Narrative:

Flight landed on 30R and cleared on golf taxiway. We were a very slow taxi because we had been advised of a possible gate hold. Copilot was talking to ramp and captain was covering stl ground control. We had advised ground control about a possible gate hold and told to enter penalty box. As that clearance was received ramp directed flight to come into the ramp for parking. Captain immediately advised ground control and received a clearance and read back as, 'cleared to cross runway 30L straight ahead on golf,' which the controller answered affirmatively. The copilot missed the initial clearance but heard the captain's readback and the controller's affirmative answer. As the aircraft reached centerline of 30L, controller came on advising flight to hold short, that our initial clearance was to hold short. Flight finished crossing 30L and cleared runway. There was no conflict with any traffic, neither landing nor departing 30L. Closest aircraft was on about 3 mi final (captain's judgement). Copilot's response to controllers statement was we had read back clearance to cross runway 30L, which controller had responded, 'affirmative.' upon reaching crew dispatch area, captain called tower supervisor and entered discussion. Tower supervisor stated that just after initial clearance was given, readback rogered, shift change took place and initial controller unplugged. Immediately upon realizing that he had rogered a clearance to cross 30L when he meant to hold aircraft, he plugged back in and issued clearance to hold short. He was on the wrong frequency and crew never heard that clearance. It was the relief controller who issued the hold short after aircraft had entered runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATCT LCL CTLR CLEARED ACR MLG TO CROSS ACTIVE AND THEN TRIED TO CANCEL CLRNC, BUT CAME BACK ON WRONG FREQ. OPERATIONAL DEVIATION.

Narrative: FLT LANDED ON 30R AND CLRED ON GOLF TXWY. WE WERE A VERY SLOW TAXI BECAUSE WE HAD BEEN ADVISED OF A POSSIBLE GATE HOLD. COPLT WAS TALKING TO RAMP AND CAPT WAS COVERING STL GND CTL. WE HAD ADVISED GND CTL ABOUT A POSSIBLE GATE HOLD AND TOLD TO ENTER PENALTY BOX. AS THAT CLRNC WAS RECEIVED RAMP DIRECTED FLT TO COME INTO THE RAMP FOR PARKING. CAPT IMMEDIATELY ADVISED GND CTL AND RECEIVED A CLRNC AND READ BACK AS, 'CLRED TO CROSS RWY 30L STRAIGHT AHEAD ON GOLF,' WHICH THE CTLR ANSWERED AFFIRMATIVELY. THE COPLT MISSED THE INITIAL CLRNC BUT HEARD THE CAPT'S READBACK AND THE CTLR'S AFFIRMATIVE ANSWER. AS THE ACFT REACHED CENTERLINE OF 30L, CTLR CAME ON ADVISING FLT TO HOLD SHORT, THAT OUR INITIAL CLRNC WAS TO HOLD SHORT. FLT FINISHED XING 30L AND CLRED RWY. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WITH ANY TFC, NEITHER LNDG NOR DEPARTING 30L. CLOSEST ACFT WAS ON ABOUT 3 MI FINAL (CAPT'S JUDGEMENT). COPLT'S RESPONSE TO CTLRS STATEMENT WAS WE HAD READ BACK CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 30L, WHICH CTLR HAD RESPONDED, 'AFFIRMATIVE.' UPON REACHING CREW DISPATCH AREA, CAPT CALLED TWR SUPVR AND ENTERED DISCUSSION. TWR SUPVR STATED THAT JUST AFTER INITIAL CLRNC WAS GIVEN, READBACK ROGERED, SHIFT CHANGE TOOK PLACE AND INITIAL CTLR UNPLUGGED. IMMEDIATELY UPON REALIZING THAT HE HAD ROGERED A CLRNC TO CROSS 30L WHEN HE MEANT TO HOLD ACFT, HE PLUGGED BACK IN AND ISSUED CLRNC TO HOLD SHORT. HE WAS ON THE WRONG FREQ AND CREW NEVER HEARD THAT CLRNC. IT WAS THE RELIEF CTLR WHO ISSUED THE HOLD SHORT AFTER ACFT HAD ENTERED RWY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.