Narrative:

On wed of feb 2007; after landing air carrier X at dca; we cleared runway 1 and switched to ground control frequency. Our gate was to have been gate X; but operations changed the gate to Y. Both gates were occupied and we would have to wait for a gate. Ground gave us the clearance to 'taxi to the runway 4 block.' the captain continued slowly southbound on taxiway J as we tried to decipher what 'runway 4 block' meant on the taxi diagram. Abeam gate Y we contacted a very busy ground controller to communicate that we were unfamiliar; and could ground please give us a clearance via txwys marked. Ground responded with a very frustrated clearance 'air carrier X -- I told you to taxi to runway 4 block.' a ground maintenance vehicle jumped in on the frequency to offer to provide follow me service or clear us to a designated spot; but ground control ignored his solicitation and again cleared us to the runway 4 block. An air carrier Y was passing us on the inside taxiway; and ground then changed the plan. 'Air carrier X; wait for air carrier Y to pass then follow him via K to the runway 4 block'. We were still unclear what the meaning of runway 4 block meant; but in my readback I offered 'would you like us at the intersections of txwys a and B?' ground answered; 'yes. Taxi to the runway 4 block.' as we approached runway 4; a blast fence and a runup area became visible in this poorly lit area of the airfield. We pulled over and came to a stop in the runup area. After stopping in the runup area; I made a call to ground; 'runway 4 block is not identified on the chart.' ground's response was that we should have known where the runup area to runway 4 was. It is not labeled on the 10-9 or noted in our 10-7S that dca ground has nonstandard terminology for the runup area. It should be noted that at no time did ground use the term 'runup area.' five to ten minutes passed as the aircraft was towed off our gate. When the gate was opening up; we asked ground; 'can we taxi to parking'. The response came; 'air carrier X; I'll get back to you.' so we waited. Thirty seconds later; ground gave the clearance; 'air carrier X taxi to your gate straight ahead via J'. The problem was that we were not adjacent to taxiway J. The runup area is adjacent to txwys a; B and runway 4. Taxiway J was on the other side of runway 4 (which was inactive at the time) or accessible by taxiing via a to C to J. The captain eager to get to the gate started adding power to get the aircraft moving. Approaching the hold line for runway 4 (approximately 25 ft from our parked position at the ramp) I told the captain; 'stop; we're about to taxi onto runway 4.' he told me; 'no; I can see our taxiway straight ahead.' and he continued the taxi. The txwys were dark; this part of the airport was not lit well at all; and I thought maybe I was disoriented so I was referring to the 10-9 when ground interrupted; air carrier X; you have taxied onto runway 4; continue straight ahead on runway 4 and exit taxiway C.' this time the problem was taxiway C was behind us; taxiing straight ahead would get us off of runway 4 but not adjacent to taxiway C. The captain following ground's instruction to taxi straight ahead crossed runway 4. On the other side; ground control finally cleared us to the gate with a valid clearance; 'taxi via J; cross runway 4; taxi via J to the gate.' we followed the taxi instructions to the gate. 1) ground needed to use standard terminology and direct traffic to txwys listed on the chart. 2) the airport needs to do a better job of lighting the txwys at night and designating holding areas. 3) the captain should have stopped when directed to by his copilot. 4) I should have taken over and stopped the aircraft when the captain was unresponsive to my verbal direction to stop the aircraft before creating a possible runway incursion. 5) the 10-7 might need to be updated to include a note that 'runway 4 block' means the runup area adjacent to the blast fences and runway 4 and taxiway a.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that following the crew's initial request for a 'runway 4 block' clarification; the ground maintenance truck personnel's offer to act as a 'follow me' was explicitly rejected by the ATC ground controller. A further attempt by the same maintenance personnel to provide a taxiway description of the hold area was likewise rebuffed by ATC. Ultimately the crew was in the general runway 4 hold area but too far south on taxiway 'B' making their exit out of the area difficult without using runway 4 approach end. When the aircraft did ultimately enter runway 4; the captain was confused about their location and so the incursion resulted. The reporter states that the ground controller had no further comments for the crew after this event was concluded.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-800 CREW AT DCA WERE UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE 'RWY 4 BLOCK' FROM THE COMMERCIAL ARPT CHART AND ATC WOULD NOT IDENTIFY THE LOCATION.

