Narrative:

Initial taxi clearance was from gate to runway 23L via the ramp and taxiway 'south'. There were several aircraft stopped on the ramp and much chatter on ground frequency so we stopped on the ramp to verify the taxi clearance. We expected to hear ramp, sierra, lima, 23L. Just as we were asking for clarification from ground we were told to hold our position and contact tower for further clearance. There was a lot of chatter on tower frequency as they were asking most aircraft if they could accept the shorter runway 28 for departure. We volunteered that we could accept runway 28 but did not receive a response from tower. We were then told to cross runway 23L at sierra, back taxi down 23R and hold short of runway 28. While holding short of runway 28, on runway 23R (heading 050) 1 aircraft departed on runway 28 and 1 landed on 23L. We were then told to taxi into position and hold runway 23L. While taxiing into position on 23L we heard tower tell an aircraft to go around (not visible to us due to WX) and tower told us that we had been cleared on to runway 23R position and hold. We had initially been told to taxi to runway 23L. We apparently did not recognize the change to runway 23R in the clearance from tower for into position and hold. Tower or ground should have told us of a change in intended runway. Acknowledgement of clearance should have included which runway. (Roger, cleared onto runway 23L, position and hold). Correct terminology from tower: continue back taxi down 23R, cross runway 28 into position and hold runway 23R, would have prevented confusion.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG UNAUTH RWY ENTRY CAUSES GAR FOR ACFT COMPLETING AN ILS APCH IMC.

Narrative: INITIAL TAXI CLRNC WAS FROM GATE TO RWY 23L VIA THE RAMP AND TAXIWAY 'S'. THERE WERE SEVERAL ACFT STOPPED ON THE RAMP AND MUCH CHATTER ON GND FREQ SO WE STOPPED ON THE RAMP TO VERIFY THE TAXI CLRNC. WE EXPECTED TO HEAR RAMP, SIERRA, LIMA, 23L. JUST AS WE WERE ASKING FOR CLARIFICATION FROM GND WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD OUR POS AND CONTACT TWR FOR FURTHER CLRNC. THERE WAS A LOT OF CHATTER ON TWR FREQ AS THEY WERE ASKING MOST ACFT IF THEY COULD ACCEPT THE SHORTER RWY 28 FOR DEP. WE VOLUNTEERED THAT WE COULD ACCEPT RWY 28 BUT DID NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE FROM TWR. WE WERE THEN TOLD TO CROSS RWY 23L AT SIERRA, BACK TAXI DOWN 23R AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 28. WHILE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 28, ON RWY 23R (HDG 050) 1 ACFT DEPARTED ON RWY 28 AND 1 LANDED ON 23L. WE WERE THEN TOLD TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 23L. WHILE TAXIING INTO POS ON 23L WE HEARD TWR TELL AN ACFT TO GAR (NOT VISIBLE TO US DUE TO WX) AND TWR TOLD US THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED ON TO RWY 23R POS AND HOLD. WE HAD INITIALLY BEEN TOLD TO TAXI TO RWY 23L. WE APPARENTLY DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE CHANGE TO RWY 23R IN THE CLRNC FROM TWR FOR INTO POS AND HOLD. TWR OR GND SHOULD HAVE TOLD US OF A CHANGE IN INTENDED RWY. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF CLRNC SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED WHICH RWY. (ROGER, CLRED ONTO RWY 23L, POS AND HOLD). CORRECT TERMINOLOGY FROM TWR: CONTINUE BACK TAXI DOWN 23R, CROSS RWY 28 INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 23R, WOULD HAVE PREVENTED CONFUSION.

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.