MD80 flight crew misunderstands clearance during landing roll.

Attributes
ACN	556980
Time
Date	200208
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : elp.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi landing : roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	556980
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe ground encounters : vehicle incursion : runway non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllerb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew faa : investigated
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

On rollout, after landing on runway 26L, tower said to exit at the end. I was planning on exiting at taxiway J or taxiway K, but I thought he wanted me to continue further down the runway 26L approach, which would be straight ahead. We turned off at taxiway D prior to reaching runway 22. Tower then said that he wanted us off at taxiway K or taxiway J, but had not said that specifically. I called him later and he said something about having to make sure another aircraft did not conflict with us on runway 22. Runway 22 was closed according to ATIS. I am not aware of any conflict except possibly a maintenance truck that was working on runway 22. We never did enter runway 22. The clearance to exit the runway was ambiguous and time to clarify on rollout was not possible. The discussion with the controller seemed to be productive from the standpoint of improving communications.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLC MISUNDERSTANDS CLRNC DURING LNDG ROLL.

Narrative: ON ROLLOUT, AFTER LNDG ON RWY 26L, TWR SAID TO EXIT AT THE END. I WAS PLANNING ON EXITING AT TXWY J OR TXWY K, BUT I THOUGHT HE WANTED ME TO CONTINUE FURTHER DOWN THE RWY 26L APCH, WHICH WOULD BE STRAIGHT AHEAD. WE TURNED OFF AT TXWY D PRIOR TO REACHING RWY 22. TWR THEN SAID THAT HE WANTED US OFF AT TXWY K OR TXWY J, BUT HAD NOT SAID THAT SPECIFICALLY. I CALLED HIM LATER AND HE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT HAVING TO MAKE SURE ANOTHER ACFT DID NOT CONFLICT WITH US ON RWY 22. RWY 22 WAS CLOSED ACCORDING TO ATIS. I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY CONFLICT EXCEPT POSSIBLY A MAINT TRUCK THAT WAS WORKING ON RWY 22. WE NEVER DID ENTER RWY 22. THE CLRNC TO EXIT THE RWY WAS AMBIGUOUS AND TIME TO CLARIFY ON ROLLOUT WAS NOT POSSIBLE. THE DISCUSSION WITH THE CTLR SEEMED TO BE PRODUCTIVE FROM THE STANDPOINT OF IMPROVING COMS.

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.