Narrative:

After pushback, the first officer called for taxi. Company had several flts waiting to push after us, and we were blocking pushes from 2 gates, while we resolved a security issue concerning whether or not we had an armed law enforcement official aboard or not, as he had not idented himself to the flight attendants. It turned out that we did have an armed fbi agent sitting in first class. As I taxied, so as to allow the waiting aircraft to push, I crossed the vehicle access perimeter road, which is in fairly close proximity to gate. Some gates are so close, that direct contact with ground control is required, instead of calling ramp control first (if inside the vehicle road). I heard the clearance to taxi and observed the first officer talking on the radio, and was focused on the maneuvering of the aircraft, when shortly after crossing the vehicle access road, the first officer called ground control, and ground control acknowledged with 'I see that you are already on the taxiway' (having crossed the vehicle access lane). For some reason (all that was going on) I assumed that we were already talking to ground control, and were cleared to cross the vehicle access road, onto the taxiway. I habitually verbalize out loud with the first officer what the specific taxi instructions are so that we both agree on what we think we heard. Apparently, I was rushed by ramp control and aircraft waiting to push, and did not verify initial taxi instructions with the first officer. I should not have allowed anything to rush me, because I subsequently missed something and or presumed something which was not the case. It happened in a high workload, multi-event situation, which is exactly when we need to slow things down a bit, and not be rushed. No apparent problems. Apparently, it was the clearance to taxi, from ramp control, that I heard initially, when I began to taxi.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-400 BEGAN TAXIING FROM THE GATE, CROSSED A VEHICLE PERIMETER ROAD AND ENTERED A TXWY WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: AFTER PUSHBACK, THE FO CALLED FOR TAXI. COMPANY HAD SEVERAL FLTS WAITING TO PUSH AFTER US, AND WE WERE BLOCKING PUSHES FROM 2 GATES, WHILE WE RESOLVED A SECURITY ISSUE CONCERNING WHETHER OR NOT WE HAD AN ARMED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL ABOARD OR NOT, AS HE HAD NOT IDENTED HIMSELF TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS. IT TURNED OUT THAT WE DID HAVE AN ARMED FBI AGENT SITTING IN FIRST CLASS. AS I TAXIED, SO AS TO ALLOW THE WAITING ACFT TO PUSH, I CROSSED THE VEHICLE ACCESS PERIMETER ROAD, WHICH IS IN FAIRLY CLOSE PROX TO GATE. SOME GATES ARE SO CLOSE, THAT DIRECT CONTACT WITH GND CTL IS REQUIRED, INSTEAD OF CALLING RAMP CTL FIRST (IF INSIDE THE VEHICLE ROAD). I HEARD THE CLRNC TO TAXI AND OBSERVED THE FO TALKING ON THE RADIO, AND WAS FOCUSED ON THE MANEUVERING OF THE ACFT, WHEN SHORTLY AFTER XING THE VEHICLE ACCESS ROAD, THE FO CALLED GND CTL, AND GND CTL ACKNOWLEDGED WITH 'I SEE THAT YOU ARE ALREADY ON THE TXWY' (HAVING CROSSED THE VEHICLE ACCESS LANE). FOR SOME REASON (ALL THAT WAS GOING ON) I ASSUMED THAT WE WERE ALREADY TALKING TO GND CTL, AND WERE CLRED TO CROSS THE VEHICLE ACCESS ROAD, ONTO THE TXWY. I HABITUALLY VERBALIZE OUT LOUD WITH THE FO WHAT THE SPECIFIC TAXI INSTRUCTIONS ARE SO THAT WE BOTH AGREE ON WHAT WE THINK WE HEARD. APPARENTLY, I WAS RUSHED BY RAMP CTL AND ACFT WAITING TO PUSH, AND DID NOT VERIFY INITIAL TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WITH THE FO. I SHOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED ANYTHING TO RUSH ME, BECAUSE I SUBSEQUENTLY MISSED SOMETHING AND OR PRESUMED SOMETHING WHICH WAS NOT THE CASE. IT HAPPENED IN A HIGH WORKLOAD, MULTI-EVENT SIT, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHEN WE NEED TO SLOW THINGS DOWN A BIT, AND NOT BE RUSHED. NO APPARENT PROBS. APPARENTLY, IT WAS THE CLRNC TO TAXI, FROM RAMP CTL, THAT I HEARD INITIALLY, WHEN I BEGAN TO TAXI.

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.