Runway transgression. Medium large transport crossed runway without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	140768
Time
Date	199003
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hou
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 1900
ASRS Report	140768
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Original taxi instructions were to taxi to runway 12R hold short of 12L at delta taxiway. As the taxi began the controller cleared us to 12R. We interpreted this to mean to taxi to runway 12R, hence cleared to cross 12L. After we stopped at the hold line for 12R the tower queried us as to our taxi instructions. We were concerned about our original taxi instructions. Our readback was implicit about taxiing to runway 12R. Our concern is that the tower operator may not have understood our readback or we may not have understood the taxi instructions. Once again, we must reinforce the readback requirement to insure that the crew and the controllers are accurately communicating. The houston hobby taxiway and runway confign is particularly vulnerable to communication misunderstandings. We suggest that the next NASA report news letter caution crews about the houston hobby pitfalls.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY TRANSGRESSION. MLG CROSSED RWY WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: ORIGINAL TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO TAXI TO RWY 12R HOLD SHORT OF 12L AT DELTA TXWY. AS THE TAXI BEGAN THE CTLR CLRED US TO 12R. WE INTERPRETED THIS TO MEAN TO TAXI TO RWY 12R, HENCE CLRED TO CROSS 12L. AFTER WE STOPPED AT THE HOLD LINE FOR 12R THE TWR QUERIED US AS TO OUR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT OUR ORIGINAL TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. OUR READBACK WAS IMPLICIT ABOUT TAXIING TO RWY 12R. OUR CONCERN IS THAT THE TWR OPERATOR MAY NOT HAVE UNDERSTOOD OUR READBACK OR WE MAY NOT HAVE UNDERSTOOD THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. ONCE AGAIN, WE MUST REINFORCE THE READBACK REQUIREMENT TO INSURE THAT THE CREW AND THE CTLRS ARE ACCURATELY COMMUNICATING. THE HOUSTON HOBBY TXWY AND RWY CONFIGN IS PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO COM MISUNDERSTANDINGS. WE SUGGEST THAT THE NEXT NASA REPORT NEWS LETTER CAUTION CREWS ABOUT THE HOUSTON HOBBY PITFALLS.

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.