B737-300 crew had confusing taxi clearance issued over an ACARS telemetry test at iad.

Attributes
ACN	517475
Time
Date	200107
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iad.airport
State Reference	VA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : iad.tower artcc : zab.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time type : 2164
ASRS Report	517475
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	incursion : taxiway non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Company ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : iad.tower

Narrative:

Incident concerns company test procedure at iad. Received a response via ACARS from our TR to 'monitor ground 132.45, ATIS current, expect runway 19R, expected taxi clearance turn right on taxiway Z.' we turned right onto taxiway Z without verbal clearance from ground controller. Contributing factors: 1) last time into iad was months ago and company test procedure was not in effect. 2) on inbound previous day we automatically received gate information on ACARS. 3) on outbound this leg, the response from our pr stated 'push approved.' these 3 events led us to assume company test procedure was up and operational. Additionally, sun angle made reading the ACARS difficult, and we simply missed the 'expected taxi clearance' line. Comments: test of company test procedure doesn't seem to include ground controllers. They made a comment they don't have any idea what the information printed to ACARS contains. Also company test procedure seems to be designed to increase on-time performance due to frequency congestion, yet it causes a great deal of 'heads down' time and causes a reduction of situational awareness -- you have no idea who is pushing or taxiing around you. Why not have just iad domiciled pilots perform the test versus all pilots. I'm surprised we don't have more incident of taxi problems at iad as a result of the ddtc test.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CREW HAD CONFUSING TAXI CLRNC ISSUED OVER AN ACARS TELEMETRY TEST AT IAD.

Narrative: INCIDENT CONCERNS COMPANY TEST PROC AT IAD. RECEIVED A RESPONSE VIA ACARS FROM OUR TR TO 'MONITOR GND 132.45, ATIS CURRENT, EXPECT RWY 19R, EXPECTED TAXI CLRNC TURN R ON TXWY Z.' WE TURNED R ONTO TXWY Z WITHOUT VERBAL CLRNC FROM GND CTLR. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) LAST TIME INTO IAD WAS MONTHS AGO AND COMPANY TEST PROC WAS NOT IN EFFECT. 2) ON INBOUND PREVIOUS DAY WE AUTOMATICALLY RECEIVED GATE INFO ON ACARS. 3) ON OUTBOUND THIS LEG, THE RESPONSE FROM OUR PR STATED 'PUSH APPROVED.' THESE 3 EVENTS LED US TO ASSUME COMPANY TEST PROC WAS UP AND OPERATIONAL. ADDITIONALLY, SUN ANGLE MADE READING THE ACARS DIFFICULT, AND WE SIMPLY MISSED THE 'EXPECTED TAXI CLRNC' LINE. COMMENTS: TEST OF COMPANY TEST PROC DOESN'T SEEM TO INCLUDE GND CTLRS. THEY MADE A COMMENT THEY DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THE INFO PRINTED TO ACARS CONTAINS. ALSO COMPANY TEST PROC SEEMS TO BE DESIGNED TO INCREASE ON-TIME PERFORMANCE DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION, YET IT CAUSES A GREAT DEAL OF 'HEADS DOWN' TIME AND CAUSES A REDUCTION OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS -- YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHO IS PUSHING OR TAXIING AROUND YOU. WHY NOT HAVE JUST IAD DOMICILED PLTS PERFORM THE TEST VERSUS ALL PLTS. I'M SURPRISED WE DON'T HAVE MORE INCIDENT OF TAXI PROBS AT IAD AS A RESULT OF THE DDTC TEST.

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.