Date: 201204
Local time of day: 1801-2400
Location: RNT.Airport, WA
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: Small Aircraft; High Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear
Operator: Personal
Operating under: Part 91
Flight plan: None
Mission: Personal
Flight phase: Taxi
ATC / advisory: Tower RNT
Second aircraft: Small Aircraft; High Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear
Reporter organization: Personal
Reporter function: Single Pilot; Pilot Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Private
Human factors: Distraction; Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown
Anomaly: Conflict Ground Conflict; Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Detector: Person Air Traffic Control
When detected: Taxi
Result: Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Contributing factors: Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: Landed Runway 34 at RNT; turned left toward Taxiway A. I expected a clearance to taxi south on A and hold short of 34; as I was going to the southeast corner of the field. Instead; the Controller said something like; 'Exit Runway toward Taxiway Alpha and immediately hold short.' For whatever reason; I 'interpreted' this clearance to mean the clearance I was expecting. I turned toward A and was looking south; the direction of intended travel. Another aircraft was traveling south on A and approaching from the north. I did not see them because I did not look both directions. The aircraft had been given clearance ahead of me and I was intended to hold and let them pass. Instead; I continued onto A and cut them off. The Controller immediately called for me to hold position and the other aircraft stopped as well. We came within thirty feet of colliding. The other aircraft was able to pass and then I received a clearance to continue; following them. I apologized to the Controller and carefully followed the subsequent clearance to parking. The cause of this problem was my fixation on the expected clearance. I've heard before about the clearance you hear vs. the clearance you expect; but I have never had this happen before. It's important to fully listen and comprehend the clearance you receive. In my case; it included words like 'Taxiway Alpha' and 'hold short' that I did expect; but not in the same arrangement I expected. Therefore; even if a clearance sounds similar to the expected clearance; or starts off the same way as the expected clearance; the pilot should carefully listen to the entire instruction. Another factor in this problem was my failure to look both ways before entering the taxiway. I looked only in the direction of intended travel. The pilot should always check for conflicting traffic in all possible directions. If I had listened carefully to the controller's instructor or had looked in both directions; the conflict would have been avoided. I am thankful to the other pilot who observed the situation and stopped; and to the controller for quickly identifying and giving an additional hold position instruction. Their actions prevented this problem from becoming a collision.




Synopsis: A pilot landed on RNT Runway 34 and expected to hear a clearance on Taxiway A to his parking; His expectation overrode the actual clearance which was to 'Exit on Taxiway A and hold.' He did not hold and a near collision with another aircraft occurred.