Narrative:

After landing, I turned off runway 29 and taxied to the ramp. I thought or assumed I had heard a clearance to taxi to the ramp. As I crossed a short runway, the tower called us to contact ground. At that point (too late) I realized we had not received clearance to cross this runway and taxi in. My first officer contacted ground then and the controller wanted me to call him on the land line. The smaller runway 7/25 also crossed the main air carrier runway 11/29. The runway 7/25 was not in use and there was no traffic conflict. The controller did not want to file a violation but was concerned about a possible trend since he told me of an identical incident the day before with a different air carrier. Several things contributed to this: 1) running late and trying to get back on schedule, 2) distrs: during descent, a flight attendant was attempting to communication with the flight deck about an uncooperative passenger smoking in an aft lavatory. She had problems working her hand set and was ringing the cockpit call button numerous times, my so was attempting to get guidance from me on this (I told him we would discuss it on the ground as we were below 10000 ft now), my so again queried me as we were taxiing in, 3) fatigue: we just got off a minimum layover with a previous 14 hour duty day. I had not slept that well. I should have been more assertive with the sterile cockpit until we got to the gate and I definitely should have been more attentive to tower's instructions to contact ground after turning off the runway. My first officer failed to switch over to ground control and call them. I go into smaller, low density airports such as this quite often and regularly receive clearance to the ramp on tower frequency before leaving the runway. With the other distrs in mind, I wrongly assumed we would or did get clearance to the ramp so I continued the taxi on in. Additional note -- there was an air carrier crossing runway 7/25 on his takeoff roll on runway 29 the same time I was crossing runway 7/25 taxiing in. I noticed this and subconsciously knew it was safe. Supplemental information from acn 312114: on roll out tower was telling us to turn off runway and contact ground control at same time flight engineer was describing problem with smoking, drunk, unruly passenger. Did not hear tower say to call ground control. Both flight attendant and flight engineer felt they had caused a distraction at a critical time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH RWY ENTRY XING OP TAXI. RWY INCURSION.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG, I TURNED OFF RWY 29 AND TAXIED TO THE RAMP. I THOUGHT OR ASSUMED I HAD HEARD A CLRNC TO TAXI TO THE RAMP. AS I CROSSED A SHORT RWY, THE TWR CALLED US TO CONTACT GND. AT THAT POINT (TOO LATE) I REALIZED WE HAD NOT RECEIVED CLRNC TO CROSS THIS RWY AND TAXI IN. MY FO CONTACTED GND THEN AND THE CTLR WANTED ME TO CALL HIM ON THE LAND LINE. THE SMALLER RWY 7/25 ALSO CROSSED THE MAIN ACR RWY 11/29. THE RWY 7/25 WAS NOT IN USE AND THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT. THE CTLR DID NOT WANT TO FILE A VIOLATION BUT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT A POSSIBLE TREND SINCE HE TOLD ME OF AN IDENTICAL INCIDENT THE DAY BEFORE WITH A DIFFERENT ACR. SEVERAL THINGS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS: 1) RUNNING LATE AND TRYING TO GET BACK ON SCHEDULE, 2) DISTRS: DURING DSCNT, A FLT ATTENDANT WAS ATTEMPTING TO COM WITH THE FLT DECK ABOUT AN UNCOOPERATIVE PAX SMOKING IN AN AFT LAVATORY. SHE HAD PROBS WORKING HER HAND SET AND WAS RINGING THE COCKPIT CALL BUTTON NUMEROUS TIMES, MY SO WAS ATTEMPTING TO GET GUIDANCE FROM ME ON THIS (I TOLD HIM WE WOULD DISCUSS IT ON THE GND AS WE WERE BELOW 10000 FT NOW), MY SO AGAIN QUERIED ME AS WE WERE TAXIING IN, 3) FATIGUE: WE JUST GOT OFF A MINIMUM LAYOVER WITH A PREVIOUS 14 HR DUTY DAY. I HAD NOT SLEPT THAT WELL. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ASSERTIVE WITH THE STERILE COCKPIT UNTIL WE GOT TO THE GATE AND I DEFINITELY SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ATTENTIVE TO TWR'S INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTACT GND AFTER TURNING OFF THE RWY. MY FO FAILED TO SWITCH OVER TO GND CTL AND CALL THEM. I GO INTO SMALLER, LOW DENSITY ARPTS SUCH AS THIS QUITE OFTEN AND REGULARLY RECEIVE CLRNC TO THE RAMP ON TWR FREQ BEFORE LEAVING THE RWY. WITH THE OTHER DISTRS IN MIND, I WRONGLY ASSUMED WE WOULD OR DID GET CLRNC TO THE RAMP SO I CONTINUED THE TAXI ON IN. ADDITIONAL NOTE -- THERE WAS AN ACR XING RWY 7/25 ON HIS TKOF ROLL ON RWY 29 THE SAME TIME I WAS XING RWY 7/25 TAXIING IN. I NOTICED THIS AND SUBCONSCIOUSLY KNEW IT WAS SAFE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 312114: ON ROLL OUT TWR WAS TELLING US TO TURN OFF RWY AND CONTACT GND CTL AT SAME TIME FE WAS DESCRIBING PROB WITH SMOKING, DRUNK, UNRULY PAX. DID NOT HEAR TWR SAY TO CALL GND CTL. BOTH FLT ATTENDANT AND FE FELT THEY HAD CAUSED A DISTR AT A CRITICAL TIME.

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.