Narrative:

On an MD80 flight from newark to chicago and landing on runway 27R at nighttime. During landing rollout, the airplane was sufficiently slow enough to take the high speed taxiway C. The captain had assumed control of the aircraft as it slowed down, and the tower controller stated 'air carrier XXX keep it rolling,' which suggested to both the captain and first officer that the high speed was not to be used, and we should continue rolling to the end. The captain elected to continue on the runway, and the tower controller asked us to take taxiway right, which would be a 135 degree left turn. Tower stating that there was an aircraft on short final and for us to exit at taxiway east. We exited the runway safely and the airplane behind us landed as well. The captain and first officer both agreed that if the tower controller asked us to take the high speed taxiway C, or next left taxiway, instead of keep it rolling, the confusion would not have occurred. Supplemental information from acn 490992: tower instructions caused confusion. I was flying an first officer IOE. I was devoting a significant amount of my time to watching my IOE first officer on his night crosswind landing attempt. He began to steer the aircraft on the high speed lights when the tower controller stated 'air carrier XXX, keep it rolling to taxiway C and taxiway B and contact ground.' I had memorized the name of the only high speed on that runway. I did not know which taxiway was taxiway C. We both thought taxiway C was further down the runway because we were making an effort to make the turn at taxiway C. We were at 90-100 KTS when she gave us that instruction. I don't know why we didn't see the taxiway C sign. I'm sure it was there. The important point is how the first officer and I both interpreted her instructions. 'Keep it rolling to taxiway C and then take taxiway B and contact ground.' both our interps were to not take the high speed which we were braking to turn on and continue rolling down the runway to another taxiway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR TERMINOLOGY, PLT TRAINING IN PROGRESS, AND ARPT FAMILIARITY ISSUES COMBINE TO CAUSE SOME CONFUSION DURING LNDG ROLL AND A POSSIBLE GAR BY FOLLOWING ACFT AT ORD, IL.

Narrative: ON AN MD80 FLT FROM NEWARK TO CHICAGO AND LNDG ON RWY 27R AT NIGHTTIME. DURING LNDG ROLLOUT, THE AIRPLANE WAS SUFFICIENTLY SLOW ENOUGH TO TAKE THE HIGH SPD TXWY C. THE CAPT HAD ASSUMED CTL OF THE ACFT AS IT SLOWED DOWN, AND THE TWR CTLR STATED 'ACR XXX KEEP IT ROLLING,' WHICH SUGGESTED TO BOTH THE CAPT AND FO THAT THE HIGH SPD WAS NOT TO BE USED, AND WE SHOULD CONTINUE ROLLING TO THE END. THE CAPT ELECTED TO CONTINUE ON THE RWY, AND THE TWR CTLR ASKED US TO TAKE TXWY R, WHICH WOULD BE A 135 DEG L TURN. TWR STATING THAT THERE WAS AN ACFT ON SHORT FINAL AND FOR US TO EXIT AT TXWY E. WE EXITED THE RWY SAFELY AND THE AIRPLANE BEHIND US LANDED AS WELL. THE CAPT AND FO BOTH AGREED THAT IF THE TWR CTLR ASKED US TO TAKE THE HIGH SPD TXWY C, OR NEXT L TXWY, INSTEAD OF KEEP IT ROLLING, THE CONFUSION WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 490992: TWR INSTRUCTIONS CAUSED CONFUSION. I WAS FLYING AN FO IOE. I WAS DEVOTING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MY TIME TO WATCHING MY IOE FO ON HIS NIGHT XWIND LNDG ATTEMPT. HE BEGAN TO STEER THE ACFT ON THE HIGH SPD LIGHTS WHEN THE TWR CTLR STATED 'ACR XXX, KEEP IT ROLLING TO TXWY C AND TXWY B AND CONTACT GND.' I HAD MEMORIZED THE NAME OF THE ONLY HIGH SPD ON THAT RWY. I DID NOT KNOW WHICH TXWY WAS TXWY C. WE BOTH THOUGHT TXWY C WAS FURTHER DOWN THE RWY BECAUSE WE WERE MAKING AN EFFORT TO MAKE THE TURN AT TXWY C. WE WERE AT 90-100 KTS WHEN SHE GAVE US THAT INSTRUCTION. I DON'T KNOW WHY WE DIDN'T SEE THE TXWY C SIGN. I'M SURE IT WAS THERE. THE IMPORTANT POINT IS HOW THE FO AND I BOTH INTERPED HER INSTRUCTIONS. 'KEEP IT ROLLING TO TXWY C AND THEN TAKE TXWY B AND CONTACT GND.' BOTH OUR INTERPS WERE TO NOT TAKE THE HIGH SPD WHICH WE WERE BRAKING TO TURN ON AND CONTINUE ROLLING DOWN THE RWY TO ANOTHER TXWY.

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.