Narrative:

Taxi for takeoff. Taxiing wbound from 'east' ramp, our aircraft was given instructions to taxi to runway 30 via taxiway Z and taxiway Y11. This instruction was vague, since no other txwys were mentioned after taxiway Y11, ie, taxiway Y, taxiway Z, or taxiway Q. The taxi time was short and 2 distrs developed -- one being a call from the flight attendants involving a broken seat and relocating a passenger, the second involving a hazmat paperwork check against our load closeout. Taxiing sbound on taxiway Z, the optics make it appear that taxiway Y11 ends/begins on the west side of the hold pad, thus our only option to turn right (west) away from the direct path to runway 30, south on taxiway 1. This puzzled myself and the first officer, who queried ground control as to routing and that runway full length was required. Ground control responded, 'taxiway Y11, full length, switch tower.' with the mind set to box pattern my way to runway 30, I took the right onto taxiway Y11 (nwbound) possibly violating the runway 1L approach area (dulles was landing runway 1L). Now on tower frequency, tower routed the aircraft south on taxiway Y, then southeast on taxiway Q (brief hold short taxiway Z), south on taxiway Q. Contributing factors 1) vague instructions from ground control, ie, no mention of left or right on taxiway Y11 or taxi route after taxiway Y11. 2) distrs during a short taxi, not allowing proper review of the commercial chart page for taxi route analysis. 3) indecisiveness on my part. I did adequately resolve my doubts about the routing, even after the query to ground control by the first officer. I should have requested more definitive instructions before proceeding and not allowed the knowledge that aircraft were behind me (stopping the chain) to pressure me into a hasty decision which took me away from the obvious routing which I had taken many times in the past. I also feel that more complete full route taxi instructions, ie, left or east, all txwys to be used etc, may have avoided this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 TAXIING FOR DEP AT IAD IS CONFUSED WITH RTE ASSIGNMENT.

Narrative: TAXI FOR TKOF. TAXIING WBOUND FROM 'E' RAMP, OUR ACFT WAS GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI TO RWY 30 VIA TXWY Z AND TXWY Y11. THIS INSTRUCTION WAS VAGUE, SINCE NO OTHER TXWYS WERE MENTIONED AFTER TXWY Y11, IE, TXWY Y, TXWY Z, OR TXWY Q. THE TAXI TIME WAS SHORT AND 2 DISTRS DEVELOPED -- ONE BEING A CALL FROM THE FLT ATTENDANTS INVOLVING A BROKEN SEAT AND RELOCATING A PAX, THE SECOND INVOLVING A HAZMAT PAPERWORK CHK AGAINST OUR LOAD CLOSEOUT. TAXIING SBOUND ON TXWY Z, THE OPTICS MAKE IT APPEAR THAT TXWY Y11 ENDS/BEGINS ON THE W SIDE OF THE HOLD PAD, THUS OUR ONLY OPTION TO TURN R (W) AWAY FROM THE DIRECT PATH TO RWY 30, S ON TXWY 1. THIS PUZZLED MYSELF AND THE FO, WHO QUERIED GND CTL AS TO ROUTING AND THAT RWY FULL LENGTH WAS REQUIRED. GND CTL RESPONDED, 'TXWY Y11, FULL LENGTH, SWITCH TWR.' WITH THE MIND SET TO BOX PATTERN MY WAY TO RWY 30, I TOOK THE R ONTO TXWY Y11 (NWBOUND) POSSIBLY VIOLATING THE RWY 1L APCH AREA (DULLES WAS LNDG RWY 1L). NOW ON TWR FREQ, TWR ROUTED THE ACFT S ON TXWY Y, THEN SE ON TXWY Q (BRIEF HOLD SHORT TXWY Z), S ON TXWY Q. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS 1) VAGUE INSTRUCTIONS FROM GND CTL, IE, NO MENTION OF L OR R ON TXWY Y11 OR TAXI RTE AFTER TXWY Y11. 2) DISTRS DURING A SHORT TAXI, NOT ALLOWING PROPER REVIEW OF THE COMMERCIAL CHART PAGE FOR TAXI RTE ANALYSIS. 3) INDECISIVENESS ON MY PART. I DID ADEQUATELY RESOLVE MY DOUBTS ABOUT THE ROUTING, EVEN AFTER THE QUERY TO GND CTL BY THE FO. I SHOULD HAVE REQUESTED MORE DEFINITIVE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE PROCEEDING AND NOT ALLOWED THE KNOWLEDGE THAT ACFT WERE BEHIND ME (STOPPING THE CHAIN) TO PRESSURE ME INTO A HASTY DECISION WHICH TOOK ME AWAY FROM THE OBVIOUS ROUTING WHICH I HAD TAKEN MANY TIMES IN THE PAST. I ALSO FEEL THAT MORE COMPLETE FULL RTE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, IE, L OR E, ALL TXWYS TO BE USED ETC, MAY HAVE AVOIDED THIS INCIDENT.

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.