Narrative:

I was moving my aircraft from a maintenance shop on the south side of santa monica's runway 21/3, west end. The tower is on the north side, near east end. Taxi clearance was given me, but as I drew abeam a helicopter whose blade was rotating, my clearance was amended, but jumbled by similar n-numbers to mine, and the fact that I was unaware of an aircraft holding in position at the far east end of runway 21. I was on the centerline of the taxiway parallel to the runway, moving east. The controller then instructed me to angle past, or around, the helicopter and 'hold short of runway 21.' this amended clearance muddled the situation for all concerned except for the small jet holding in position, virtually invisible to me at the time. The helicopter caused several problems. First, the controller was forced to 'look our for me.' I never learned of the jet in position. The ground controller, concerned with the helicopter, might have indicated that she had an aircraft in position -- and this would have solved everything. I believe there were 3 aircraft on frequency when I was instructed to 'taxi around, or past, or angle away from the helicopter.' what happened next was complicated by the circumstances of the noise of the chopper, and the amended clearance I received from the controller at the same moment. That another aircraft had a very similar call sign to mine did not help either. I understood my clearance, or so I thought, 'move away from, or angle...and hold short of 21.' the problem thus created for me was to discern my 'hold short' point. How close to the runway? As I rolled toward the runway, the controller issued a sharp, direct order, 'aircraft X hold short!' I hit the brakes in compliance. I was on the wide apron that separates the taxiway from the runway. No hold short lines exist in that no-mans-land, as they do at formal crossing points like bravo 1 or 2. But I always knew full well that I was to hold short of runway 21. All was well after that. The jet departed. I was instructed to cross runway 21, and I taxied to my hangar. Taxi instructions for the area when the helicopter is spooling up would best guide the pilot if there were re-worded to, 'aircraft X, taxi around the helicopter and immediately return to the taxiway centerline and continue as cleared.' in a situation such as the one I described above, it is useful if everyone being worked fully understands, 'aircraft holding in position on runway 21.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C206 PLT IS GIVEN CLRNC TO TAXI AROUND A HELI AND SUBSEQUENTLY MAKES A SUDDEN STOP AFTER BEING COMMANDED TO HOLD SHORT OF OCCUPIED RWY 21 AT SMO.

Narrative: I WAS MOVING MY ACFT FROM A MAINT SHOP ON THE S SIDE OF SANTA MONICA'S RWY 21/3, W END. THE TWR IS ON THE N SIDE, NEAR E END. TAXI CLRNC WAS GIVEN ME, BUT AS I DREW ABEAM A HELI WHOSE BLADE WAS ROTATING, MY CLRNC WAS AMENDED, BUT JUMBLED BY SIMILAR N-NUMBERS TO MINE, AND THE FACT THAT I WAS UNAWARE OF AN ACFT HOLDING IN POS AT THE FAR E END OF RWY 21. I WAS ON THE CTRLINE OF THE TXWY PARALLEL TO THE RWY, MOVING E. THE CTLR THEN INSTRUCTED ME TO ANGLE PAST, OR AROUND, THE HELI AND 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 21.' THIS AMENDED CLRNC MUDDLED THE SIT FOR ALL CONCERNED EXCEPT FOR THE SMALL JET HOLDING IN POS, VIRTUALLY INVISIBLE TO ME AT THE TIME. THE HELI CAUSED SEVERAL PROBS. FIRST, THE CTLR WAS FORCED TO 'LOOK OUR FOR ME.' I NEVER LEARNED OF THE JET IN POS. THE GND CTLR, CONCERNED WITH THE HELI, MIGHT HAVE INDICATED THAT SHE HAD AN ACFT IN POS -- AND THIS WOULD HAVE SOLVED EVERYTHING. I BELIEVE THERE WERE 3 ACFT ON FREQ WHEN I WAS INSTRUCTED TO 'TAXI AROUND, OR PAST, OR ANGLE AWAY FROM THE HELI.' WHAT HAPPENED NEXT WAS COMPLICATED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE NOISE OF THE CHOPPER, AND THE AMENDED CLRNC I RECEIVED FROM THE CTLR AT THE SAME MOMENT. THAT ANOTHER ACFT HAD A VERY SIMILAR CALL SIGN TO MINE DID NOT HELP EITHER. I UNDERSTOOD MY CLRNC, OR SO I THOUGHT, 'MOVE AWAY FROM, OR ANGLE...AND HOLD SHORT OF 21.' THE PROB THUS CREATED FOR ME WAS TO DISCERN MY 'HOLD SHORT' POINT. HOW CLOSE TO THE RWY? AS I ROLLED TOWARD THE RWY, THE CTLR ISSUED A SHARP, DIRECT ORDER, 'ACFT X HOLD SHORT!' I HIT THE BRAKES IN COMPLIANCE. I WAS ON THE WIDE APRON THAT SEPARATES THE TXWY FROM THE RWY. NO HOLD SHORT LINES EXIST IN THAT NO-MANS-LAND, AS THEY DO AT FORMAL XING POINTS LIKE BRAVO 1 OR 2. BUT I ALWAYS KNEW FULL WELL THAT I WAS TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 21. ALL WAS WELL AFTER THAT. THE JET DEPARTED. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO CROSS RWY 21, AND I TAXIED TO MY HANGAR. TAXI INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE AREA WHEN THE HELI IS SPOOLING UP WOULD BEST GUIDE THE PLT IF THERE WERE RE-WORDED TO, 'ACFT X, TAXI AROUND THE HELI AND IMMEDIATELY RETURN TO THE TXWY CTRLINE AND CONTINUE AS CLRED.' IN A SIT SUCH AS THE ONE I DESCRIBED ABOVE, IT IS USEFUL IF EVERYONE BEING WORKED FULLY UNDERSTANDS, 'ACFT HOLDING IN POS ON RWY 21.'

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.