Narrative:

We departed our gate area for taxi out for takeoff to cle. Our ramp tower cleared us to taxi to spot X and contact mem ground control when #1. When we arrived #1 at X, we called ground and they cleared us to runway 18L to 'follow the 9.' the only other aircraft moving was a 727 company plane crossing right in front of us. A few seconds later, ground came back and said 'I guess that's a '27.' we acknowledged we had the '27 and we were cleared to follow. After crossing runway 27 on taxiway south, ground controller called and asked if we were clear. We replied we were. When I looked back on departure end of runway 27, it appeared an aircraft had aborted its takeoff roll (they hadn't gone very far). The ATIS called 2 mi and fog, but a light rain and mist had started since we left the blocks. Possible causes: 1) short taxi route. 2) takeoff north a crossing runway. In our normal operation we do not use runway 27 due to heavy taxi operations. 3) mist and rain reduced visibility from the tower. 4) lots of radio traffic on mem ground control. 5) controller's confusion over aircraft at X. 6) too many radio frequency changes on a short taxi route. 7) checklists, radios and congestion -- all at once. None of the crew heard a hold short clearance and none was read back to the ground controller. He, too, should have caught the mistake if he wanted us to hold clear of an active runway. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporting captain states that his air carrier's safety officer was able to listen to the tapes of this incident. The reporter was not allowed to listen to the tapes. The tapes proved that the tower issued hold short instructions twice, but the reporter's aircraft did not acknowledge either transmission. The aircraft on the runway was not taking off but taxiing with all of its lights on. There may have been training going on in the tower. The reporter has heard nothing from the FAA. He believes that the tower is ready to share the blame and that his air carrier's safety officer has smoothed over the incident. Supplemental information from acn 274006: I don't specifically remember a clearance to cross runway 27 en route to 18R. Mem ground then informed us that we had been told to hold short of runway 27. I am positive I did not repeat back any clearance to hold short of the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED OUR GATE AREA FOR TAXI OUT FOR TKOF TO CLE. OUR RAMP TWR CLRED US TO TAXI TO SPOT X AND CONTACT MEM GND CTL WHEN #1. WHEN WE ARRIVED #1 AT X, WE CALLED GND AND THEY CLRED US TO RWY 18L TO 'FOLLOW THE 9.' THE ONLY OTHER ACFT MOVING WAS A 727 COMPANY PLANE XING RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. A FEW SECONDS LATER, GND CAME BACK AND SAID 'I GUESS THAT'S A '27.' WE ACKNOWLEDGED WE HAD THE '27 AND WE WERE CLRED TO FOLLOW. After XING RWY 27 ON TXWY S, GND CTLR CALLED AND ASKED IF WE WERE CLR. WE REPLIED WE WERE. WHEN I LOOKED BACK ON DEP END OF RWY 27, IT APPEARED AN ACFT HAD ABORTED ITS TKOF ROLL (THEY HADN'T GONE VERY FAR). THE ATIS CALLED 2 MI AND FOG, BUT A LIGHT RAIN AND MIST HAD STARTED SINCE WE LEFT THE BLOCKS. POSSIBLE CAUSES: 1) SHORT TAXI RTE. 2) TKOF N A XING RWY. IN OUR NORMAL OP WE DO NOT USE RWY 27 DUE TO HVY TAXI OPS. 3) MIST AND RAIN REDUCED VISIBILITY FROM THE TWR. 4) LOTS OF RADIO TFC ON MEM GND CTL. 5) CTLR'S CONFUSION OVER ACFT AT X. 6) TOO MANY RADIO FREQ CHANGES ON A SHORT TAXI RTE. 7) CHKLISTS, RADIOS AND CONGESTION -- ALL AT ONCE. NONE OF THE CREW HEARD A HOLD SHORT CLRNC AND NONE WAS READ BACK TO THE GND CTLR. HE, TOO, SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE MISTAKE IF HE WANTED US TO HOLD CLR OF AN ACTIVE RWY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTING CAPT STATES THAT HIS ACR'S SAFETY OFFICER WAS ABLE TO LISTEN TO THE TAPES OF THIS INCIDENT. THE RPTR WAS NOT ALLOWED TO LISTEN TO THE TAPES. THE TAPES PROVED THAT THE TWR ISSUED HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS TWICE, BUT THE RPTR'S ACFT DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE EITHER XMISSION. THE ACFT ON THE RWY WAS NOT TAKING OFF BUT TAXIING WITH ALL OF ITS LIGHTS ON. THERE MAY HAVE BEEN TRAINING GOING ON IN THE TWR. THE RPTR HAS HEARD NOTHING FROM THE FAA. HE BELIEVES THAT THE TWR IS READY TO SHARE THE BLAME AND THAT HIS ACR'S SAFETY OFFICER HAS SMOOTHED OVER THE INCIDENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 274006: I DON'T SPECIFICALLY REMEMBER A CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 27 ENRTE TO 18R. MEM GND THEN INFORMED US THAT WE HAD BEEN TOLD TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 27. I AM POSITIVE I DID NOT REPEAT BACK ANY CLRNC TO HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY.

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.