Narrative:

We were taxing out on taxiway J to runway 1 in dca with a wheels up time in about 7 min. There was a line for runway 1 so we notified ground control that we could take runway 33. They had us hold short of runway 1 at taxiway G; and we started setting up the aircraft for a runway 33; flap 4; no flex takeoff. Watched one aircraft land and another pull out on to runway 1 to get ready to go. I then heard ground control clear us to cross runway 1; into the box and monitor tower. The first officer repeated the instructions. I activated the exterior lights; we cleared left and right; still looked like the crj was waiting and not moving on runway 1 so I started to cross runway 1. As ground control was clearing another aircraft to cross 4; into the box; I could hear someone in the back ground of his mike with a very excited voice. The kind you make when something bad is going to happen and you can't get the words out. I stopped the aircraft immediately; and I think I was already stopped when ground told us to hold short of 1. Noticed that the crj that wasn't moving before; now was. We were short of the runway; but still over the line at this point and the crj was rejecting its takeoff. After a few seconds; ground had us continue across runway 1 to runway 33; and once there gave us the number for tower with a request to call them when we landed. At this point I still thought we were in the right; and that ground and tower had just gotten there communications crossed. After landing I called dca tower and spoke with a supervisor. She had listened to the tape and apparently there was a [same last two digits as our call sign] that ground had cleared to cross runway 4; into the box; and we had taken there clearance. She even said that we read back cross runway 4; not runway 1 that I had heard and the first officer remembered saying. I would have sworn under oath that it was our call sign and clearance was given to cross runway 1; but the tapes don't lie.I don't know. I am in and out of dca all the time. It's one of the airports that you pay a little more attention to; and check and double check. It's busy and doesn't have room for mistakes. I thought we were being careful and doing everything right. I never doubted that were doing exactly what we were supposed to be doing. If the account of the conversations on the tape is as it was relayed to me; then I heard what I was expecting based on what I was seeing around me and knowing the flow of dca; and not what was actually said.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB-170 flight crew describes the scenario leading up to a runway incursion at DCA.

Narrative: We were taxing out on taxiway J to runway 1 in DCA with a wheels up time in about 7 min. There was a line for runway 1 so we notified Ground control that we could take runway 33. They had us hold short of runway 1 at taxiway G; and we started setting up the aircraft for a runway 33; flap 4; no flex takeoff. Watched one aircraft land and another pull out on to runway 1 to get ready to go. I then heard ground control clear us to cross runway 1; into the box and monitor tower. The first officer repeated the instructions. I activated the exterior lights; we cleared left and right; still looked like the CRJ was waiting and not moving on runway 1 so I started to cross runway 1. As ground control was clearing another aircraft to cross 4; into the box; I could hear someone in the back ground of his mike with a very excited voice. The kind you make when something bad is going to happen and you can't get the words out. I stopped the aircraft immediately; and I think I was already stopped when ground told us to hold short of 1. Noticed that the CRJ that wasn't moving before; now was. We were short of the runway; but still over the line at this point and the CRJ was rejecting its takeoff. After a few seconds; ground had us continue across runway 1 to runway 33; and once there gave us the number for tower with a request to call them when we landed. At this point I still thought we were in the right; and that ground and tower had just gotten there communications crossed. After landing I called DCA tower and spoke with a supervisor. She had listened to the tape and apparently there was a [same last two digits as our call sign] that ground had cleared to cross runway 4; into the box; and we had taken there clearance. She even said that we read back cross runway 4; not runway 1 that I had heard and the FO remembered saying. I would have sworn under oath that it was our call sign and clearance was given to cross runway 1; but the tapes don't lie.I don't know. I am in and out of DCA all the time. It's one of the airports that you pay a little more attention to; and check and double check. It's busy and doesn't have room for mistakes. I thought we were being careful and doing everything right. I never doubted that were doing exactly what we were supposed to be doing. If the account of the conversations on the tape is as it was relayed to me; then I heard what I was expecting based on what I was seeing around me and knowing the flow of DCA; and not what was actually said.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.