Narrative:

At approximately AM00 on feb/tue/93, air carrier 1 flight wxxz was taxiing northeast on taxiway D. There were a few aircraft on ground control frequency including an air carrier 1 wxyz. I thought that we had been 'cleared to the ramp.' I had taxied past the runway 14/32 hold short line when my first officer said 'stop!' I was almost on the runway when I saw an aircraft lifting off at or shortly beyond midfield. I accelerated across runway 14 with the aircraft passing behind us at about 400-500 ft AGL. Ground control had also broadcast a 'hold' after we had passed the hold short line. There was no overriding distraction that contributed to this misunderstanding. The young person who was my first officer is very soft spoken, being barely audible. I did not hear his/her acknowledge 'hold short of runway 14,' a seldom used runway. The cabin passenger briefer was over loud and could have detracted from ground control xmissions. Simply stated, I heard what I thought I heard rather than what had been said. At some airports, and especially ones with intersecting operations, taxiing aircraft remain on tower frequency until clear of active runways enabling taxiing aircraft to monitor takeoffs and lndgs. I have also observed red/green runway crossing lights at some airports, mostly outside of conus where language is a problem. Supplemental information from acn 233478: the tower asked us to call when we shut down, and we did so. In the future, I will not assume the captain heard the hold short instructions without a verbal acknowledgement.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN LTT ACR TAXIED ACROSS AN ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC. ANOTHER ACFT TOOK OFF OVERHEAD.

Narrative: AT APPROX AM00 ON FEB/TUE/93, ACR 1 FLT WXXZ WAS TAXIING NE ON TXWY D. THERE WERE A FEW ACFT ON GND CTL FREQ INCLUDING AN ACR 1 WXYZ. I THOUGHT THAT WE HAD BEEN 'CLRED TO THE RAMP.' I HAD TAXIED PAST THE RWY 14/32 HOLD SHORT LINE WHEN MY FO SAID 'STOP!' I WAS ALMOST ON THE RWY WHEN I SAW AN ACFT LIFTING OFF AT OR SHORTLY BEYOND MIDFIELD. I ACCELERATED ACROSS RWY 14 WITH THE ACFT PASSING BEHIND US AT ABOUT 400-500 FT AGL. GND CTL HAD ALSO BROADCAST A 'HOLD' AFTER WE HAD PASSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE. THERE WAS NO OVERRIDING DISTR THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS MISUNDERSTANDING. THE YOUNG PERSON WHO WAS MY FO IS VERY SOFT SPOKEN, BEING BARELY AUDIBLE. I DID NOT HEAR HIS/HER ACKNOWLEDGE 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 14,' A SELDOM USED RWY. THE CABIN PAX BRIEFER WAS OVER LOUD AND COULD HAVE DETRACTED FROM GND CTL XMISSIONS. SIMPLY STATED, I HEARD WHAT I THOUGHT I HEARD RATHER THAN WHAT HAD BEEN SAID. AT SOME ARPTS, AND ESPECIALLY ONES WITH INTERSECTING OPS, TAXIING ACFT REMAIN ON TWR FREQ UNTIL CLR OF ACTIVE RWYS ENABLING TAXIING ACFT TO MONITOR TKOFS AND LNDGS. I HAVE ALSO OBSERVED RED/GREEN RWY XING LIGHTS AT SOME ARPTS, MOSTLY OUTSIDE OF CONUS WHERE LANGUAGE IS A PROB. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 233478: THE TWR ASKED US TO CALL WHEN WE SHUT DOWN, AND WE DID SO. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL NOT ASSUME THE CAPT HEARD THE HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS WITHOUT A VERBAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.

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.