Narrative:

The ground controller cleared us to 18L at mco. He then within 10 seconds reclred us to follow the company large transport Y west/O specifying 18L or 18R. Aircraft were landing on 18L and 18R, and as we approached the approach end of 18L the company large transport Y crossed and pulled into the holding area for 18R. This was the first time into mco for both pilots. As we approached 18L, which at this time I thought was the outer taxiway, I started to turn to cross the 'taxiway'--actually 18L. An air carrier, large transport Z, was on about a 3 mi final, but due to the closeness of 18L and 18R, it was impossible to determine where they were landing. We both looked both ways to make sure that there was no traffic, commenting, 'are they landing on the taxiway?' when we were in the middle of the runway, I realized that we were on the active runway. Pushing the power up, we were off 18L in no time and we pulled into holding area for 18R behind company large transport Y. At that time the air carrier large transport Z was on approximately 1 1/2-2 mi final, and did not have to make an aborted landing. We called ground control to verify our taxi clearance to 'follow company large transport Y.' he just told us to 'contact tower.' the tower controller just said, 'no problem,' after we waited to reconfirm our taxi clearance. Contributing factors were unfamiliarity with mco, dusk, not using taxi chart and listening blindly to ATC, west/O questioning ATC which runway after we were reclred to follow company large transport Y. But, foremost, I should not have crossed an active runway west/O a clearance. However, this goes back to believing it was the outer taxiway, which goes back to not using the taxi chart.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG UNAUTH RWY CROSSING.

Narrative: THE GND CTLR CLRED US TO 18L AT MCO. HE THEN WITHIN 10 SECS RECLRED US TO FOLLOW THE COMPANY LGT Y W/O SPECIFYING 18L OR 18R. ACFT WERE LNDG ON 18L AND 18R, AND AS WE APCHED THE APCH END OF 18L THE COMPANY LGT Y CROSSED AND PULLED INTO THE HOLDING AREA FOR 18R. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME INTO MCO FOR BOTH PLTS. AS WE APCHED 18L, WHICH AT THIS TIME I THOUGHT WAS THE OUTER TXWY, I STARTED TO TURN TO CROSS THE 'TXWY'--ACTUALLY 18L. AN ACR, LGT Z, WAS ON ABOUT A 3 MI FINAL, BUT DUE TO THE CLOSENESS OF 18L AND 18R, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE WHERE THEY WERE LNDG. WE BOTH LOOKED BOTH WAYS TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS NO TFC, COMMENTING, 'ARE THEY LNDG ON THE TXWY?' WHEN WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RWY, I REALIZED THAT WE WERE ON THE ACTIVE RWY. PUSHING THE PWR UP, WE WERE OFF 18L IN NO TIME AND WE PULLED INTO HOLDING AREA FOR 18R BEHIND COMPANY LGT Y. AT THAT TIME THE ACR LGT Z WAS ON APPROX 1 1/2-2 MI FINAL, AND DID NOT HAVE TO MAKE AN ABORTED LNDG. WE CALLED GND CTL TO VERIFY OUR TAXI CLRNC TO 'FOLLOW COMPANY LGT Y.' HE JUST TOLD US TO 'CONTACT TWR.' THE TWR CTLR JUST SAID, 'NO PROB,' AFTER WE WAITED TO RECONFIRM OUR TAXI CLRNC. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE UNFAMILIARITY WITH MCO, DUSK, NOT USING TAXI CHART AND LISTENING BLINDLY TO ATC, W/O QUESTIONING ATC WHICH RWY AFTER WE WERE RECLRED TO FOLLOW COMPANY LGT Y. BUT, FOREMOST, I SHOULD NOT HAVE CROSSED AN ACTIVE RWY W/O A CLRNC. HOWEVER, THIS GOES BACK TO BELIEVING IT WAS THE OUTER TXWY, WHICH GOES BACK TO NOT USING THE TAXI CHART.

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.