBABLY CLR IN HIS INTENTIONS, BUT THE CLRNC WAS NOT ABSORBED BY EITHER THE CAPT OR THE FO. THE CAPT MISSED THE INTENT OF THE CLRNC AND THE FO SAID LATER, 'HE WASN'T CERTAIN' OF THE INTENT, BEING CONFUSED ALSO AS TO THE INTENT OF THE CTLR. CTLR HAD PLANNED THEM TO USE TXWY F4 OR TXWY F5. CAPT HAD USED THE NEAR RWY 25L, BUT NOT RWY 7R, THE RECIPROCAL RWY. RPTR HAS NOT YET CONTACTED THE COMPANY, BUT PLANS TO UPON RETURN FROM VACATION. HE DID NOT DISCUSS THE INCIDENT WITH ATC NOR DID ATC CALL HIM FOR A REVIEW. CAPT STATED THAT HE ASSUMED THAT THE CTLR WANTED HIM TO HOLD AT TXWY F7. THE RWY LAYOUT IS SIMILAR TO THE USAGE OF RWY 24R AT LAX, WHERE CREWS EXIT ON A HIGH SPD AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 24L. HE FELT THIS RWY LAYOUT LEFT LITTLE ROOM FOR ERROR. FINALLY, HE FELT THAT HAD THE TWR PREWARNED HIM ON FINAL OF THEIR TAXI PLAN, HE COULD HAVE PLANNED FOR A SLOWER EXIT SPD AT THE HIGH SPD AT TXWY F7.

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.