Narrative:

After calling ground for taxi we were instructed to proceed to runway 24, via taxiway east, hold short of runway 33. I began the taxi and came to a hold short line just off the end of our concourse. Thinking that this was a displaced hold short line for runway 33 and 01, I stopped and waited for clearance to cross. Ground control was busy, so I was unable to clarify our position with him, but reasoned that if I was in error, it was on the side of caution. A short while later I heard ground clear a dash-8 to taxi to runway 33 (callsign). As he was approaching our position and what I thought was the hold short line for 33 and 01, ground control cleared us to cross runway 33 and taxi via east to runway 24. No mention was made of the dash-8 in the clearance, so I assumed he would stop at the hold short line I was at. As I began to taxi, I saw the dash-8 slow and stop as we passed in front of him on our way to runway 24. At this point, I realized that there was another hold short line on east just short of runway 33 that we could not see from where we had stopped. The dash-8 then called ground and noted that we had cut him off. Neither of us had been told to give way to the other. We both proceeded to our runways and departed without further incident. A few things that could eliminate a reoccurrence of this confusion would be: pilots (myself included) need to clarify right of way when given an ambiguous clearance. Controller needs to be clearer in alerting taxiing aircraft of other aircraft near them. None of the hold short lines are depicted on the 10-0 page and none of them are painted with the red box to clarify which runway they pertain to. This intersection of east, runway 33 and runway 01 is very confusing and better signage would go a long way to clarify the proper hold short locations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 TAXIING FOR DEP AT BDL WAS UNSURE OF RWY HOLD LINES AND EXPERIENCED CONFLICTION.

Narrative: AFTER CALLING GND FOR TAXI WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO PROCEED TO RWY 24, VIA TXWY E, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 33. I BEGAN THE TAXI AND CAME TO A HOLD SHORT LINE JUST OFF THE END OF OUR CONCOURSE. THINKING THAT THIS WAS A DISPLACED HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 33 AND 01, I STOPPED AND WAITED FOR CLRNC TO CROSS. GND CTL WAS BUSY, SO I WAS UNABLE TO CLARIFY OUR POSITION WITH HIM, BUT REASONED THAT IF I WAS IN ERROR, IT WAS ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION. A SHORT WHILE LATER I HEARD GND CLR A DASH-8 TO TAXI TO RWY 33 (CALLSIGN). AS HE WAS APCHING OUR POSITION AND WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR 33 AND 01, GND CTL CLRED US TO CROSS RWY 33 AND TAXI VIA E TO RWY 24. NO MENTION WAS MADE OF THE DASH-8 IN THE CLRNC, SO I ASSUMED HE WOULD STOP AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE I WAS AT. AS I BEGAN TO TAXI, I SAW THE DASH-8 SLOW AND STOP AS WE PASSED IN FRONT OF HIM ON OUR WAY TO RWY 24. AT THIS POINT, I REALIZED THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER HOLD SHORT LINE ON E JUST SHORT OF RWY 33 THAT WE COULD NOT SEE FROM WHERE WE HAD STOPPED. THE DASH-8 THEN CALLED GND AND NOTED THAT WE HAD CUT HIM OFF. NEITHER OF US HAD BEEN TOLD TO GIVE WAY TO THE OTHER. WE BOTH PROCEEDED TO OUR RWYS AND DEPARTED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. A FEW THINGS THAT COULD ELIMINATE A REOCCURRENCE OF THIS CONFUSION WOULD BE: PLTS (MYSELF INCLUDED) NEED TO CLARIFY RIGHT OF WAY WHEN GIVEN AN AMBIGUOUS CLRNC. CTLR NEEDS TO BE CLEARER IN ALERTING TAXIING ACFT OF OTHER ACFT NEAR THEM. NONE OF THE HOLD SHORT LINES ARE DEPICTED ON THE 10-0 PAGE AND NONE OF THEM ARE PAINTED WITH THE RED BOX TO CLARIFY WHICH RWY THEY PERTAIN TO. THIS INTXN OF E, RWY 33 AND RWY 01 IS VERY CONFUSING AND BETTER SIGNAGE WOULD GO A LONG WAY TO CLARIFY THE PROPER HOLD SHORT LOCATIONS.

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.