Narrative:

We were #1 for takeoff on runway 26L, but needed more time to work out a passenger count discrepancy problem. We were told to cross runway 26L and hold in the ramp area. I thought I was complying, but when I asked if we could make a 180 degrees where we were, I was told 'I thought you were going to make a 180 degrees before that.' I had apparently taxied into the glide path zone for runway 26R as the controller called for a go around of the aircraft on final. The WX was 3000 ft over 10 mi, and the aircraft on final was approximately 2-3 mi out. I believe a heads up on the chart and even on the pavement would prevent this kind of excursion in the future. I also believe the controller should have issued explicit instructions to hold short of such and such or make a 180 degrees, etc. The ramp area under the glide path of runway 26R had a C130 parked on it mere ft from the extended centerline of the runway 26R approach. This lured me in to believing the area was a movement area. A big mistake on my part was to allow the first officer to stay on the radio with loads instead of monitoring the tower controller with me. He might have caught a clearance I missed or misunderstood. In short, I don't believe anyone was in any danger, but it shouldn't have happened. Supplemental information from acn 626469: I was not clear what we had to do after crossing since I had missed the transmission. We then taxied to the ramp area on final for runway 26R. I assumed we had been cleared to do so, but I saw an airplane on final for runway 26R and it did not seem right that we were where we were. The captain later expressed to me that the controller had not, in fact, told her to do a 180 degrees, and she did not feel that she had room to do so on the south side of runway 26L. There is a large ramp area there and it seemed logical to go there but there is probably a hold short line there as well. I think the tower's instructions were not clear and if I had heard the transmission to cross I could have helped more. I am not sure anybody did anything really wrong considering the circumstances, but clrer instructions and perhaps a query to tower if they wanted us to taxi across the hold short line for runway 26R final area would have helped.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A GAR ON RWY 26R IS THE RESULT OF A B757 ENTERING THE RAMP AREA THAT IS NEAR THE APCH END OF THE RWY AFTER BEING CLRED ACROSS RWY 26L.

Narrative: WE WERE #1 FOR TKOF ON RWY 26L, BUT NEEDED MORE TIME TO WORK OUT A PAX COUNT DISCREPANCY PROB. WE WERE TOLD TO CROSS RWY 26L AND HOLD IN THE RAMP AREA. I THOUGHT I WAS COMPLYING, BUT WHEN I ASKED IF WE COULD MAKE A 180 DEGS WHERE WE WERE, I WAS TOLD 'I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO MAKE A 180 DEGS BEFORE THAT.' I HAD APPARENTLY TAXIED INTO THE GLIDE PATH ZONE FOR RWY 26R AS THE CTLR CALLED FOR A GAR OF THE ACFT ON FINAL. THE WX WAS 3000 FT OVER 10 MI, AND THE ACFT ON FINAL WAS APPROX 2-3 MI OUT. I BELIEVE A HEADS UP ON THE CHART AND EVEN ON THE PAVEMENT WOULD PREVENT THIS KIND OF EXCURSION IN THE FUTURE. I ALSO BELIEVE THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE ISSUED EXPLICIT INSTRUCTIONS TO HOLD SHORT OF SUCH AND SUCH OR MAKE A 180 DEGS, ETC. THE RAMP AREA UNDER THE GLIDE PATH OF RWY 26R HAD A C130 PARKED ON IT MERE FT FROM THE EXTENDED CTRLINE OF THE RWY 26R APCH. THIS LURED ME IN TO BELIEVING THE AREA WAS A MOVEMENT AREA. A BIG MISTAKE ON MY PART WAS TO ALLOW THE FO TO STAY ON THE RADIO WITH LOADS INSTEAD OF MONITORING THE TWR CTLR WITH ME. HE MIGHT HAVE CAUGHT A CLRNC I MISSED OR MISUNDERSTOOD. IN SHORT, I DON'T BELIEVE ANYONE WAS IN ANY DANGER, BUT IT SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 626469: I WAS NOT CLR WHAT WE HAD TO DO AFTER XING SINCE I HAD MISSED THE XMISSION. WE THEN TAXIED TO THE RAMP AREA ON FINAL FOR RWY 26R. I ASSUMED WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO DO SO, BUT I SAW AN AIRPLANE ON FINAL FOR RWY 26R AND IT DID NOT SEEM RIGHT THAT WE WERE WHERE WE WERE. THE CAPT LATER EXPRESSED TO ME THAT THE CTLR HAD NOT, IN FACT, TOLD HER TO DO A 180 DEGS, AND SHE DID NOT FEEL THAT SHE HAD ROOM TO DO SO ON THE S SIDE OF RWY 26L. THERE IS A LARGE RAMP AREA THERE AND IT SEEMED LOGICAL TO GO THERE BUT THERE IS PROBABLY A HOLD SHORT LINE THERE AS WELL. I THINK THE TWR'S INSTRUCTIONS WERE NOT CLR AND IF I HAD HEARD THE XMISSION TO CROSS I COULD HAVE HELPED MORE. I AM NOT SURE ANYBODY DID ANYTHING REALLY WRONG CONSIDERING THE CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT CLRER INSTRUCTIONS AND PERHAPS A QUERY TO TWR IF THEY WANTED US TO TAXI ACROSS THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 26R FINAL AREA WOULD HAVE HELPED.

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.