Narrative:

After receiving our clearance from bos - ewr and contacting flow control, we were instructed to contact ground control. Ground's taxi instructions were 'taxi to runway 09 via outer and bravo, follow air carrier medium large transport Y approaching from south outer'. At this point let me mention that bos ATIS requires readback of all holding instructions and we were not issued any instruction to hold short of runway 4L. As I taxiied from the general aviation area and turned approximately northeast, I picked up the air carrier medium large transport Y taxiing from my left to right. I sequenced my aircraft behind the air carrier medium large transport Y and he crossed runway 4L. As I prepared to cross runway 4L I made a short right clearing turn and both myself and the copilot confirmed there was no conflicting (landing) traffic on runway 4L. As we reached the runway (4L) proper we heard a 'new' voice on ground control with instructions 'medium large transport X cross runway 4L'. Our immediate thought was 'were we told to hold short'? All crew members were in agreement that we had not heard any hold instructions. Nothing else was said between my aircraft and ground control in regard to the runway 4L crossing. Due to the amount of traffic (normal for bos) and the congestion on the radio, I decided to complete my 40 min flight to ewr and give the tower cabin attendant a call on the lana line. [But they] did not answer repeated attempts. After reviewing this possible conflict, we (the crew members) still don't know if we were supposed to hold short at runway 4L. Did we hear exactly what was issued or did we hear 'what we wanted to hear'? Callback conversation with reporter revealed following information. Callback conducted at reporter's request to clarify clearance. Reporter was informed that they had proceeded as they were cleared, and no deviation occurred. The reporter also confirmed that the taxi clearance was for runway 09, not for runway 27 as reported in the narrative.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORPORATE FLT CREW UNSURE IF THEY HAD BEEN GIVEN HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS ALONG WITH THEIR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AT BOS.

Narrative: AFTER RECEIVING OUR CLRNC FROM BOS - EWR AND CONTACTING FLOW CTL, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT GND CTL. GND'S TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WERE 'TAXI TO RWY 09 VIA OUTER AND BRAVO, FOLLOW ACR MLG Y APCHING FROM S OUTER'. AT THIS POINT LET ME MENTION THAT BOS ATIS REQUIRES READBACK OF ALL HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS AND WE WERE NOT ISSUED ANY INSTRUCTION TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4L. AS I TAXIIED FROM THE GENERAL AVIATION AREA AND TURNED APPROX NE, I PICKED UP THE ACR MLG Y TAXIING FROM MY L TO R. I SEQUENCED MY ACFT BEHIND THE ACR MLG Y AND HE CROSSED RWY 4L. AS I PREPARED TO CROSS RWY 4L I MADE A SHORT R CLRING TURN AND BOTH MYSELF AND THE COPLT CONFIRMED THERE WAS NO CONFLICTING (LNDG) TFC ON RWY 4L. AS WE REACHED THE RWY (4L) PROPER WE HEARD A 'NEW' VOICE ON GND CTL WITH INSTRUCTIONS 'MLG X CROSS RWY 4L'. OUR IMMEDIATE THOUGHT WAS 'WERE WE TOLD TO HOLD SHORT'? ALL CREW MEMBERS WERE IN AGREEMENT THAT WE HAD NOT HEARD ANY HOLD INSTRUCTIONS. NOTHING ELSE WAS SAID BTWN MY ACFT AND GND CTL IN REGARD TO THE RWY 4L XING. DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF TFC (NORMAL FOR BOS) AND THE CONGESTION ON THE RADIO, I DECIDED TO COMPLETE MY 40 MIN FLT TO EWR AND GIVE THE TWR CAB A CALL ON THE LANA LINE. [BUT THEY] DID NOT ANSWER REPEATED ATTEMPTS. AFTER REVIEWING THIS POSSIBLE CONFLICT, WE (THE CREW MEMBERS) STILL DON'T KNOW IF WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HOLD SHORT AT RWY 4L. DID WE HEAR EXACTLY WHAT WAS ISSUED OR DID WE HEAR 'WHAT WE WANTED TO HEAR'? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED FOLLOWING INFO. CALLBACK CONDUCTED AT RPTR'S REQUEST TO CLARIFY CLRNC. RPTR WAS INFORMED THAT THEY HAD PROCEEDED AS THEY WERE CLRED, AND NO DEVIATION OCCURRED. THE RPTR ALSO CONFIRMED THAT THE TAXI CLRNC WAS FOR RWY 09, NOT FOR RWY 27 AS RPTED IN THE NARRATIVE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.