Crossed active runway when aircraft had been cleared for takeoff.

Attributes
ACN	162596
Time
Date	199011
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sea
State Reference	WA
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 18600 flight time type : 450
ASRS Report	162596
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After landing on runway 16R at sea and turning left at the runway end, both the first officer and I understood the tower controller to say 'cross runway 16L and remain this frequency.' the first officer acknowledged the clearance to cross, as is verified on the tower tape. Upon seeing an aircraft in position on runway 16L, I queried the first officer to make sure we both heard the same crossing clearance. He again replied we were cleared to cross and we proceeded. The tower told us to expedite crossing and then cancelled an aircraft takeoff clearance. The tower controller obviously did not understand our readback and we obviously did not understand her instructions. Two way radio communications are subject to many vagaries, workload, extraneous noise levels, clarity, reception ability, static etc and until a better method presents itself perhaps we should use standard terminology, such as is used in bos to prevent runway incursions, requiring a specific hold short clearance and a specific hold short acknowledgement.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CROSSED ACTIVE RWY WHEN ACFT HAD BEEN CLEARED FOR TKOF.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 16R AT SEA AND TURNING L AT THE RWY END, BOTH THE F/O AND I UNDERSTOOD THE TWR CTLR TO SAY 'CROSS RWY 16L AND REMAIN THIS FREQ.' THE F/O ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC TO CROSS, AS IS VERIFIED ON THE TWR TAPE. UPON SEEING AN ACFT IN POS ON RWY 16L, I QUERIED THE F/O TO MAKE SURE WE BOTH HEARD THE SAME XING CLRNC. HE AGAIN REPLIED WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS AND WE PROCEEDED. THE TWR TOLD US TO EXPEDITE XING AND THEN CANCELLED AN ACFT TKOF CLRNC. THE TWR CTLR OBVIOUSLY DID NOT UNDERSTAND OUR READBACK AND WE OBVIOUSLY DID NOT UNDERSTAND HER INSTRUCTIONS. TWO WAY RADIO COMS ARE SUBJECT TO MANY VAGARIES, WORKLOAD, EXTRANEOUS NOISE LEVELS, CLARITY, RECEPTION ABILITY, STATIC ETC AND UNTIL A BETTER METHOD PRESENTS ITSELF PERHAPS WE SHOULD USE STANDARD TERMINOLOGY, SUCH AS IS USED IN BOS TO PREVENT RWY INCURSIONS, REQUIRING A SPECIFIC HOLD SHORT CLRNC AND A SPECIFIC HOLD SHORT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.

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.