Narrative:

Push back and engine start was completed and first officer requested taxi instructions from honolulu ground control. Taxi instructions were given: taxi to runway 8L hold short ofirst officern? Lima. The first officer and I confirmed with each other that since we were on lima we should taxi up to and hold short of alpha. Meanwhile an airplane was ahead of us on lima that turned right on alpha. The other 737 was given instructions to taxi on lima once first aircraft was clear. Then it occurred to us that we would be in the way and I slowed adjacent to the cargo ramp to give us an option to get out of the way. Abeam the cargo ramp we queried ground control where on lima did he want us to hold because we saw another 737 waiting short of lima on alpha pointed to the west. We were then chastised and directed to turn around in the cargo ramp and give way to the other aircraft. Human performance: there was maintenance on the entrance of golf taxiway into the inter-island terminal but it wasn't clear to either of us pilots the impact it presented to lima being the only entry way to the parking area. The taxi instruction from ground control was unusual and we should have queried it but we figured he was busy and really meant for us to hold short of alpha on lima. We were lined up on lima in the inter-island parking area and the only other alternative way to comply is to taxi to what would be the other end of lima at the inter-island entry area. And if we did that we would still block the incoming 737. We could have pulled forward just enough to allow the incoming 737 to enter lima and taxi toward the inter-island parking area and then maneuver to the right on what would be golf or an extension of golf. Confusing? Resources: the taxi diagram for hnl is of little help when determining where 'short of lima' is located given our position in the inter-island terminal. The ground control taxi instructions was confusing and we fixed it by assuming what he really meant. It is unclear where lima and golf start or end in the inter-island parking area. It is also unclear where the uncontrolled parking area begins and ends. (I was taught years ago that the alpha taxiway delineated the beginning of a controlled area.) I suggest we put taxi spot markings similar to las where we taxi from what is sometimes an uncontrolled parking area and enter a controlled area and contact ground control at spot #. This spot would have to be far enough back to allow the type of incoming airplane to maneuver around the holding aircraft. I suggest that the markings be placed similar to other airfields of where uncontrolled areas are located.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT CREW HAD A TXWY INCURSION IN HNL AT LEAST IN PART BECAUSE OF CONFUSION WITH ARPT SIGNAGE AND COMMERCIAL CHARTING.

Narrative: PUSH BACK AND ENGINE START WAS COMPLETED AND FO REQUESTED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS FROM HONOLULU GND CTL. TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN: TAXI TO RWY 8L HOLD SHORT OF/ON? LIMA. THE FO AND I CONFIRMED WITH EACH OTHER THAT SINCE WE WERE ON LIMA WE SHOULD TAXI UP TO AND HOLD SHORT OF ALPHA. MEANWHILE AN AIRPLANE WAS AHEAD OF US ON LIMA THAT TURNED R ON ALPHA. THE OTHER 737 WAS GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI ON LIMA ONCE FIRST ACFT WAS CLR. THEN IT OCCURRED TO US THAT WE WOULD BE IN THE WAY AND I SLOWED ADJACENT TO THE CARGO RAMP TO GIVE US AN OPTION TO GET OUT OF THE WAY. ABEAM THE CARGO RAMP WE QUERIED GC WHERE ON LIMA DID HE WANT US TO HOLD BECAUSE WE SAW ANOTHER 737 WAITING SHORT OF LIMA ON ALPHA POINTED TO THE WEST. WE WERE THEN CHASTISED AND DIRECTED TO TURN AROUND IN THE CARGO RAMP AND GIVE WAY TO THE OTHER ACFT. HUMAN PERFORMANCE: THERE WAS MAINT ON THE ENTRANCE OF GOLF TXWY INTO THE INTER-ISLAND TERMINAL BUT IT WASN'T CLR TO EITHER OF US PLTS THE IMPACT IT PRESENTED TO LIMA BEING THE ONLY ENTRY WAY TO THE PARKING AREA. THE TAXI INSTRUCTION FROM GC WAS UNUSUAL AND WE SHOULD HAVE QUERIED IT BUT WE FIGURED HE WAS BUSY AND REALLY MEANT FOR US TO HOLD SHORT OF ALPHA ON LIMA. WE WERE LINED UP ON LIMA IN THE INTER-ISLAND PARKING AREA AND THE ONLY OTHER ALTERNATIVE WAY TO COMPLY IS TO TAXI TO WHAT WOULD BE THE OTHER END OF LIMA AT THE INTER-ISLAND ENTRY AREA. AND IF WE DID THAT WE WOULD STILL BLOCK THE INCOMING 737. WE COULD HAVE PULLED FORWARD JUST ENOUGH TO ALLOW THE INCOMING 737 TO ENTER LIMA AND TAXI TOWARD THE INTER-ISLAND PARKING AREA AND THEN MANEUVER TO THE R ON WHAT WOULD BE GOLF OR AN EXTENSION OF GOLF. CONFUSING? RESOURCES: THE TAXI DIAGRAM FOR HNL IS OF LITTLE HELP WHEN DETERMINING WHERE 'SHORT OF LIMA' IS LOCATED GIVEN OUR POSITION IN THE INTER-ISLAND TERMINAL. THE GC TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WAS CONFUSING AND WE FIXED IT BY ASSUMING WHAT HE REALLY MEANT. IT IS UNCLEAR WHERE LIMA AND GOLF START OR END IN THE INTER-ISLAND PARKING AREA. IT IS ALSO UNCLEAR WHERE THE UNCONTROLLED PARKING AREA BEGINS AND ENDS. (I WAS TAUGHT YEARS AGO THAT THE ALPHA TAXIWAY DELINEATED THE BEGINNING OF A CONTROLLED AREA.) I SUGGEST WE PUT TAXI SPOT MARKINGS SIMILAR TO LAS WHERE WE TAXI FROM WHAT IS SOMETIMES AN UNCONTROLLED PARKING AREA AND ENTER A CONTROLLED AREA AND CONTACT GC AT SPOT #. THIS SPOT WOULD HAVE TO BE FAR ENOUGH BACK TO ALLOW THE TYPE OF INCOMING AIRPLANE TO MANEUVER AROUND THE HOLDING ACFT. I SUGGEST THAT THE MARKINGS BE PLACED SIMILAR TO OTHER AIRFIELDS OF WHERE UNCONTROLLED AREAS ARE LOCATED.

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.