Narrative:

Parked at gate in cle, I received the coded taxi instruction 'orange route.' 'starting point, all terminal parking areas: routing via, juliet, whiskey, uniform runway 28. (Hold short of runway 23L. Runway 23L hold line located on runway 28). Zulu.' (see diagram attached). That sounds simple yet I wound up making a right turn onto taxiway whiskey with uniform behind me and facing the end on runway 28. How could this happen, even after briefing the first officer on the difficulties associated with cle taxiway patterns? It's taken a while to sort out, but there is an important lesson to be learned, especially with regard to smgcs taxi operations. The problem began by not knowing where to join juliet. Thirty mins earlier I had arrived only to taxi around a long line of aircraft in sequence for departure on juliet. Since the a concourse blocked my view of juliet and the ground controller specifically omitted any reference to uniform directly in front of me, the message was unambiguously clear: taxi to the end of the line on juliet. Having been into lga relatively frequently and expecting delays, the instructions made a lot of sense. Without traffic in line I could have proceeded straight ahead to uniform and that was specifically absent. Then, with the brakes set, I memorized what to do. Juliet, dogleg right for whiskey to look for a left turn onto uniform in that sequence. This was my first flight into cle in yrs, my first coded taxi routing, my first flight wihtout an instructor at night, with an first officer still on probation. Ready with a plan in mind I released the brakes to taxi to the end on the line on juliet. Now an air carrier 727 appeared at the end of concourse a on juliet, he was instructed to wait for me. I looked for whiskey and saw its taxi sign straight ahead. Now I simply had to get on whiskey and look for uniform. Unfortunately taxiway uniform was behind. This must have looked comical, but it frightened me. How easily the best intentions could lead to this. You ask, if you were not sure, why didn't you ask for clarification? That's the point. There was no confusion, the instructions were in black and white, written as clear as can be, taxi to juliet, period. But let's look at how pilot's are trained to join a route of flight. Clearences are issued, in one of three ways. First, 'on present heading, join J75.' second, 'proceed direct to flatrock to join the minks two.' or third, via a cruise clearance. There was only a hint of where to join juliet, at the end of the line. I suggest if coded routes are used anywhere, 'entry points' must be included in the initial clearance. For me, it's one more trap to be looking for!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CODED TAXI RTE AT CLE LEADS TO CONFUSION WHEN DEPARTING FROM THE E SIDE OF CONCOURSE 'A'.

Narrative: PARKED AT GATE IN CLE, I RECEIVED THE CODED TAXI INSTRUCTION 'ORANGE RTE.' 'STARTING POINT, ALL TERMINAL PARKING AREAS: ROUTING VIA, JULIET, WHISKEY, UNIFORM RWY 28. (HOLD SHORT OF RWY 23L. RWY 23L HOLD LINE LOCATED ON RWY 28). ZULU.' (SEE DIAGRAM ATTACHED). THAT SOUNDS SIMPLE YET I WOUND UP MAKING A R TURN ONTO TXWY WHISKEY WITH UNIFORM BEHIND ME AND FACING THE END ON RWY 28. HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN, EVEN AFTER BRIEFING THE FO ON THE DIFFICULTIES ASSOCIATED WITH CLE TXWY PATTERNS? IT'S TAKEN A WHILE TO SORT OUT, BUT THERE IS AN IMPORTANT LESSON TO BE LEARNED, ESPECIALLY WITH REGARD TO SMGCS TAXI OPS. THE PROB BEGAN BY NOT KNOWING WHERE TO JOIN JULIET. THIRTY MINS EARLIER I HAD ARRIVED ONLY TO TAXI AROUND A LONG LINE OF ACFT IN SEQUENCE FOR DEP ON JULIET. SINCE THE A CONCOURSE BLOCKED MY VIEW OF JULIET AND THE GND CTLR SPECIFICALLY OMITTED ANY REFERENCE TO UNIFORM DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME, THE MSG WAS UNAMBIGUOUSLY CLEAR: TAXI TO THE END OF THE LINE ON JULIET. HAVING BEEN INTO LGA RELATIVELY FREQUENTLY AND EXPECTING DELAYS, THE INSTRUCTIONS MADE A LOT OF SENSE. WITHOUT TFC IN LINE I COULD HAVE PROCEEDED STRAIGHT AHEAD TO UNIFORM AND THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY ABSENT. THEN, WITH THE BRAKES SET, I MEMORIZED WHAT TO DO. JULIET, DOGLEG R FOR WHISKEY TO LOOK FOR A L TURN ONTO UNIFORM IN THAT SEQUENCE. THIS WAS MY FIRST FLT INTO CLE IN YRS, MY FIRST CODED TAXI ROUTING, MY FIRST FLT WIHTOUT AN ISTR AT NIGHT, WITH AN FO STILL ON PROBATION. READY WITH A PLAN IN MIND I RELEASED THE BRAKES TO TAXI TO THE END ON THE LINE ON JULIET. NOW AN ACR 727 APPEARED AT THE END OF CONCOURSE A ON JULIET, HE WAS INSTRUCTED TO WAIT FOR ME. I LOOKED FOR WHISKEY AND SAW ITS TAXI SIGN STRAIGHT AHEAD. NOW I SIMPLY HAD TO GET ON WHISKEY AND LOOK FOR UNIFORM. UNFORTUNATELY TXWY UNIFORM WAS BEHIND. THIS MUST HAVE LOOKED COMICAL, BUT IT FRIGHTENED ME. HOW EASILY THE BEST INTENTIONS COULD LEAD TO THIS. YOU ASK, IF YOU WERE NOT SURE, WHY DIDN'T YOU ASK FOR CLARIFICATION? THAT'S THE POINT. THERE WAS NO CONFUSION, THE INSTRUCTIONS WERE IN BLACK AND WHITE, WRITTEN AS CLEAR AS CAN BE, TAXI TO JULIET, PERIOD. BUT LET'S LOOK AT HOW PLT'S ARE TRAINED TO JOIN A ROUTE OF FLT. CLEARENCES ARE ISSUED, IN ONE OF THREE WAYS. FIRST, 'ON PRESENT HDG, JOIN J75.' SECOND, 'PROCEED DIRECT TO FLATROCK TO JOIN THE MINKS TWO.' OR THIRD, VIA A CRUISE CLRNC. THERE WAS ONLY A HINT OF WHERE TO JOIN JULIET, AT THE END OF THE LINE. I SUGGEST IF CODED ROUTES ARE USED ANYWHERE, 'ENTRY POINTS' MUST BE INCLUDED IN THE INITIAL CLRNC. FOR ME, IT'S ONE MORE TRAP TO BE LOOKING FOR!

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.