Runway incursion. Who said what?

Attributes
ACN	145609
Time
Date	199005
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fat
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 2600 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	145590
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 4800 flight time type : 180
ASRS Report	145609
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 5000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation Operational Deviation other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

We had just landed on runway 28R. Both the captain and I heard the instruction, 'take the high speed, cross the left, ground on the other side.' as we approached 29L, we noticed an small transport on final. The captain verified aloud that we had been cleared to cross. I concurred and we crossed. We were then told by the tower controller that we had not been cleared. Then we proceeded to the gate. Both the captain and I reviewed and we both thought that we had been cleared to cross, but neither one of us had acknowledged the tower's instructions. We have noticed that where the airport is busy and an air carrier is involved, tower will give an instruction and continue to give other instructions to other aircraft west/O waiting for acknowledgement. This is especially true when all aircraft involved are very familiar with the airport. We believe that no instructions from the tower would have been better in this case as the 'default' instruction for aircraft is to, 'take me high speed and hold short,' (when no other instruction is received). If tower is going to issue a specific 'hold short,' we believe that they should be listening for an acknowledgement. This is standard practice at busier fields (i.e., sfo) when the 'hold short acknowledge' is commonly heard. West/O the tapes, it would be impossible to know exactly what happened--who missed what call or who did not issue what instruction. The system did not catch this runway incursion. Obviously taxiing between 2 runways requires as much or more vigilance than landing on 1 of them. Supplemental information from acn 145591: I had a feeling when I saw the aircraft on final that we should hold short of runway 29L, but since the first officer also thought he heard the clearance to cross, I decided to continue. A better action would probably have been to hold short and double-check with the tower to confirm instructions. When in doubt, double-check. Possibly when the tower saw us approaching the hold bars, they could have confirmed we were holding short.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION. WHO SAID WHAT?

Narrative: WE HAD JUST LANDED ON RWY 28R. BOTH THE CAPT AND I HEARD THE INSTRUCTION, 'TAKE THE HIGH SPD, CROSS THE LEFT, GND ON THE OTHER SIDE.' AS WE APCHED 29L, WE NOTICED AN SMT ON FINAL. THE CAPT VERIFIED ALOUD THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO CROSS. I CONCURRED AND WE CROSSED. WE WERE THEN TOLD BY THE TWR CTLR THAT WE HAD NOT BEEN CLRED. THEN WE PROCEEDED TO THE GATE. BOTH THE CAPT AND I REVIEWED AND WE BOTH THOUGHT THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO CROSS, BUT NEITHER ONE OF US HAD ACKNOWLEDGED THE TWR'S INSTRUCTIONS. WE HAVE NOTICED THAT WHERE THE ARPT IS BUSY AND AN ACR IS INVOLVED, TWR WILL GIVE AN INSTRUCTION AND CONTINUE TO GIVE OTHER INSTRUCTIONS TO OTHER ACFT W/O WAITING FOR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE WHEN ALL ACFT INVOLVED ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT. WE BELIEVE THAT NO INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE TWR WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IN THIS CASE AS THE 'DEFAULT' INSTRUCTION FOR ACFT IS TO, 'TAKE ME HIGH SPD AND HOLD SHORT,' (WHEN NO OTHER INSTRUCTION IS RECEIVED). IF TWR IS GOING TO ISSUE A SPECIFIC 'HOLD SHORT,' WE BELIEVE THAT THEY SHOULD BE LISTENING FOR AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. THIS IS STANDARD PRACTICE AT BUSIER FIELDS (I.E., SFO) WHEN THE 'HOLD SHORT ACKNOWLEDGE' IS COMMONLY HEARD. W/O THE TAPES, IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED--WHO MISSED WHAT CALL OR WHO DID NOT ISSUE WHAT INSTRUCTION. THE SYSTEM DID NOT CATCH THIS RWY INCURSION. OBVIOUSLY TAXIING BTWN 2 RWYS REQUIRES AS MUCH OR MORE VIGILANCE THAN LNDG ON 1 OF THEM. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 145591: I HAD A FEELING WHEN I SAW THE ACFT ON FINAL THAT WE SHOULD HOLD SHORT OF RWY 29L, BUT SINCE THE F/O ALSO THOUGHT HE HEARD THE CLRNC TO CROSS, I DECIDED TO CONTINUE. A BETTER ACTION WOULD PROBABLY HAVE BEEN TO HOLD SHORT AND DOUBLE-CHK WITH THE TWR TO CONFIRM INSTRUCTIONS. WHEN IN DOUBT, DOUBLE-CHK. POSSIBLY WHEN THE TWR SAW US APCHING THE HOLD BARS, THEY COULD HAVE CONFIRMED WE WERE HOLDING SHORT.

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.