Narrative: ON WED OF FEB 2007; AFTER LNDG ACR X AT DCA; WE CLEARED RWY 1 AND SWITCHED TO GROUND CONTROL FREQUENCY. OUR GATE WAS TO HAVE BEEN GATE X; BUT OPS CHANGED THE GATE TO Y. BOTH GATES WERE OCCUPIED AND WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT FOR A GATE. GROUND GAVE US THE CLRNC TO 'TAXI TO THE RWY 4 BLOCK.' THE CAPTAIN CONTINUED SLOWLY SOUTHBOUND ON TXWY J AS WE TRIED TO DECIPHER WHAT 'RWY 4 BLOCK' MEANT ON THE TAXI DIAGRAM. ABEAM GATE Y WE CONTACTED A VERY BUSY GROUND CONTROLLER TO COMMUNICATE THAT WE WERE UNFAMILIAR; AND COULD GROUND PLEASE GIVE US A CLRNC VIA TXWYS MARKED. GROUND RESPONDED WITH A VERY FRUSTRATED CLRNC 'ACR X -- I TOLD YOU TO TAXI TO RWY 4 BLOCK.' A GROUND MAINTENANCE VEHICLE JUMPED IN ON THE FREQUENCY TO OFFER TO PROVIDE FOLLOW ME SERVICE OR CLEAR US TO A DESIGNATED SPOT; BUT GROUND CONTROL IGNORED HIS SOLICITATION AND AGAIN CLEARED US TO THE RWY 4 BLOCK. AN ACR Y WAS PASSING US ON THE INSIDE TXWY; AND GROUND THEN CHANGED THE PLAN. 'ACR X; WAIT FOR ACR Y TO PASS THEN FOLLOW HIM VIA K TO THE RWY 4 BLOCK'. WE WERE STILL UNCLEAR WHAT THE MEANING OF RWY 4 BLOCK MEANT; BUT IN MY READBACK I OFFERED 'WOULD YOU LIKE US AT THE INTERSECTIONS OF TXWYS A AND B?' GROUND ANSWERED; 'YES. TAXI TO THE RWY 4 BLOCK.' AS WE APPROACHED RWY 4; A BLAST FENCE AND A RUNUP AREA BECAME VISIBLE IN THIS POORLY LIT AREA OF THE AIRFIELD. WE PULLED OVER AND CAME TO A STOP IN THE RUNUP AREA. AFTER STOPPING IN THE RUNUP AREA; I MADE A CALL TO GROUND; 'RWY 4 BLOCK IS NOT IDENTIFIED ON THE CHART.' GROUND'S RESPONSE WAS THAT WE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN WHERE THE RUNUP AREA TO RWY 4 WAS. IT IS NOT LABELED ON THE 10-9 OR NOTED IN OUR 10-7S THAT DCA GROUND HAS NONSTANDARD TERMINOLOGY FOR THE RUNUP AREA. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT AT NO TIME DID GROUND USE THE TERM 'RUNUP AREA.' FIVE TO TEN MINUTES PASSED AS THE ACFT WAS TOWED OFF OUR GATE. WHEN THE GATE WAS OPENING UP; WE ASKED GROUND; 'CAN WE TAXI TO PARKING'. THE RESPONSE CAME; 'ACR X; I'LL GET BACK TO YOU.' SO WE WAITED. THIRTY SECONDS LATER; GROUND GAVE THE CLRNC; 'ACR X TAXI TO YOUR GATE STRAIGHT AHEAD VIA J'. THE PROBLEM WAS THAT WE WERE NOT ADJACENT TO TXWY J. THE RUNUP AREA IS ADJACENT TO TXWYS A; B AND RWY 4. TXWY J WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF RWY 4 (WHICH WAS INACTIVE AT THE TIME) OR ACCESSIBLE BY