Narrative:

While taxiing for takeoff runway 36 at dca I was told to transition from taxiway K to taxiway J in order to cross runway 3 at taxiway D. Our ACARS was inoperative and my first officer was on company frequency trying to get our takeoff weights. I read the taxi clearance back to ground control and moved over to the outer taxiway. I thought I was cleared to cross runway 3 at taxiway D which would have put me in the #1 spot for takeoff on runway 36. I think that I replied in that manner. As I approached runway 3 I observed an airplane landing on runway 36, which would have precluded anybody taking off on runway 3, but as I approached the hold short line for runway 3 I observed a saab lining up for takeoff on runway 3. I started to brake. Just at that time my first officer had finished up with the takeoff numbers, and he also noted the saab and said 'what's going on here.' at that exact time ground control yelled at me to 'hold short of runway 3 - - that I had been cleared to hold short.' I was stopping already as hard as possible. We were near gross weight (97000 pounds) and I got stopped with about 1/3 of the plane over the foul line. I replied that I thought I had been cleared to cross at taxiway D. The controller then advised me the saab was holding in position and I was cleared to cross. I had been watching the saab and was well aware of his position, but I thought he was going to cross runway 3 at charlie and takeoff on runway 36 behind me. I was surprised to see him line up on runway 3 and I would not have crossed runway 3 without confirming my clearance, but I was busy making a hard stop and my first officer was on a different frequency. Because the computers were down, our operations had to do weight and balance by hand and because we were #1 for takeoff, we were trying to do too many things at once.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY TRANSGRESSION.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING FOR TKOF RWY 36 AT DCA I WAS TOLD TO TRANSITION FROM TXWY K TO TXWY J IN ORDER TO CROSS RWY 3 AT TXWY D. OUR ACARS WAS INOP AND MY FO WAS ON COMPANY FREQ TRYING TO GET OUR TKOF WTS. I READ THE TAXI CLRNC BACK TO GND CTL AND MOVED OVER TO THE OUTER TXWY. I THOUGHT I WAS CLRED TO CROSS RWY 3 AT TXWY D WHICH WOULD HAVE PUT ME IN THE #1 SPOT FOR TKOF ON RWY 36. I THINK THAT I REPLIED IN THAT MANNER. AS I APCHED RWY 3 I OBSERVED AN AIRPLANE LNDG ON RWY 36, WHICH WOULD HAVE PRECLUDED ANYBODY TAKING OFF ON RWY 3, BUT AS I APCHED THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 3 I OBSERVED A SAAB LINING UP FOR TKOF ON RWY 3. I STARTED TO BRAKE. JUST AT THAT TIME MY FO HAD FINISHED UP WITH THE TKOF NUMBERS, AND HE ALSO NOTED THE SAAB AND SAID 'WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.' AT THAT EXACT TIME GND CTL YELLED AT ME TO 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 3 - - THAT I HAD BEEN CLRED TO HOLD SHORT.' I WAS STOPPING ALREADY AS HARD AS POSSIBLE. WE WERE NEAR GROSS WT (97000 LBS) AND I GOT STOPPED WITH ABOUT 1/3 OF THE PLANE OVER THE FOUL LINE. I REPLIED THAT I THOUGHT I HAD BEEN CLRED TO CROSS AT TXWY D. THE CTLR THEN ADVISED ME THE SAAB WAS HOLDING IN POS AND I WAS CLRED TO CROSS. I HAD BEEN WATCHING THE SAAB AND WAS WELL AWARE OF HIS POS, BUT I THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO CROSS RWY 3 AT CHARLIE AND TKOF ON RWY 36 BEHIND ME. I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE HIM LINE UP ON RWY 3 AND I WOULD NOT HAVE CROSSED RWY 3 WITHOUT CONFIRMING MY CLRNC, BUT I WAS BUSY MAKING A HARD STOP AND MY FO WAS ON A DIFFERENT FREQ. BECAUSE THE COMPUTERS WERE DOWN, OUR OPS HAD TO DO WT AND BAL BY HAND AND BECAUSE WE WERE #1 FOR TKOF, WE WERE TRYING TO DO TOO MANY THINGS AT ONCE.

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.