Narrative:

Tower contacted me before 3 mi out, and cleared me to land as #2 on runway 31L. I acknowledged. Upon landing, tower asked me to continue my rollout to the end for 'parking' and hold short of runway 31R. I acknowledged and complied. The use of the word 'parking' as part of a tower instruction during the initial fast part of the rollout is to my knowledge unusual and maybe highly unusual. There was already an aircraft at the end of the runway holding short of runway 31R (between the 2 sets of hold lines). Thus to comply with the instruction, I angled abreast the other aircraft in the holding area between the 2 runways (there is a pavement 'bulge' on the hold area to accommodate a second aircraft just for this purpose). Tower then cleared 3 aircraft to cross runway 31R in rapid succession. I believe that I was the second to receive the crossing instruction. Specifically, I was told to 'cross runway 31R, follow the piper and go to ground.' I acknowledged the instruction to cross runway 31R and go to ground. As I started my taxi following the piper, I took a quick glance down the field to see where the third aircraft given instructions to cross runway 31R was. Not seeing another aircraft that would have been holding to cross runway 31R, I thought that it was highly likely that the third aircraft was behind me, thus potentially explaining the follow instruction. I crossed runway 31R as instructed, and not wanting to force the probable aircraft behind me to not be able to safely complete the instruction to cross runway 31R, I continued 'following' (as instructed) the piper in front of me. Thus I followed the piper some tens of feet past the hold line on the other side of the runway and immediately stopped when I decided that the misleading instruction required clarification. I do not remember if the ground frequency was congested at the time, preventing me from getting clarification. It was my intention to contact ground as instructed. I just don't know if the ground frequency was a factor too. Corrective actions: review far 91.129, and aim. Query controller on any unclr instruction before movement. Review this situation in detail with my flight instructor. Study runway incursion information from FAA and AOPA/asf.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C182 PLT, AFTER LNDG AT RHV, MISINTERPRETED TWR'S INSTRUCTION, FOLLOWING ANOTHER ACFT ACROSS THE PARALLEL.

Narrative: TWR CONTACTED ME BEFORE 3 MI OUT, AND CLRED ME TO LAND AS #2 ON RWY 31L. I ACKNOWLEDGED. UPON LNDG, TWR ASKED ME TO CONTINUE MY ROLLOUT TO THE END FOR 'PARKING' AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 31R. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND COMPLIED. THE USE OF THE WORD 'PARKING' AS PART OF A TWR INSTRUCTION DURING THE INITIAL FAST PART OF THE ROLLOUT IS TO MY KNOWLEDGE UNUSUAL AND MAYBE HIGHLY UNUSUAL. THERE WAS ALREADY AN ACFT AT THE END OF THE RWY HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 31R (BTWN THE 2 SETS OF HOLD LINES). THUS TO COMPLY WITH THE INSTRUCTION, I ANGLED ABREAST THE OTHER ACFT IN THE HOLDING AREA BTWN THE 2 RWYS (THERE IS A PAVEMENT 'BULGE' ON THE HOLD AREA TO ACCOMMODATE A SECOND ACFT JUST FOR THIS PURPOSE). TWR THEN CLRED 3 ACFT TO CROSS RWY 31R IN RAPID SUCCESSION. I BELIEVE THAT I WAS THE SECOND TO RECEIVE THE XING INSTRUCTION. SPECIFICALLY, I WAS TOLD TO 'CROSS RWY 31R, FOLLOW THE PIPER AND GO TO GND.' I ACKNOWLEDGED THE INSTRUCTION TO CROSS RWY 31R AND GO TO GND. AS I STARTED MY TAXI FOLLOWING THE PIPER, I TOOK A QUICK GLANCE DOWN THE FIELD TO SEE WHERE THE THIRD ACFT GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO CROSS RWY 31R WAS. NOT SEEING ANOTHER ACFT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN HOLDING TO CROSS RWY 31R, I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS HIGHLY LIKELY THAT THE THIRD ACFT WAS BEHIND ME, THUS POTENTIALLY EXPLAINING THE FOLLOW INSTRUCTION. I CROSSED RWY 31R AS INSTRUCTED, AND NOT WANTING TO FORCE THE PROBABLE ACFT BEHIND ME TO NOT BE ABLE TO SAFELY COMPLETE THE INSTRUCTION TO CROSS RWY 31R, I CONTINUED 'FOLLOWING' (AS INSTRUCTED) THE PIPER IN FRONT OF ME. THUS I FOLLOWED THE PIPER SOME TENS OF FEET PAST THE HOLD LINE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RWY AND IMMEDIATELY STOPPED WHEN I DECIDED THAT THE MISLEADING INSTRUCTION REQUIRED CLARIFICATION. I DO NOT REMEMBER IF THE GND FREQ WAS CONGESTED AT THE TIME, PREVENTING ME FROM GETTING CLARIFICATION. IT WAS MY INTENTION TO CONTACT GND AS INSTRUCTED. I JUST DON'T KNOW IF THE GND FREQ WAS A FACTOR TOO. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: REVIEW FAR 91.129, AND AIM. QUERY CTLR ON ANY UNCLR INSTRUCTION BEFORE MOVEMENT. REVIEW THIS SIT IN DETAIL WITH MY FLT INSTRUCTOR. STUDY RWY INCURSION INFO FROM FAA AND AOPA/ASF.

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.