Narrative:

We are reporting on ambiguous taxi instructions given to us on taxi out from den. These taxi instructions had us holding short on a taxiway not intersecting a landing runway; but holding for landing traffic. We were given instructions to taxi on microphone; echo-delta; hold short on cn for landing traffic on runway 17R. You probably need a chart out to see this. We turned right on cn and were told to stop for landing traffic; an instruction with which we complied. In the meantime; an air carrier aircraft came screaming out from 7E; and we never heard it receive taxi instructions. It did not hold short for the landing traffic; and crossed relatively close in front of it. We made the right turn; with the understanding that the cn ended at left; and began to look for the hold short line; which we have noticed before on the other side of the runway. We were told to stop during this; and were unsure of the intent of the instruction; especially since the controller may have sent another aircraft in front of the landing traffic. It is not clear; then; whether we should have held short of cn; or for that matter; where we should have held short for landing traffic. The airport page does not distinguish where cn ends and ed begins. Thus; we were unsure whether there was an issue with our taxi. I don't see this as a runway incursion issue; except maybe for the other air carrier aircraft who was in front of us; and it was definitely a gray area for the airport page; as well as the controller instructions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLIGHT CREW TAXIING AT DEN IS TOLD TO TAXI TO RWY 17L VIA TAXIWAYS M; ED; AND CN THEN HOLD SHORT OF RWY 17R. CONFUSION RESULTS BECAUSE NO HOLD SHORT LINES EXIST ON ED FOR RWY 17R AND THE CREW ASSUMES CN ENDS AT L AND SO IS NOT ENTERED DURING THIS TAXI EVENT.

Narrative: WE ARE RPTING ON AMBIGUOUS TAXI INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN TO US ON TAXI OUT FROM DEN. THESE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS HAD US HOLDING SHORT ON A TXWY NOT INTERSECTING A LNDG RWY; BUT HOLDING FOR LNDG TFC. WE WERE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI ON MIKE; ECHO-DELTA; HOLD SHORT ON CN FOR LNDG TFC ON RWY 17R. YOU PROBABLY NEED A CHART OUT TO SEE THIS. WE TURNED RIGHT ON CN AND WERE TOLD TO STOP FOR LNDG TFC; AN INSTRUCTION WITH WHICH WE COMPLIED. IN THE MEANTIME; AN AIR CARRIER ACFT CAME SCREAMING OUT FROM 7E; AND WE NEVER HEARD IT RECEIVE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. IT DID NOT HOLD SHORT FOR THE LNDG TFC; AND CROSSED RELATIVELY CLOSE IN FRONT OF IT. WE MADE THE RIGHT TURN; WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE CN ENDED AT L; AND BEGAN TO LOOK FOR THE HOLD SHORT LINE; WHICH WE HAVE NOTICED BEFORE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RWY. WE WERE TOLD TO STOP DURING THIS; AND WERE UNSURE OF THE INTENT OF THE INSTRUCTION; ESPECIALLY SINCE THE CTLR MAY HAVE SENT ANOTHER ACFT IN FRONT OF THE LNDG TFC. IT IS NOT CLEAR; THEN; WHETHER WE SHOULD HAVE HELD SHORT OF CN; OR FOR THAT MATTER; WHERE WE SHOULD HAVE HELD SHORT FOR LNDG TFC. THE ARPT PAGE DOES NOT DISTINGUISH WHERE CN ENDS AND ED BEGINS. THUS; WE WERE UNSURE WHETHER THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH OUR TAXI. I DON'T SEE THIS AS A RWY INCURSION ISSUE; EXCEPT MAYBE FOR THE OTHER AIR CARRIER ACFT WHO WAS IN FRONT OF US; AND IT WAS DEFINITELY A GRAY AREA FOR THE ARPT PAGE; AS WELL AS THE CTLR INSTRUCTIONS.

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.