Narrative:

Operating as xyz airlines flight, we departed hou airport's concourse for takeoff on runway 4. Approaching runway 12R/30L on taxiway H, the ground controller indicated he had issued instructions to hold short of runway 12L-30R (which we had just crossed). As first officer, I made the taxi radio call following pushback. I cannot state with certainty if hold short instructions were issued. I can state with certainty that: 1) if hold short instructions were issued, I read them back. (I am very methodical about radio procedures.) 2) when the controller indicated hold short instructions had been issued. I could not recall which runway (12R or 12L) we were instructed not to cross. If hold short instructions were included in the taxi clearance, there was a major communications breakdown between the ground controller and the air crew. Even when instructions are clearly issued, other factors could disrupt their reception and retention by the air crew: 1) the first officer could hear (and even read back) an instruction, but only retain it in short term memory. 2) the captain could be distracted by other activities while the first officer is receiving taxi instructions. Procedures are in place to verify safety-of-flight items (power and flap settings, takeoff speeds, etc) with a challenge and response checklist. Most pilots record ATC route clrncs in writing and read them back. Yet complex taxi instructions can be verbally acknowledged by the first officer with no assurance that the other pilot, who is physically in control of the aircraft, understood (or even heard) the entire clearance. Both airports and air crews should take action to improve controller-air crew communications to minimize or eliminate misunderstandings: 1) airports should have 'traffic lights' at taxiway-runway intxns to provide consistent, real- time information to the pilot controling the aircraft. 2) air crews should record taxi clrncs in writing and have the pilot actually taxiing the aircraft acknowledge them (like we at xyz airlines do with altitude changes).

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH RWY ENTRY XING OP.

Narrative: OPERATING AS XYZ AIRLINES FLT, WE DEPARTED HOU ARPT'S CONCOURSE FOR TKOF ON RWY 4. APCHING RWY 12R/30L ON TXWY H, THE GND CTLR INDICATED HE HAD ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 12L-30R (WHICH WE HAD JUST CROSSED). AS FO, I MADE THE TAXI RADIO CALL FOLLOWING PUSHBACK. I CANNOT STATE WITH CERTAINTY IF HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS WERE ISSUED. I CAN STATE WITH CERTAINTY THAT: 1) IF HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS WERE ISSUED, I READ THEM BACK. (I AM VERY METHODICAL ABOUT RADIO PROCS.) 2) WHEN THE CTLR INDICATED HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS HAD BEEN ISSUED. I COULD NOT RECALL WHICH RWY (12R OR 12L) WE WERE INSTRUCTED NOT TO CROSS. IF HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS WERE INCLUDED IN THE TAXI CLRNC, THERE WAS A MAJOR COMS BREAKDOWN BTWN THE GND CTLR AND THE AIR CREW. EVEN WHEN INSTRUCTIONS ARE CLRLY ISSUED, OTHER FACTORS COULD DISRUPT THEIR RECEPTION AND RETENTION BY THE AIR CREW: 1) THE FO COULD HEAR (AND EVEN READ BACK) AN INSTRUCTION, BUT ONLY RETAIN IT IN SHORT TERM MEMORY. 2) THE CAPT COULD BE DISTRACTED BY OTHER ACTIVITIES WHILE THE FO IS RECEIVING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. PROCS ARE IN PLACE TO VERIFY SAFETY-OF-FLT ITEMS (PWR AND FLAP SETTINGS, TKOF SPDS, ETC) WITH A CHALLENGE AND RESPONSE CHKLIST. MOST PLTS RECORD ATC RTE CLRNCS IN WRITING AND READ THEM BACK. YET COMPLEX TAXI INSTRUCTIONS CAN BE VERBALLY ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE FO WITH NO ASSURANCE THAT THE OTHER PLT, WHO IS PHYSICALLY IN CTL OF THE ACFT, UNDERSTOOD (OR EVEN HEARD) THE ENTIRE CLRNC. BOTH ARPTS AND AIR CREWS SHOULD TAKE ACTION TO IMPROVE CTLR-AIR CREW COMS TO MINIMIZE OR ELIMINATE MISUNDERSTANDINGS: 1) ARPTS SHOULD HAVE 'TFC LIGHTS' AT TXWY-RWY INTXNS TO PROVIDE CONSISTENT, REAL- TIME INFO TO THE PLT CTLING THE ACFT. 2) AIR CREWS SHOULD RECORD TAXI CLRNCS IN WRITING AND HAVE THE PLT ACTUALLY TAXIING THE ACFT ACKNOWLEDGE THEM (LIKE WE AT XYZ AIRLINES DO WITH ALT CHANGES).

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.