Narrative:

Deviation from taxi clearance: reference dfw airport page and the company taxi route pages clearance from spot xx -- 'runway 36R bridge' approaching ha on B westbound after frequency change -- clearance issued 'runway 36R full length.' I slowed the aircraft as I referenced the chart and the first officer and I both misread the route to be G; a; then hs; wr. I referenced the chart again and caught the error as I passed up ha; stopped the aircraft well short of G and requested a 'plain language' taxi route verification. We were then instructed to continue to hold short of G and follow other taxiing aircraft to runway 36R via wr. Normal departure. After reviewing the taxi route chart in cruise; I noticed a significant difference in the exit spot block construction for runway 18L outer; inner; and full length and runway 36R outer; inner; and full length. I believe the use of the bold horizontal divider for the runway 36R full length block (not used for runway 18L) caused us to use the wrong route.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stressed that the use of coded clrnces while the aircraft is underway require at least one pilot to go heads down; retrieve the coded taxi route page; read the appropriate verbiage and then return to the airport page; determine how that coded routing translates to aircraft movement and then transmit that information to the taxiing pilot to ensure compliance. It is the reporter's opinion that the routing beyond ground control switchover point would be more user friendly in plain language because the routing subsequent to the changeover is neither lengthy nor complex. A plain language clearance would allow both pilots to retain the airport page for reference; thus eliminating the extraneous steps listed above.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CAPT FEELS CODED TAXI CLRNCES AT DFW REQUIRE EXCESSIVE FLT CREW HEADS DOWN TIME WHEN SUBSEQUENT SECONDARY CODED CLRNC IS ISSUED AS THE ACFT PASSES FROM THE EAST TO WEST GND CTLR OR VICE VERSA.

Narrative: DEV FROM TAXI CLRNC: REFERENCE DFW ARPT PAGE AND THE COMPANY TAXI RTE PAGES CLRNC FROM SPOT XX -- 'RWY 36R BRIDGE' APCHING HA ON B WESTBOUND AFTER FREQ CHANGE -- CLRNC ISSUED 'RWY 36R FULL LENGTH.' I SLOWED THE ACFT AS I REFERENCED THE CHART AND THE FO AND I BOTH MISREAD THE RTE TO BE G; A; THEN HS; WR. I REFERENCED THE CHART AGAIN AND CAUGHT THE ERROR AS I PASSED UP HA; STOPPED THE ACFT WELL SHORT OF G AND REQUESTED A 'PLAIN LANGUAGE' TAXI RTE VERIFICATION. WE WERE THEN INSTRUCTED TO CONTINUE TO HOLD SHORT OF G AND FOLLOW OTHER TAXIING ACFT TO RWY 36R VIA WR. NORMAL DEP. AFTER REVIEWING THE TAXI RTE CHART IN CRUISE; I NOTICED A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE EXIT SPOT BLOCK CONSTRUCTION FOR RWY 18L OUTER; INNER; AND FULL LENGTH AND RWY 36R OUTER; INNER; AND FULL LENGTH. I BELIEVE THE USE OF THE BOLD HORIZONTAL DIVIDER FOR THE RWY 36R FULL LENGTH BLOCK (NOT USED FOR RWY 18L) CAUSED US TO USE THE WRONG RTE.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STRESSED THAT THE USE OF CODED CLRNCES WHILE THE ACFT IS UNDERWAY REQUIRE AT LEAST ONE PLT TO GO HEADS DOWN; RETRIEVE THE CODED TAXI RTE PAGE; READ THE APPROPRIATE VERBIAGE AND THEN RETURN TO THE ARPT PAGE; DETERMINE HOW THAT CODED ROUTING TRANSLATES TO ACFT MOVEMENT AND THEN TRANSMIT THAT INFO TO THE TAXIING PLT TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE. IT IS THE RPTR'S OPINION THAT THE ROUTING BEYOND GND CTL SWITCHOVER POINT WOULD BE MORE USER FRIENDLY IN PLAIN LANGUAGE BECAUSE THE ROUTING SUBSEQUENT TO THE CHANGEOVER IS NEITHER LENGTHY NOR COMPLEX. A PLAIN LANGUAGE CLRNC WOULD ALLOW BOTH PLTS TO RETAIN THE ARPT PAGE FOR REFERENCE; THUS ELIMINATING THE EXTRANEOUS STEPS LISTED ABOVE.

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.