Narrative:

Lax 'the mecca of runway/taxiway incursions.' air carrier U A340 on visual approach to runway 25L. Air carrier X B767 5 mi in trail on visual approach to runway 25L. The A340 landed, pulled off on high speed taxiway M and held short of runway 25R. Our B767 landed after them on runway 25L, unable to turn off on taxiway J or taxiway K, and unable to use taxiway M since the A340 was there, continued to taxiway north. As we passed taxiway M, tower instructed us to 'exit taxiway north, cross runway 25R and ground point seven five.' lax ground always wants to know immediately if our assigned gate and alley are open, so I called air carrier ramp to get the status while crossing runway 25R. We heard no instructions for air carrier Y. As we cleared runway 25R, I reported to ground that we were clear of runway 25R on taxiway north for alley C8 and gate. Although I had selected 121.75 on the open radio head, I had not switched frequencys and was told by tower to 'switch to point seven five and continue on taxiway C.' I switched to ground and reported we were on taxiway north joining taxiway C. At this point, air carrier Y broadcast that they wanted to 'file a safety report on air carrier X.' they had crossed runway 25R prior to us and were on taxiway M flowing into taxiway B at a 45 degree angle. We saw them and were aware that we were crossing in front of them as we crossed taxiway B, but they were going very slowly and we assumed they were giving way to us because a B767-300-er must encroach on taxiway B if it is to clear runway 25R as we were instructed. There was an element of doubt since I had not flipped the radio over to ground, but the captain still followed the instruction to cross (and clear, by implication) runway 25R. The air carrier Y crew had no reason to expect us to stop or allow them to cut in front of us. Ground control had not told them to expect it and was unaware of any conflict or deviation from instructions. Bottom line: the layout of lax, and the high workload frequency dance they require will continue to set pilots up for runway and taxiway incursion. In addition, our british colleagues were wrong, presumptuous, and rude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-300 FLC IS ACCUSED OF A SAFETY VIOLATION BY A FOREIGN CARRIER DURING A TFC CONFLICT ON TXWY B AT LAX, CA.

Narrative: LAX 'THE MECCA OF RWY/TXWY INCURSIONS.' ACR U A340 ON VISUAL APCH TO RWY 25L. ACR X B767 5 MI IN TRAIL ON VISUAL APCH TO RWY 25L. THE A340 LANDED, PULLED OFF ON HIGH SPD TXWY M AND HELD SHORT OF RWY 25R. OUR B767 LANDED AFTER THEM ON RWY 25L, UNABLE TO TURN OFF ON TXWY J OR TXWY K, AND UNABLE TO USE TXWY M SINCE THE A340 WAS THERE, CONTINUED TO TXWY N. AS WE PASSED TXWY M, TWR INSTRUCTED US TO 'EXIT TXWY N, CROSS RWY 25R AND GND POINT SEVEN FIVE.' LAX GND ALWAYS WANTS TO KNOW IMMEDIATELY IF OUR ASSIGNED GATE AND ALLEY ARE OPEN, SO I CALLED ACR RAMP TO GET THE STATUS WHILE XING RWY 25R. WE HEARD NO INSTRUCTIONS FOR ACR Y. AS WE CLRED RWY 25R, I RPTED TO GND THAT WE WERE CLR OF RWY 25R ON TXWY N FOR ALLEY C8 AND GATE. ALTHOUGH I HAD SELECTED 121.75 ON THE OPEN RADIO HEAD, I HAD NOT SWITCHED FREQS AND WAS TOLD BY TWR TO 'SWITCH TO POINT SEVEN FIVE AND CONTINUE ON TXWY C.' I SWITCHED TO GND AND RPTED WE WERE ON TXWY N JOINING TXWY C. AT THIS POINT, ACR Y BROADCAST THAT THEY WANTED TO 'FILE A SAFETY RPT ON ACR X.' THEY HAD CROSSED RWY 25R PRIOR TO US AND WERE ON TXWY M FLOWING INTO TXWY B AT A 45 DEG ANGLE. WE SAW THEM AND WERE AWARE THAT WE WERE XING IN FRONT OF THEM AS WE CROSSED TXWY B, BUT THEY WERE GOING VERY SLOWLY AND WE ASSUMED THEY WERE GIVING WAY TO US BECAUSE A B767-300-ER MUST ENCROACH ON TXWY B IF IT IS TO CLR RWY 25R AS WE WERE INSTRUCTED. THERE WAS AN ELEMENT OF DOUBT SINCE I HAD NOT FLIPPED THE RADIO OVER TO GND, BUT THE CAPT STILL FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTION TO CROSS (AND CLR, BY IMPLICATION) RWY 25R. THE ACR Y CREW HAD NO REASON TO EXPECT US TO STOP OR ALLOW THEM TO CUT IN FRONT OF US. GND CTL HAD NOT TOLD THEM TO EXPECT IT AND WAS UNAWARE OF ANY CONFLICT OR DEV FROM INSTRUCTIONS. BOTTOM LINE: THE LAYOUT OF LAX, AND THE HIGH WORKLOAD FREQ DANCE THEY REQUIRE WILL CONTINUE TO SET PLTS UP FOR RWY AND TXWY INCURSION. IN ADDITION, OUR BRITISH COLLEAGUES WERE WRONG, PRESUMPTUOUS, AND RUDE.

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.