Large Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 206; Flight Crew Total 21600; Flight Crew Type 4620
Situational Awareness; Distraction; Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Workload
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Ground Conflict; Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown; Ground Incursion Taxiway
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Airport; Procedure; Human Factors
After normal engine start and after start checklist; FO was instructed to call for taxi clearance. We received an unusual clearance for HNL: 'Taxi 8R via Y S B RB; hold short 8L' FO read back the clearance correctly; I believed. Although please note he did not add '8R' which the controller felt compelled to scold him about; lecturing him on radio procedures. This; in itself; caused confusion; and distraction as we were trying to interpret a non-standard taxi clearance. As we were on Zulu; I added power to turn on Y; right on A then left on S. I saw another airline turning off Runway 8L at S; and asked the copilot to confirm Y (S) and should we turn on A for S. His response was a definitive 'Yes.' As we began the turn to A off Y; Ground Control instructed to hold position. I assumed this was because of the other airline exiting S. Note at this point; if my memory serves; I still could have turned hard left on Y. After Ground corrected our instructions; FO stated on the radio 'we missed the turn.' We were instructed to give way to the other airline and taxi A; read back hold short of 8L. When given line and up wait; some ten minutes later on 8R.As it turns out; the tower procedure was to not taxi aircraft on A due to a large asphalt patch on the taxiway near G. Please note that; as I said; after the initial turn error; I still could have turned on Y from A; and certainly have crossed Runway 8L behind the other airline at taxiway S; NG; or any other combination. However; we complied with Ground Control instructions.
I have a difficult time calling myself the monitoring pilot due to all the added duties during the taxi out for first officers! While taxing to runway 8R at HNL we were told to taxi to 8R via A Y S B short of 8L. As we were leaving the ramp; I was busy entering our take off data and verifying we had completed all of the new checklist items. When on Taxiway A; we missed the turn for Y and immediately came to a stop and informed the Tower. We were less than 20 yards from Taxiway Y; on Taxiway A. The tower gave us new instructions to taxi A RB short of 8L. Eventually when approaching 8R; we were told to line up and wait of 8R while a heavy jet was still on the runway. I had to question the tower twice; this was our clearance. Once the heavy jet took off we lined up on 8R. At the same time; there were several other aircraft on final to 8L and 8R who stepped on the tower.
While taxiing at HNL; an overloaded First Officer and Captain talked about the confusing nonstandard taxi instructions; their taxiway incursion and an impatient Controller.