Narrative:

I was part of a crew that operated an air carrier flight to bwi airport on oct/xx/91. We landed on runway 10 following an uneventful CAT 3A approach. Traffic was heavy arriving on runway 10 so the captain cleared at the first visible turnoff, taxiway 'D' (see enclosed baltimore, md, field diagram). To insure clearance from the runway the captain taxied toward runway 4. We told the tower we had cleared at 'D' and requested a 180 degree turn on runway 4 to take us back toward runway 10. Tower approved our request and told us to hold short of runway 10. This clearance was read back to tower. We taxied toward runway 10. Upon reaching our hold short point for runway 10 tower called and cleared us to taxi across runway 10 and report when clear. We read this clearance back and started to taxi. Just prior to crossing runway 10 we called the tower with this transmission, 'tower (call sign) is crossing runway 10 and we will call you when clear.' a few seconds later the captain asked me to see what tower had for arrival traffic on runway 10. I asked tower, 'what arrival traffic do you have on runway 10?' tower replied, 'I've got 1 on an 8 mi final and 1 rolling on runway 10.' I replied, 'you have departure traffic on runway 10?' tower responded, 'yes, I thought you had called clear.' I said, 'I don't know how I could have made it more clear, I told you I would call you when I had cleared the runway, play the tapes.' the WX was an indefinite ceiling/RVR 700 ft. I believe this situation occurred because tower assumed we were calling clear of the runway when our actual text was that we were crossing the runway. If tower had a question about our position (since we were not in sight of the tower at RVR 700) he should have reconfirmed it with us, not assumed a location that proved to be in error.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR CLRED FLT TO CROSS RWY 10. FO REPLIED WHEN ACROSS WE WILL RPT CLR. TWR UNDERSTOOD FLT TO BE CLR OF RWY AND CLRED ANOTHER FLT FOR TKOF.

Narrative: I WAS PART OF A CREW THAT OPERATED AN AIR CARRIER FLT TO BWI ARPT ON OCT/XX/91. WE LANDED ON RWY 10 FOLLOWING AN UNEVENTFUL CAT 3A APCH. TFC WAS HVY ARRIVING ON RWY 10 SO THE CAPT CLRED AT THE FIRST VISIBLE TURNOFF, TAXIWAY 'D' (SEE ENCLOSED BALTIMORE, MD, FIELD DIAGRAM). TO INSURE CLRNC FROM THE RWY THE CAPT TAXIED TOWARD RWY 4. WE TOLD THE TWR WE HAD CLRED AT 'D' AND REQUESTED A 180 DEG TURN ON RWY 4 TO TAKE US BACK TOWARD RWY 10. TWR APPROVED OUR REQUEST AND TOLD US TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 10. THIS CLRNC WAS READ BACK TO TWR. WE TAXIED TOWARD RWY 10. UPON REACHING OUR HOLD SHORT POINT FOR RWY 10 TWR CALLED AND CLRED US TO TAXI ACROSS RWY 10 AND RPT WHEN CLR. WE READ THIS CLRNC BACK AND STARTED TO TAXI. JUST PRIOR TO XING RWY 10 WE CALLED THE TWR WITH THIS XMISSION, 'TWR (CALL SIGN) IS XING RWY 10 AND WE WILL CALL YOU WHEN CLR.' A FEW SECONDS LATER THE CAPT ASKED ME TO SEE WHAT TWR HAD FOR ARR TFC ON RWY 10. I ASKED TWR, 'WHAT ARR TFC DO YOU HAVE ON RWY 10?' TWR REPLIED, 'I'VE GOT 1 ON AN 8 MI FINAL AND 1 ROLLING ON RWY 10.' I REPLIED, 'YOU HAVE DEP TFC ON RWY 10?' TWR RESPONDED, 'YES, I THOUGHT YOU HAD CALLED CLR.' I SAID, 'I DON'T KNOW HOW I COULD HAVE MADE IT MORE CLR, I TOLD YOU I WOULD CALL YOU WHEN I HAD CLRED THE RWY, PLAY THE TAPES.' THE WX WAS AN INDEFINITE CEILING/RVR 700 FT. I BELIEVE THIS SITUATION OCCURRED BECAUSE TWR ASSUMED WE WERE CALLING CLR OF THE RWY WHEN OUR ACTUAL TEXT WAS THAT WE WERE XING THE RWY. IF TWR HAD A QUESTION ABOUT OUR POS (SINCE WE WERE NOT IN SIGHT OF THE TWR AT RVR 700) HE SHOULD HAVE RECONFIRMED IT WITH US, NOT ASSUMED A LOCATION THAT PROVED TO BE IN ERROR.

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.