Regional air carrier flight crew taxied across a runway that was closed for snow removal during oper...

Attributes
ACN	328660
Time
Date	199602
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phl
State Reference	PA
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 : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 5800 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	328660
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The WX at philadelphia was deteriorating with heavy blowing snow with visibility limited to 1/4 mi. The ground controller was very busy issuing taxi instructions to us and many other aircraft. Runway 9L was closed as per ATIS and as we approached runway 9L could observe plowing and brooming taking place. We slowly taxied out, more concerned about watching out for other aircraft. Appropriate taxiway markings were becoming more difficult to see in the driving snow. We thought we were cleared across runway 9L, but ground control quickly informed us that we weren't and then gave us further instructions to the departure runway. We both knew runway 9L was closed which was evident because of the number of plow trucks, but it was no excuse for crossing this runway. The captain and I both heard the same thing, or thought we did, and never queried the controller before crossing runway 9L in such low visibility conditions, even if the runway was closed. We were concerned about just keeping our aircraft on the center of the taxiway. The controller's instructions to us were misinterpreted. This can be avoided next time by always confirming runway xings in low visibility and when in doubt, delay the flight until conditions improve.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REGIONAL ACR FLC TAXIED ACROSS A RWY THAT WAS CLOSED FOR SNOW REMOVAL DURING OPS IN LOW VISIBILITY CAUSED BY BLOWING SNOW. ATCT GND CTLR INTERVENED AND ISSUED FURTHER TAXI INSTRUCTIONS.

Narrative: THE WX AT PHILADELPHIA WAS DETERIORATING WITH HVY BLOWING SNOW WITH VISIBILITY LIMITED TO 1/4 MI. THE GND CTLR WAS VERY BUSY ISSUING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO US AND MANY OTHER ACFT. RWY 9L WAS CLOSED AS PER ATIS AND AS WE APCHED RWY 9L COULD OBSERVE PLOWING AND BROOMING TAKING PLACE. WE SLOWLY TAXIED OUT, MORE CONCERNED ABOUT WATCHING OUT FOR OTHER ACFT. APPROPRIATE TXWY MARKINGS WERE BECOMING MORE DIFFICULT TO SEE IN THE DRIVING SNOW. WE THOUGHT WE WERE CLEARED ACROSS RWY 9L, BUT GND CTL QUICKLY INFORMED US THAT WE WEREN'T AND THEN GAVE US FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS TO THE DEP RWY. WE BOTH KNEW RWY 9L WAS CLOSED WHICH WAS EVIDENT BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF PLOW TRUCKS, BUT IT WAS NO EXCUSE FOR XING THIS RWY. THE CAPT AND I BOTH HEARD THE SAME THING, OR THOUGHT WE DID, AND NEVER QUERIED THE CTLR BEFORE XING RWY 9L IN SUCH LOW VISIBILITY CONDITIONS, EVEN IF THE RWY WAS CLOSED. WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT JUST KEEPING OUR ACFT ON THE CTR OF THE TXWY. THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS TO US WERE MISINTERPRETED. THIS CAN BE AVOIDED NEXT TIME BY ALWAYS CONFIRMING RWY XINGS IN LOW VISIBILITY AND WHEN IN DOUBT, DELAY THE FLT UNTIL CONDITIONS IMPROVE.

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.

Regional air carrier flight crew taxied across a runway that was closed for snow removal during operations in low visibility caused by blowing snow. ATCT ground controller intervened and issued further taxi instructions.