Narrative:

Off gate on time at 45 CDT. Aircraft was parked at gate in the concourse. Taxi instructions: 'taxi to outer, runway 18L.' aircraft was taxiing northbound on the outer to 18L. It's a relatively short taxi to the runway and the crew was occupied with the before takeoff checklist. The controller called and said 'turn the corner at 19 or do you want to use 18?' crew wanted to use full runway length. Stated we would use 18. It seemed like a silly question because 18/19 is an open ramp area anyway. Controller said 'fine, full length is available.' crew finished the checklist and, because we had been distracted, we thought we were cleared on the runway to hold. We checked final, didn't see a commuter aircraft about 2-3 mi out, and took the runway. The controller said nothing even though our aircraft and the commuter were the only 2 aircraft on the west side of the field. The commuter called tower and said he was 1 mi out for 18L. Tower told us he had not cleared us on the runway and to expedite off. We did so and the commuter landed with no problem. We apologized to tower and he said 'no problem.' we all like to think we're never going to make a mistake as stupid as this is but that's just not true. It's professionally embarrassing. Thankfully, nothing happened this time. We discussed whether or not we had been cleared onto the runway prior to taking the active and the first officer was sure we had been. Lesson -- with any doubt at all, make another radio call!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG ACFT RWY TRANSGRESSION.

Narrative: OFF GATE ON TIME AT 45 CDT. ACFT WAS PARKED AT GATE IN THE CONCOURSE. TAXI INSTRUCTIONS: 'TAXI TO OUTER, RWY 18L.' ACFT WAS TAXIING NBOUND ON THE OUTER TO 18L. IT'S A RELATIVELY SHORT TAXI TO THE RWY AND THE CREW WAS OCCUPIED WITH THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST. THE CTLR CALLED AND SAID 'TURN THE CORNER AT 19 OR DO YOU WANT TO USE 18?' CREW WANTED TO USE FULL RWY LENGTH. STATED WE WOULD USE 18. IT SEEMED LIKE A SILLY QUESTION BECAUSE 18/19 IS AN OPEN RAMP AREA ANYWAY. CTLR SAID 'FINE, FULL LENGTH IS AVAILABLE.' CREW FINISHED THE CHKLIST AND, BECAUSE WE HAD BEEN DISTRACTED, WE THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED ON THE RWY TO HOLD. WE CHKED FINAL, DIDN'T SEE A COMMUTER ACFT ABOUT 2-3 MI OUT, AND TOOK THE RWY. THE CTLR SAID NOTHING EVEN THOUGH OUR ACFT AND THE COMMUTER WERE THE ONLY 2 ACFT ON THE W SIDE OF THE FIELD. THE COMMUTER CALLED TWR AND SAID HE WAS 1 MI OUT FOR 18L. TWR TOLD US HE HAD NOT CLRED US ON THE RWY AND TO EXPEDITE OFF. WE DID SO AND THE COMMUTER LANDED WITH NO PROBLEM. WE APOLOGIZED TO TWR AND HE SAID 'NO PROBLEM.' WE ALL LIKE TO THINK WE'RE NEVER GOING TO MAKE A MISTAKE AS STUPID AS THIS IS BUT THAT'S JUST NOT TRUE. IT'S PROFESSIONALLY EMBARRASSING. THANKFULLY, NOTHING HAPPENED THIS TIME. WE DISCUSSED WHETHER OR NOT WE HAD BEEN CLRED ONTO THE RWY PRIOR TO TAKING THE ACTIVE AND THE FO WAS SURE WE HAD BEEN. LESSON -- WITH ANY DOUBT AT ALL, MAKE ANOTHER RADIO CALL!

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.