Narrative:

This event occurred in the incursion hotspot near runway 8R and runway 12. Initially left east ramp location and told 'taxi 8R via west; north.' became confused as to location of 'west' and queried controller. Told 'just take taxiway north to runway 8R.' then during taxi and checklist operation we were handed off and told 'expect runway 12 now.' proceeded to reprogram FMS for runway 12. Checklists completed. Reached incursion hotspot and told 'taxi to runway 8L position and hold.' this last statement occurred in the hotspot with 1 airplane in front of us holding short for runway 8R. Observed plane on short final for runway 12 (appeared like landing on runway 8L) resulting in confusion. Observed plane on short final for runway 12 (appeared like landing on runway 8L) resulting in confusion. Required to taxi off taxi line to get around aircraft in front of us to reach runway 8L resulting in loss of position on ramp. Eventually confirmed location visually and taxied onto runway 8L. Heard 'cleared for takeoff runway 8L fly runway heading.' took off. No incursion or violation occurred. Position was in doubt. This event occurred because of lack of ground controller training and general competence. We were given 3 different runways to taxi to resulting in excessive head down time for FMS reprogramming. In addition; the last change was followed by a 'position and hold' clearance which put pressure on us to get to the right runway quickly and denied us time to confirm the FMS was programmed correctly for the RNAV departure. The excessive head down time resulted in confusion as to our general location because of lack of sufficiently noticeable runway signage in the hotspot; confusing taxi lines; and 3 different hold short lines. Being required to taxi around another aircraft also took away the taxi line we were following and made it appear as it we were holding for dirt; plus the aircraft on short final made us reluctant to move anywhere at all till we were sure of our location. To add insult to injury after all the time we spent getting the RNAV departure programmed right; all we were given was radar vectors out of the area (in clear WX). On a more personal note; after having flown out of hundreds of airports nationwide; I must say I believe miami international's has by far the lowest quality of standards and service I have seen in a long time. From controllers to ramp handlers I get far better; clearer; safer; quicker; more efficient service going to mexico than I do at mia. I will avoid the place if I can. Flight crew suggestions/narrative: 1) implement policy prohibiting 'position and hold' clrncs immediately after a runway change. 2) implement policy requiring runway changes to be followed by mandatory wait period for pilot reprogramming. Or at least ask if they are ready. 3) reduce number of hold short line in the hotspot. There should only be 1! 3 are very confusing at night. 4) place bigger brighter more noticeable signs leading to these runways. 5) prohibit controllers from requiring planes to taxi around others to get to their runways. 6) if you are going to require us to file and program RNAV departures; then require the controllers to have us actually fly them! Otherwise do away with them because it is infuriating to do all that work for nothing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR DEP FROM MIA DESCRIBED FRUSTRATION WITH FREQUENTLY CHANGING RWY ASSIGNMENTS; A NEAR GND CONFLICT AND GENERAL CTLR HANDLING.

