Air carrier X non compliance with ATC instruction. Unauthorized runway entry. Runway incursion.

Attributes
ACN	297837
Time
Date	199502
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : swf
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	297837
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	297970
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Air carrier X holding short of the active runway (runway 9-27) on taxiway left when we called for 'taxi for takeoff' (see X on diagram). Swf ground cleared us to 'taxi to' runway 9. We crossed runway 9 and joined the east west parallel taxiway (taxiway a) and proceeded to the approach end of runway 9. While wbound on taxiway a, swf ground notified us that we did not have clearance to cross runway 9. We rogered the message and continued. In our situation, the swf ground clearance of 'taxi to' was inappropriate. If swf ground wanted us to remain holding short of the assigned runway 9, he should have stated 'hold short of runway 9' or if he wanted for us to pull up closer to the hold short line, he should have stated so. Our crew is familiar with the meaning of the ATC taxi clearance as described in the airman's information manual and commercial manual (ATC section 4-68a(5)) and understand that it does not include taxiing across the assigned runway, but in this situation it is inappropriate at best. We are already holding short of the assigned runway and we can either taxi across or remain holding short of the runway. We believe that this misunderstanding could have been remedied by use of the highly encouraged ATC phrase of 'hold short.' we would then be required to acknowledge receipt of this clearance. We don't believe that familiarity of each others operation or the WX was a factor by either swf ground or our crew in this incident. In an era of accidents/incidents involving runway incursions, it is imperative that no ATC clearance be misunderstood and it should be highly encouraged for ATC to use clrncs that will provide a clear picture of what is desired, such as 'hold short.' the clearance given by swf ground did not give a clear picture of what our crew thought was desired. If we had not been holding short of the assigned runway and were located elsewhere on the airport, the ATC taxi clearance may have been more appropriate. When our crew received the taxi clearance, we all believed that swf ground intended for us to taxi across the runway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X NON COMPLIANCE WITH ATC INSTRUCTION. UNAUTH RWY ENTRY. RWY INCURSION.

Narrative: ACR X HOLDING SHORT OF THE ACTIVE RWY (RWY 9-27) ON TXWY L WHEN WE CALLED FOR 'TAXI FOR TKOF' (SEE X ON DIAGRAM). SWF GND CLRED US TO 'TAXI TO' RWY 9. WE CROSSED RWY 9 AND JOINED THE E W PARALLEL TXWY (TXWY A) AND PROCEEDED TO THE APCH END OF RWY 9. WHILE WBOUND ON TXWY A, SWF GND NOTIFIED US THAT WE DID NOT HAVE CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 9. WE ROGERED THE MESSAGE AND CONTINUED. IN OUR SIT, THE SWF GND CLRNC OF 'TAXI TO' WAS INAPPROPRIATE. IF SWF GND WANTED US TO REMAIN HOLDING SHORT OF THE ASSIGNED RWY 9, HE SHOULD HAVE STATED 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 9' OR IF HE WANTED FOR US TO PULL UP CLOSER TO THE HOLD SHORT LINE, HE SHOULD HAVE STATED SO. OUR CREW IS FAMILIAR WITH THE MEANING OF THE ATC TAXI CLRNC AS DESCRIBED IN THE AIRMAN'S INFO MANUAL AND COMMERCIAL MANUAL (ATC SECTION 4-68A(5)) AND UNDERSTAND THAT IT DOES NOT INCLUDE TAXIING ACROSS THE ASSIGNED RWY, BUT IN THIS SIT IT IS INAPPROPRIATE AT BEST. WE ARE ALREADY HOLDING SHORT OF THE ASSIGNED RWY AND WE CAN EITHER TAXI ACROSS OR REMAIN HOLDING SHORT OF THE RWY. WE BELIEVE THAT THIS MISUNDERSTANDING COULD HAVE BEEN REMEDIED BY USE OF THE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED ATC PHRASE OF 'HOLD SHORT.' WE WOULD THEN BE REQUIRED TO ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF THIS CLRNC. WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT FAMILIARITY OF EACH OTHERS OP OR THE WX WAS A FACTOR BY EITHER SWF GND OR OUR CREW IN THIS INCIDENT. IN AN ERA OF ACCIDENTS/INCIDENTS INVOLVING RWY INCURSIONS, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT NO ATC CLRNC BE MISUNDERSTOOD AND IT SHOULD BE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED FOR ATC TO USE CLRNCS THAT WILL PROVIDE A CLR PICTURE OF WHAT IS DESIRED, SUCH AS 'HOLD SHORT.' THE CLRNC GIVEN BY SWF GND DID NOT GIVE A CLR PICTURE OF WHAT OUR CREW THOUGHT WAS DESIRED. IF WE HAD NOT BEEN HOLDING SHORT OF THE ASSIGNED RWY AND WERE LOCATED ELSEWHERE ON THE ARPT, THE ATC TAXI CLRNC MAY HAVE BEEN MORE APPROPRIATE. WHEN OUR CREW RECEIVED THE TAXI CLRNC, WE ALL BELIEVED THAT SWF GND INTENDED FOR US TO TAXI ACROSS 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.