Narrative:

I was working ground control at a level 3 approach control tower. Air carrier X called for taxi instructions. I issued authorized taxi instructions with a hold short restriction. Air carrier X replied 'ok, we'll go to 12 via echo'. The pilot did not specifically acknowledge the hold short restriction. He proceeded to cross the primary runway at the same time air carrier Y was on his departure roll. I was calling for release on a landline when the incursion occurred. Due to the distance of the taxiway from the departure end of the primary runway, air carrier Y was airborne and well clear of the runway incursion air carrier X. My assumption based on FAA directives, that the pilot acknowledgement of 'ok' meant that he had received and understood all instructions, along with the fact that I was performing collateral duties were contributing factors as to why the incursion occurred. Recommended solution is increased awareness on the part of the pilot and controller during issuance and acknowledgement of hold instructions. Supplemental information from acn 180162: captain repeated the instructions to first officer, 'taxi to runway 12 via echo'. Air carrier X then proceeded to taxi to runway 12 without any other instructions. Before crossing runway 4-22 captain looked both ways and stated, 'clear left'. First officer looked both ways and stated, 'clear right'. Captain stated, 'it's clear -- we're going across'. At the end of runway 12 we called up tower and received clearance to takeoff runway 12. En route we were advised to call spi approach on the landlines. Captain called spi approach and was told that we crossed runway 4-22 without clearance from spi. Approach said that the tapes show that our readback went as follows, 'taxi to runway 12 via echo'. It seems that some instructions were not transmitted by spi ground or received by the crew, but the instructions to 'taxi to runway 12 via echo' were all that were received, read back to ground, and understood by the crew. Supplemental information from acn 180176: I called ground control and said 'springfield ground air carrier X ready to taxi with (ATIS)'. Ground control responded, 'air carrier X springfield ground taxi to runway 12 via echo'. I then responded, 'taxi to 12 via echo, air carrier X'. Captain repeated the instructions 'taxi to 12 via echo', proceeded to taxi runway 12 without any other instructions. Before crossing 4-22 captain looked both ways then stated, 'clear left'. I then looked both ways and stated, 'clear right'. Captain then stated, 'clear -- going across'. We then called tower and received clearance to takeoff on runway 12.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X NON ADHERENCE TO ATC INSTRUCTIONS CROSSED ACTIVE RWY IN FRONT OF DEPARTING ACR Y. UNAUTHORIZED RWY ENTRY.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING GND CTL AT A LEVEL 3 APCH CTL TWR. ACR X CALLED FOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. I ISSUED AUTHORIZED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WITH A HOLD SHORT RESTRICTION. ACR X REPLIED 'OK, WE'LL GO TO 12 VIA ECHO'. THE PLT DID NOT SPECIFICALLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE HOLD SHORT RESTRICTION. HE PROCEEDED TO CROSS THE PRIMARY RWY AT THE SAME TIME ACR Y WAS ON HIS DEP ROLL. I WAS CALLING FOR RELEASE ON A LANDLINE WHEN THE INCURSION OCCURRED. DUE TO THE DISTANCE OF THE TAXIWAY FROM THE DEP END OF THE PRIMARY RWY, ACR Y WAS AIRBORNE AND WELL CLEAR OF THE RWY INCURSION ACR X. MY ASSUMPTION BASED ON FAA DIRECTIVES, THAT THE PLT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF 'OK' MEANT THAT HE HAD RECEIVED AND UNDERSTOOD ALL INSTRUCTIONS, ALONG WITH THE FACT THAT I WAS PERFORMING COLLATERAL DUTIES WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS AS TO WHY THE INCURSION OCCURRED. RECOMMENDED SOLUTION IS INCREASED AWARENESS ON THE PART OF THE PLT AND CTLR DURING ISSUANCE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF HOLD INSTRUCTIONS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 180162: CAPT REPEATED THE INSTRUCTIONS TO FO, 'TAXI TO RWY 12 VIA ECHO'. ACR X THEN PROCEEDED TO TAXI TO RWY 12 WITHOUT ANY OTHER INSTRUCTIONS. BEFORE XING RWY 4-22 CAPT LOOKED BOTH WAYS AND STATED, 'CLEAR L'. FO LOOKED BOTH WAYS AND STATED, 'CLEAR R'. CAPT STATED, 'IT'S CLEAR -- WE'RE GOING ACROSS'. AT THE END OF RWY 12 WE CALLED UP TWR AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO TKOF RWY 12. ENRTE WE WERE ADVISED TO CALL SPI APCH ON THE LANDLINES. CAPT CALLED SPI APCH AND WAS TOLD THAT WE CROSSED RWY 4-22 WITHOUT CLRNC FROM SPI. APCH SAID THAT THE TAPES SHOW THAT OUR READBACK WENT AS FOLLOWS, 'TAXI TO RWY 12 VIA ECHO'. IT SEEMS THAT SOME INSTRUCTIONS WERE NOT XMITTED BY SPI GND OR RECEIVED BY THE CREW, BUT THE INSTRUCTIONS TO 'TAXI TO RWY 12 VIA ECHO' WERE ALL THAT WERE RECEIVED, READ BACK TO GND, AND UNDERSTOOD BY THE CREW. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 180176: I CALLED GND CTL AND SAID 'SPRINGFIELD GND ACR X READY TO TAXI WITH (ATIS)'. GND CTL RESPONDED, 'ACR X SPRINGFIELD GND TAXI TO RWY 12 VIA ECHO'. I THEN RESPONDED, 'TAXI TO 12 VIA ECHO, ACR X'. CAPT REPEATED THE INSTRUCTIONS 'TAXI TO 12 VIA ECHO', PROCEEDED TO TAXI RWY 12 WITHOUT ANY OTHER INSTRUCTIONS. BEFORE XING 4-22 CAPT LOOKED BOTH WAYS THEN STATED, 'CLEAR L'. I THEN LOOKED BOTH WAYS AND STATED, 'CLEAR R'. CAPT THEN STATED, 'CLEAR -- GOING ACROSS'. WE THEN CALLED TWR AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO TKOF ON RWY 12.

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.