Narrative:

We were taxiing out of the ramp area at night for takeoff and were cleared by ground control to 'taxi to runway 5R, taxi west on taxiway right, hold short of runway 36.' 10 seconds later, ground control said 'cleared to cross runway 36, I have an small aircraft aircraft on a 3 mi final.' then a few seconds later 'turn left on taxiway left.' I accelerated to cross runway 36. In reality left is prior to runway 36. Ground control came back and said 'hold your position.' I had missed the left turn on left and was now short of runway 5R where a turboprop commuter had just landed and was making his landing rollout and was at a full stop on runway 5R. We were both fully stopped about 200 ft apart. The problem as I see it is a very confusing intersection with 2 crossing runways and 3 crossing taxiways, all converging at the same spot. When the ground controller said hurry up cross runway 36 and turn left on left, this was also confusing because left is before runway 36. In my rush to cross runway 36 because of landing traffic I inadvertently missed the turn to left. Possible factors: confusing intersection. 2 runways, 3 taxiways, night time and many lights, and a confusing clearance to hurry across the runway. Corrective actions: I believe that a hold short of left clearance would be a less confusing clearance. Then clarify that there is landing traffic on 36 and 5R. There was a potential for a runway incursion even though ground did catch us before anything happened. The 2 aircraft never came closer than 200- 300 ft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF ACR MLG ACFT INADVERTENTLY CROSSED AN ACTIVE RWY TO WHICH TWR HAD ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO 'HOLD SHORT.'

Narrative: WE WERE TAXIING OUT OF THE RAMP AREA AT NIGHT FOR TKOF AND WERE CLRED BY GND CTL TO 'TAXI TO RWY 5R, TAXI W ON TAXIWAY R, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 36.' 10 SECONDS LATER, GND CTL SAID 'CLRED TO CROSS RWY 36, I HAVE AN SMA ACFT ON A 3 MI FINAL.' THEN A FEW SECONDS LATER 'TURN L ON TAXIWAY L.' I ACCELERATED TO CROSS RWY 36. IN REALITY L IS PRIOR TO RWY 36. GND CTL CAME BACK AND SAID 'HOLD YOUR POS.' I HAD MISSED THE L TURN ON L AND WAS NOW SHORT OF RWY 5R WHERE A TURBOPROP COMMUTER HAD JUST LANDED AND WAS MAKING HIS LNDG ROLLOUT AND WAS AT A FULL STOP ON RWY 5R. WE WERE BOTH FULLY STOPPED ABOUT 200 FT APART. THE PROBLEM AS I SEE IT IS A VERY CONFUSING INTXN WITH 2 XING RWYS AND 3 XING TAXIWAYS, ALL CONVERGING AT THE SAME SPOT. WHEN THE GND CTLR SAID HURRY UP CROSS RWY 36 AND TURN L ON L, THIS WAS ALSO CONFUSING BECAUSE L IS BEFORE RWY 36. IN MY RUSH TO CROSS RWY 36 BECAUSE OF LNDG TFC I INADVERTENTLY MISSED THE TURN TO L. POSSIBLE FACTORS: CONFUSING INTXN. 2 RWYS, 3 TAXIWAYS, NIGHT TIME AND MANY LIGHTS, AND A CONFUSING CLRNC TO HURRY ACROSS THE RWY. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: I BELIEVE THAT A HOLD SHORT OF L CLRNC WOULD BE A LESS CONFUSING CLRNC. THEN CLARIFY THAT THERE IS LNDG TFC ON 36 AND 5R. THERE WAS A POTENTIAL FOR A RWY INCURSION EVEN THOUGH GND DID CATCH US BEFORE ANYTHING HAPPENED. THE 2 ACFT NEVER CAME CLOSER THAN 200- 300 FT.

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.