Small Aircraft
Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 57; Flight Crew Total 480; Flight Crew Type 200
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Human Factors; Procedure
I landed and was given taxi instructions to the ramp that included two runway crossings while still rolling on the runway. I was told to exit on [Taxiway] 1 and cross [Runway] XXL on [Taxiway] 2 and hold short of [Runway] XXR. I exited and rolled to hold short of XXL and verified that I was cleared to cross. I crossed and continued on 2 to XXR. Before XXR; I asked if I could taxi via 3 [and] 4 to the ramp; which was incorrect. I needed to taxi to 4X. I didn't recall getting instructions beyond holding short of XXR prior. After resolving some confusion; the tower controller told me to taxi on XXR and 4X to the ramp. That is what I heard. I read it back and was partially stepped on and someone said something else. The tower controller said 'what' then proceeded to talk to other traffic. At this point I was taxiing on the runway and was slightly thrown off. I exited the runway and was on the non movement area ramp. I continued to monitor the frequency until shutting down and didn't hear my callsign again. It was a confusing sequence from getting the instructions on the rollout and given two different runway crossings with two different instructions. It would have been nice to have been given time to clear the runway and then take down instructions when I wasn't still focused on the landing during a critical phase of flight. Simple taxi instructions such as one taxiway to the ramp or one runway crossing isn't too hard to remember but still hard during a critical phase of flight. However; two runway crossings while rolling and complex instructions were confusing. The controller had a high work load and asking for conformation on the runway crossing probably didn't help her but I felt like I needed to verify. Then the confusion on my end didn't help crossing XXR. Being told to taxi via XXR weren't the instructions I was thinking of getting and made me second guess crossing the runway. Coming to a stop and asking for more clarification on frequency would've been the best thing to do. XXR wasn't a runway in use at the time and I cleared the area so I felt comfortable to cross; along with being told to taxi via XXR; I believed I had been cleared onto the runway.
Pilot reported ATC issued complex and confusing taxi instructions during the landing rollout which led to confusion about being cleared to cross a runway.