Narrative:

As instructed by the captain I called ground control at vc bird for taxi clearance after starting the large transport X #2 engine. While making the call and awaiting clearance I started turning the #3 engine. Our aircraft was parked on the southeast side of the tarmac near the short access throat to runway 07/25 facing the runway at a 45 degree angle. As clearance was read an air carrier Y widebody transport landed on runway 07 and passed by our position. Through the controllers foreign accent I copied the following clearance, 'cleared to taxi back taxi runway 7, contact tower.' since we were in the process of starting an engine I just rogered the clearance instead of giving my usual readback. We finished the starts ran the after start checklist, started to taxi to the southwest ramp opening to the runway and deployed flaps and started the taxi checklist. At this point the captain asked me if we had been cleared onto the runway and being certain that we had been, I responded yes. For an instant I thought about confirming it with ground, which is my usual habit whenever questions about a clearance are brought up, even when I am sure myself. But this time I didn't, being busy with checklists and it being a short taxi for takeoff. And besides I was sure we had been cleared to back taxi. Once on the runway with taxi check complete I called for ATC clearance to ewr still on ground frequency (I hadn't switched to tower). At this point the ground controller informed me that we had entered the runway west/O clearance and that we had been cleared to taxi to the west taxiway hold short runway 07 contact tower. He then told us to switch tower and the tower controller reiterated that we had entered the runway west/O clearance. Reconstructing how I misunderstood the clearance the following items are apparent. Not being familiar with the local terminology, ie, west taxiway (it's not labeled on my airport diagram). Anticipating a back taxi clearance and with the controllers accent cleared to taxi west taxiway hold short runway 07 became cleared to taxi back taxi runway 07. Contributing factors. A rushed atmosphere in the cockpit due to a desire to arrive on time so that the captain and engineer could catch flts home after work. This resulted in distrs and work overload, ie, calling for taxi while starting engines. Captain and F/east not monitoring communications as a backup to first officer. I uncharacteristically did not follow my usually checks and balance habits on two occasions. Not reading back taxi instructions. Not reconfirming instructions when asked by captain. The so called west taxiway at vc bird (anu) is not really a taxiway so much as it is an opening. In any event it should be labeled on the airport diagram.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT UNAUTH TAXI.

Narrative: AS INSTRUCTED BY THE CAPT I CALLED GND CTL AT VC BIRD FOR TAXI CLRNC AFTER STARTING THE LGT X #2 ENG. WHILE MAKING THE CALL AND AWAITING CLRNC I STARTED TURNING THE #3 ENG. OUR ACFT WAS PARKED ON THE SE SIDE OF THE TARMAC NEAR THE SHORT ACCESS THROAT TO RWY 07/25 FACING THE RWY AT A 45 DEG ANGLE. AS CLRNC WAS READ AN ACR Y WDB LANDED ON RWY 07 AND PASSED BY OUR POS. THROUGH THE CTLRS FOREIGN ACCENT I COPIED THE FOLLOWING CLRNC, 'CLRED TO TAXI BACK TAXI RWY 7, CONTACT TWR.' SINCE WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF STARTING AN ENG I JUST ROGERED THE CLRNC INSTEAD OF GIVING MY USUAL READBACK. WE FINISHED THE STARTS RAN THE AFTER START CHKLIST, STARTED TO TAXI TO THE SW RAMP OPENING TO THE RWY AND DEPLOYED FLAPS AND STARTED THE TAXI CHKLIST. AT THIS POINT THE CAPT ASKED ME IF WE HAD BEEN CLRED ONTO THE RWY AND BEING CERTAIN THAT WE HAD BEEN, I RESPONDED YES. FOR AN INSTANT I THOUGHT ABOUT CONFIRMING IT WITH GND, WHICH IS MY USUAL HABIT WHENEVER QUESTIONS ABOUT A CLRNC ARE BROUGHT UP, EVEN WHEN I AM SURE MYSELF. BUT THIS TIME I DIDN'T, BEING BUSY WITH CHKLISTS AND IT BEING A SHORT TAXI FOR TKOF. AND BESIDES I WAS SURE WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO BACK TAXI. ONCE ON THE RWY WITH TAXI CHK COMPLETE I CALLED FOR ATC CLRNC TO EWR STILL ON GND FREQ (I HADN'T SWITCHED TO TWR). AT THIS POINT THE GND CTLR INFORMED ME THAT WE HAD ENTERED THE RWY W/O CLRNC AND THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO TAXI TO THE W TXWY HOLD SHORT RWY 07 CONTACT TWR. HE THEN TOLD US TO SWITCH TWR AND THE TWR CTLR REITERATED THAT WE HAD ENTERED THE RWY W/O CLRNC. RECONSTRUCTING HOW I MISUNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE APPARENT. NOT BEING FAMILIAR WITH THE LCL TERMINOLOGY, IE, W TXWY (IT'S NOT LABELED ON MY ARPT DIAGRAM). ANTICIPATING A BACK TAXI CLRNC AND WITH THE CTLRS ACCENT CLRED TO TAXI W TXWY HOLD SHORT RWY 07 BECAME CLRED TO TAXI BACK TAXI RWY 07. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. A RUSHED ATMOSPHERE IN THE COCKPIT DUE TO A DESIRE TO ARRIVE ON TIME SO THAT THE CAPT AND ENGINEER COULD CATCH FLTS HOME AFTER WORK. THIS RESULTED IN DISTRS AND WORK OVERLOAD, IE, CALLING FOR TAXI WHILE STARTING ENGS. CAPT AND F/E NOT MONITORING COMS AS A BACKUP TO F/O. I UNCHARACTERISTICALLY DID NOT FOLLOW MY USUALLY CHKS AND BALANCE HABITS ON TWO OCCASIONS. NOT READING BACK TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. NOT RECONFIRMING INSTRUCTIONS WHEN ASKED BY CAPT. THE SO CALLED W TXWY AT VC BIRD (ANU) IS NOT REALLY A TXWY SO MUCH AS IT IS AN OPENING. IN ANY EVENT IT SHOULD BE LABELED ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM.

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.