TAXIING VIA A TO C TO J. THE CAPT EAGER TO GET TO THE GATE STARTED ADDING POWER TO GET THE ACFT MOVING. APCHING THE HOLD LINE FOR RWY 4 (APPROX 25 FT FROM OUR PARKED POSITION AT THE RAMP) I TOLD THE CAPT; 'STOP; WE'RE ABOUT TO TAXI ONTO RWY 4.' HE TOLD ME; 'NO; I CAN SEE OUR TXWY STRAIGHT AHEAD.' AND HE CONTINUED THE TAXI. THE TXWYS WERE DARK; THIS PART OF THE AIRPORT WAS NOT LIT WELL AT ALL; AND I THOUGHT MAYBE I WAS DISORIENTED SO I WAS REFERRING TO THE 10-9 WHEN GROUND INTERRUPTED; ACR X; YOU HAVE TAXIED ONTO RWY 4; CONTINUE STRAIGHT AHEAD ON RWY 4 AND EXIT TXWY C.' THIS TIME THE PROBLEM WAS TXWY C WAS BEHIND US; TAXIING STRAIGHT AHEAD WOULD GET US OFF OF RWY 4 BUT NOT ADJACENT TO TXWY C. THE CAPT FOLLOWING GROUND'S INSTRUCTION TO TAXI STRAIGHT AHEAD CROSSED RWY 4. ON THE OTHER SIDE; GROUND CONTROL FINALLY CLEARED US TO THE GATE WITH A VALID CLRNC; 'TAXI VIA J; CROSS RWY 4; TAXI VIA J TO THE GATE.' WE FOLLOWED THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO THE GATE. 1) GROUND NEEDED TO USE STANDARD TERMINOLOGY AND DIRECT TFC TO TXWYS LISTED ON THE CHART. 2) THE AIRPORT NEEDS TO DO A BETTER JOB OF LIGHTING THE TXWYS AT NIGHT AND DESIGNATING HOLDING AREAS. 3) THE CAPTAIN SHOULD HAVE STOPPED WHEN DIRECTED TO BY HIS COPILOT. 4) I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN OVER AND STOPPED THE AIRCRAFT WHEN THE CAPT WAS UNRESPONSIVE TO MY VERBAL DIRECTION TO STOP THE ACFT BEFORE CREATING A POSSIBLE RWY INCURSION. 5) THE 10-7 MIGHT NEED TO BE UPDATED TO INCLUDE A NOTE THAT 'RWY 4 BLOCK' MEANS THE RUNUP AREA ADJACENT TO THE BLAST FENCES AND RWY 4 AND TXWY A.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT FOLLOWING THE CREW'S INITIAL REQUEST FOR A 'RWY 4 BLOCK' CLARIFICATION; THE GND MAINT TRUCK PERSONNEL'S OFFER TO ACT AS A 'FOLLOW ME' WAS EXPLICITLY REJECTED BY THE ATC GND CTLR. A FURTHER ATTEMPT BY THE SAME MAINT PERSONNEL TO PROVIDE A TXWY DESCRIPTION OF THE HOLD AREA WAS LIKEWISE REBUFFED BY ATC. ULTIMATELY THE CREW WAS IN THE GENERAL RWY 4 HOLD AREA BUT TOO FAR SOUTH ON TXWY 'B' MAKING THEIR EXIT OUT OF THE AREA DIFFICULT WITHOUT USING RWY 4 APCH END. WHEN THE ACFT DID ULTIMATELY ENTER RWY 4; THE CAPT WAS CONFUSED ABOUT THEIR LOCATION AND SO THE INCURSION RESULTED. THE RPTR STATES THAT THE GND CTLR HAD NO FURTHER COMMENTS FOR THE CREW AFTER THIS EVENT WAS CONCLUDED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.