Narrative:

Our flight xyz was cleared to taxi from our company gate as follows: 'xyz taxi to runway 13, use hotel to the outer, then foxtrot. Hold short of runway 22 at foxtrot.' at the time 13 was the departure runway and lndgs were being made to runway 22 at lga. Once on taxiway foxtrot we were #2 following an medium large transport company call sign xzz. The ground controller cleared xzz to cross runway 22. Then in a hurried voice the ground controller said 'xyz, cross runway 22 west/O delay; traffic on 1/2 mi final.' we started to cross the runway in back of xzz when the controller started to yell, saying 'you, xyz, hold short.' a number of factors made this a very dangerous situation. First, the angle at which the taxiway intersects the runway makes it very difficult to see landing traffic. Secondly, the last 2 xmissions made by the ground controller were not prefixed by company call signs, just the flight #'south. The latter probably caused enough confusion on a busy day for us to near yz when the controller actually said zz. Additionally, after both xmissions by the ground controller, we asked if that had been for xyz, with no response from him, indicating he was probably very busy. Corrective action was taken, initiated by both controller and flight crew. Our aircraft was stopped short of the runway. In the future, this flight crew is going to listen more carefully and not be so quick to respond to clrncs that say expedite or immediate when crossing active runways or taking off.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SIMILAR SOUNDING FLT IDENTIFIERS. FLT CREW OF XYZ THOUGHT TWR CTLR HAD CLEARED THEM ACROSS RWY WHEN MESSAGE WAS FOR ZZ. TWR CTLR NEGLECTED TO IDENTIFY THE FLTS BY COMPANY NAME PREFIX.

Narrative: OUR FLT XYZ WAS CLRED TO TAXI FROM OUR COMPANY GATE AS FOLLOWS: 'XYZ TAXI TO RWY 13, USE HOTEL TO THE OUTER, THEN FOXTROT. HOLD SHORT OF RWY 22 AT FOXTROT.' AT THE TIME 13 WAS THE DEP RWY AND LNDGS WERE BEING MADE TO RWY 22 AT LGA. ONCE ON TXWY FOXTROT WE WERE #2 FOLLOWING AN MLG COMPANY CALL SIGN XZZ. THE GND CTLR CLRED XZZ TO CROSS RWY 22. THEN IN A HURRIED VOICE THE GND CTLR SAID 'XYZ, CROSS RWY 22 W/O DELAY; TFC ON 1/2 MI FINAL.' WE STARTED TO CROSS THE RWY IN BACK OF XZZ WHEN THE CTLR STARTED TO YELL, SAYING 'YOU, XYZ, HOLD SHORT.' A NUMBER OF FACTORS MADE THIS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. FIRST, THE ANGLE AT WHICH THE TXWY INTERSECTS THE RWY MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE LNDG TFC. SECONDLY, THE LAST 2 XMISSIONS MADE BY THE GND CTLR WERE NOT PREFIXED BY COMPANY CALL SIGNS, JUST THE FLT #'S. THE LATTER PROBABLY CAUSED ENOUGH CONFUSION ON A BUSY DAY FOR US TO NEAR YZ WHEN THE CTLR ACTUALLY SAID ZZ. ADDITIONALLY, AFTER BOTH XMISSIONS BY THE GND CTLR, WE ASKED IF THAT HAD BEEN FOR XYZ, WITH NO RESPONSE FROM HIM, INDICATING HE WAS PROBABLY VERY BUSY. CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN, INITIATED BY BOTH CTLR AND FLT CREW. OUR ACFT WAS STOPPED SHORT OF THE RWY. IN THE FUTURE, THIS FLT CREW IS GOING TO LISTEN MORE CAREFULLY AND NOT BE SO QUICK TO RESPOND TO CLRNCS THAT SAY EXPEDITE OR IMMEDIATE WHEN XING ACTIVE RWYS OR TAKING OFF.

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.