Narrative:

Leaving the ramp at boston, we were cleared to taxi via taxiway a, to the taxiway B hold point, and expect runway 4R for departure. Approaching the hold point, we were told our sequence was behind an air carrier Y airbus, approaching right to left on taxiway K, to follow the airbus and 'monitor' tower 128.8. After issuing this clearance, ground did not issue an additional clearance to hold at the taxiway B hold point, and my understanding was that I was now cleared to follow the airbus all the way to runway 4R. At about the same time that ground had called with the change in our taxi instructions, the flight attendant called to advise that the cabin was ready for takeoff. As I continued to taxi behind the airbus past the taxiway B hold point I realized there was an aircraft on final for runway 4L. I immediately stopped the aircraft and asked the first officer to verify our taxi instructions with tower. Simultaneously ground called to advise us that we could not stop where we were and instructed us to cross runway 4L and hold short of runway 4R. (At this point I realized we were still on 121.9 instead of 128.8.) the aircraft on final to runway 4L was told to go around. I advised ground that my last instructions had been to follow the airbus in sequence, to which ground replied that I was only supposed to follow the airbus 'to the bravo hold point' (which was not the same clearance that he had issued). In almost 3 yrs of flying to boston, I have never taxied via that route, and my lack of familiarity with taxiway B hold point procedures, together with the ground controller's confusing taxi clearance, were contributing factors in this incident. Other factors were the first officer's confusion regarding the frequency change, the timing of the flight attendant's call from the back (which distraction me from monitoring what the first officer was doing with the radios), and my fatigue resulting from 2 nights of lousy, frequently interrupted sleep at 2 of the worst hotels I have ever stayed in. Supplemental information from acn 508571: I advised the captain that we were approaching the taxiway B hold point and he acknowledged by saying he was following the airbus. As the captain taxied over the taxiway B hold point, I verified with ground control that we were cleared across. In a moment of confusion the captain stopped our aircraft on runway 4L and an aircraft on final was told to go around. I was distraction by a change in departure procedures and was looking over the SID when I could have been keeping an eye on the captain. Ground control issued vague taxi instructions when he told us to follow the airbus, without giving a clearance limit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SF340 FLC TAXIES PAST THE TXWY B HOLD POINT WHEN INSTRUCTED TO FOLLOW AN AIRBUS THAT HAD BEEN CLRED PAST THE HOLD POINT NEAR RWY 4L AT BOS, MA.

Narrative: LEAVING THE RAMP AT BOSTON, WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI VIA TXWY A, TO THE TXWY B HOLD POINT, AND EXPECT RWY 4R FOR DEP. APCHING THE HOLD POINT, WE WERE TOLD OUR SEQUENCE WAS BEHIND AN ACR Y AIRBUS, APCHING R TO L ON TXWY K, TO FOLLOW THE AIRBUS AND 'MONITOR' TWR 128.8. AFTER ISSUING THIS CLRNC, GND DID NOT ISSUE AN ADDITIONAL CLRNC TO HOLD AT THE TXWY B HOLD POINT, AND MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT I WAS NOW CLRED TO FOLLOW THE AIRBUS ALL THE WAY TO RWY 4R. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME THAT GND HAD CALLED WITH THE CHANGE IN OUR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLED TO ADVISE THAT THE CABIN WAS READY FOR TKOF. AS I CONTINUED TO TAXI BEHIND THE AIRBUS PAST THE TXWY B HOLD POINT I REALIZED THERE WAS AN ACFT ON FINAL FOR RWY 4L. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE ACFT AND ASKED THE FO TO VERIFY OUR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WITH TWR. SIMULTANEOUSLY GND CALLED TO ADVISE US THAT WE COULD NOT STOP WHERE WE WERE AND INSTRUCTED US TO CROSS RWY 4L AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4R. (AT THIS POINT I REALIZED WE WERE STILL ON 121.9 INSTEAD OF 128.8.) THE ACFT ON FINAL TO RWY 4L WAS TOLD TO GO AROUND. I ADVISED GND THAT MY LAST INSTRUCTIONS HAD BEEN TO FOLLOW THE AIRBUS IN SEQUENCE, TO WHICH GND REPLIED THAT I WAS ONLY SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW THE AIRBUS 'TO THE BRAVO HOLD POINT' (WHICH WAS NOT THE SAME CLRNC THAT HE HAD ISSUED). IN ALMOST 3 YRS OF FLYING TO BOSTON, I HAVE NEVER TAXIED VIA THAT RTE, AND MY LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH TXWY B HOLD POINT PROCS, TOGETHER WITH THE GND CTLR'S CONFUSING TAXI CLRNC, WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN THIS INCIDENT. OTHER FACTORS WERE THE FO'S CONFUSION REGARDING THE FREQ CHANGE, THE TIMING OF THE FLT ATTENDANT'S CALL FROM THE BACK (WHICH DISTR ME FROM MONITORING WHAT THE FO WAS DOING WITH THE RADIOS), AND MY FATIGUE RESULTING FROM 2 NIGHTS OF LOUSY, FREQUENTLY INTERRUPTED SLEEP AT 2 OF THE WORST HOTELS I HAVE EVER STAYED IN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 508571: I ADVISED THE CAPT THAT WE WERE APCHING THE TXWY B HOLD POINT AND HE ACKNOWLEDGED BY SAYING HE WAS FOLLOWING THE AIRBUS. AS THE CAPT TAXIED OVER THE TXWY B HOLD POINT, I VERIFIED WITH GND CTL THAT WE WERE CLRED ACROSS. IN A MOMENT OF CONFUSION THE CAPT STOPPED OUR ACFT ON RWY 4L AND AN ACFT ON FINAL WAS TOLD TO GO AROUND. I WAS DISTR BY A CHANGE IN DEP PROCS AND WAS LOOKING OVER THE SID WHEN I COULD HAVE BEEN KEEPING AN EYE ON THE CAPT. GND CTL ISSUED VAGUE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WHEN HE TOLD US TO FOLLOW THE AIRBUS, WITHOUT GIVING A CLRNC LIMIT.

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.