Narrative: THIS EVENT OCCURRED IN THE INCURSION HOTSPOT NEAR RWY 8R AND RWY 12. INITIALLY LEFT E RAMP LOCATION AND TOLD 'TAXI 8R VIA W; N.' BECAME CONFUSED AS TO LOCATION OF 'W' AND QUERIED CTLR. TOLD 'JUST TAKE TXWY N TO RWY 8R.' THEN DURING TAXI AND CHKLIST OP WE WERE HANDED OFF AND TOLD 'EXPECT RWY 12 NOW.' PROCEEDED TO REPROGRAM FMS FOR RWY 12. CHKLISTS COMPLETED. REACHED INCURSION HOTSPOT AND TOLD 'TAXI TO RWY 8L POS AND HOLD.' THIS LAST STATEMENT OCCURRED IN THE HOTSPOT WITH 1 AIRPLANE IN FRONT OF US HOLDING SHORT FOR RWY 8R. OBSERVED PLANE ON SHORT FINAL FOR RWY 12 (APPEARED LIKE LNDG ON RWY 8L) RESULTING IN CONFUSION. OBSERVED PLANE ON SHORT FINAL FOR RWY 12 (APPEARED LIKE LNDG ON RWY 8L) RESULTING IN CONFUSION. REQUIRED TO TAXI OFF TAXI LINE TO GET AROUND ACFT IN FRONT OF US TO REACH RWY 8L RESULTING IN LOSS OF POS ON RAMP. EVENTUALLY CONFIRMED LOCATION VISUALLY AND TAXIED ONTO RWY 8L. HEARD 'CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 8L FLY RWY HDG.' TOOK OFF. NO INCURSION OR VIOLATION OCCURRED. POS WAS IN DOUBT. THIS EVENT OCCURRED BECAUSE OF LACK OF GND CTLR TRAINING AND GENERAL COMPETENCE. WE WERE GIVEN 3 DIFFERENT RWYS TO TAXI TO RESULTING IN EXCESSIVE HEAD DOWN TIME FOR FMS REPROGRAMMING. IN ADDITION; THE LAST CHANGE WAS FOLLOWED BY A 'POS AND HOLD' CLRNC WHICH PUT PRESSURE ON US TO GET TO THE RIGHT RWY QUICKLY AND DENIED US TIME TO CONFIRM THE FMS WAS PROGRAMMED CORRECTLY FOR THE RNAV DEP. THE EXCESSIVE HEAD DOWN TIME RESULTED IN CONFUSION AS TO OUR GENERAL LOCATION BECAUSE OF LACK OF SUFFICIENTLY NOTICEABLE RWY SIGNAGE IN THE HOTSPOT; CONFUSING TAXI LINES; AND 3 DIFFERENT HOLD SHORT LINES. BEING REQUIRED TO TAXI AROUND ANOTHER ACFT ALSO TOOK AWAY THE TAXI LINE WE WERE FOLLOWING AND MADE IT APPEAR AS IT WE WERE HOLDING FOR DIRT; PLUS THE ACFT ON SHORT FINAL MADE US RELUCTANT TO MOVE ANYWHERE AT ALL TILL WE WERE SURE OF OUR LOCATION. TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY AFTER ALL THE TIME WE SPENT GETTING THE RNAV DEP PROGRAMMED RIGHT; ALL WE WERE GIVEN WAS RADAR VECTORS OUT OF THE AREA (IN CLR WX). ON A MORE PERSONAL NOTE; AFTER HAVING FLOWN OUT OF HUNDREDS OF ARPTS NATIONWIDE; I MUST SAY I BELIEVE MIAMI INTL'S HAS BY FAR THE LOWEST QUALITY OF STANDARDS AND SVC I HAVE SEEN IN A LONG TIME. FROM CTLRS TO RAMP HANDLERS I GET FAR BETTER; CLEARER; SAFER; QUICKER; MORE EFFICIENT SVC GOING TO MEXICO THAN I DO AT MIA. I WILL AVOID THE PLACE IF I CAN. FLT CREW SUGGESTIONS/NARRATIVE: 1) IMPLEMENT POLICY PROHIBITING 'POS AND HOLD' CLRNCS IMMEDIATELY AFTER A RWY CHANGE. 2) IMPLEMENT POLICY REQUIRING RWY CHANGES TO BE FOLLOWED BY MANDATORY WAIT PERIOD FOR PLT REPROGRAMMING. OR AT LEAST ASK IF THEY ARE READY. 3) REDUCE NUMBER OF HOLD SHORT LINE IN THE HOTSPOT. THERE SHOULD ONLY BE 1! 3 ARE VERY CONFUSING AT NIGHT. 4) PLACE BIGGER BRIGHTER MORE NOTICEABLE SIGNS LEADING TO THESE RWYS. 5) PROHIBIT CTLRS FROM REQUIRING PLANES TO TAXI AROUND OTHERS TO GET TO THEIR RWYS. 6) IF YOU ARE GOING TO REQUIRE US TO FILE AND PROGRAM RNAV DEPS; THEN REQUIRE THE CTLRS TO HAVE US ACTUALLY FLY THEM! OTHERWISE DO AWAY WITH THEM BECAUSE IT IS INFURIATING TO DO ALL THAT WORK FOR NOTHING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.