Narrative:

On aug/xy/98 at approximately XA30 I was assigned to deliver aircraft xyz from ZZZ spot X to gate back course. After receiving these instructions I went directly to the aircraft picking up the logbook and a tow bar (tb Y) along the way. After connecting the tow bar to the aircraft, I started a thorough walkaround inspection, noting 2 new nlg tire installations. I went up into the control cabin to doublechk system configns and confer with xxy that we were ready to go, 'B' pump, antiskid, beacon, navigation lights, etc. After starting the tractor, I plugged the interphone cord to my headset and tried to call xxy. There was no side tone or response, so I went to the back of the tractor to the second interphone connection point, plugging my headset in there, attempting to troubleshoot and hopefully eliminate my communication problem, no joy. Then I plugged directly into the aircraft's interphone jack and could hear side tone. I called xxy, told him we were out of time, I have 2 bad cords, he would have to relay the gate clearance information to me out his window (l-hand) when we stopped at the ZZZ west gate. After releasing the brakes (approximately XC00) starting my tow, I turned on the tractor's radio expecting to hear the tower giving other aircraft instructions, but I couldn't hear any xmissions at all. While towing I tried turning the radio on and off, and rechannelizing, but still I could hear nothing. Xxy said 'cleared on south, hold runway 28R.' I repeated the instructions receiving a thumbs up, I said 'ok, you'll need to handle all of our communications, any problems at all just hit me with a landing light and I'll stop.' he said ok! Stopping on taxiway south at runway 28R, I sat in the tractor scanning all the activity on the field, noting 2 aircraft down the runway, they appeared to be on the runway 28L. 1 of the aircraft on the runway had all of its lights on, characteristic of an aircraft that had just landed. It seems to me (recollection not clear on this point), I observed an aircraft land on runway 28R and taxi off while we waited holding runway 28R. I sat in the tractor about 3 or 4 mins before dismounting and stepping out into view of the cockpit. When I did this xxy stuck his left arm out of the cockpit window and pointed across the (our end) end of the runway. I thought he was indicating we had clearance to cross the runway 28R! I mounted the tractor and resumed my tow immediately. Still trying to get the radio to work, I turned the squelch control knob and the radio came alive blaring. After getting the volume under control I could hear tower calling aircraft xyz as I was approaching runway 28L...south...B...unreadable. I asked for repeat instructions. Again...continue on south...B...unreadable! I called once more telling the tower that I was having radio difficulties, 'understand continue on south, B...to the gate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A TUG TOWING A B737 TO A TERMINAL GATE WITH NO GND CTL OR COCKPIT COMS CROSSED AN ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: ON AUG/XY/98 AT APPROX XA30 I WAS ASSIGNED TO DELIVER ACFT XYZ FROM ZZZ SPOT X TO GATE BC. AFTER RECEIVING THESE INSTRUCTIONS I WENT DIRECTLY TO THE ACFT PICKING UP THE LOGBOOK AND A TOW BAR (TB Y) ALONG THE WAY. AFTER CONNECTING THE TOW BAR TO THE ACFT, I STARTED A THOROUGH WALKAROUND INSPECTION, NOTING 2 NEW NLG TIRE INSTALLATIONS. I WENT UP INTO THE CTL CABIN TO DOUBLECHK SYS CONFIGNS AND CONFER WITH XXY THAT WE WERE READY TO GO, 'B' PUMP, ANTISKID, BEACON, NAV LIGHTS, ETC. AFTER STARTING THE TRACTOR, I PLUGGED THE INTERPHONE CORD TO MY HEADSET AND TRIED TO CALL XXY. THERE WAS NO SIDE TONE OR RESPONSE, SO I WENT TO THE BACK OF THE TRACTOR TO THE SECOND INTERPHONE CONNECTION POINT, PLUGGING MY HEADSET IN THERE, ATTEMPTING TO TROUBLESHOOT AND HOPEFULLY ELIMINATE MY COM PROB, NO JOY. THEN I PLUGGED DIRECTLY INTO THE ACFT'S INTERPHONE JACK AND COULD HEAR SIDE TONE. I CALLED XXY, TOLD HIM WE WERE OUT OF TIME, I HAVE 2 BAD CORDS, HE WOULD HAVE TO RELAY THE GATE CLRNC INFO TO ME OUT HIS WINDOW (L-HAND) WHEN WE STOPPED AT THE ZZZ W GATE. AFTER RELEASING THE BRAKES (APPROX XC00) STARTING MY TOW, I TURNED ON THE TRACTOR'S RADIO EXPECTING TO HEAR THE TWR GIVING OTHER ACFT INSTRUCTIONS, BUT I COULDN'T HEAR ANY XMISSIONS AT ALL. WHILE TOWING I TRIED TURNING THE RADIO ON AND OFF, AND RECHANNELIZING, BUT STILL I COULD HEAR NOTHING. XXY SAID 'CLRED ON S, HOLD RWY 28R.' I REPEATED THE INSTRUCTIONS RECEIVING A THUMBS UP, I SAID 'OK, YOU'LL NEED TO HANDLE ALL OF OUR COMS, ANY PROBS AT ALL JUST HIT ME WITH A LNDG LIGHT AND I'LL STOP.' HE SAID OK! STOPPING ON TXWY S AT RWY 28R, I SAT IN THE TRACTOR SCANNING ALL THE ACTIVITY ON THE FIELD, NOTING 2 ACFT DOWN THE RWY, THEY APPEARED TO BE ON THE RWY 28L. 1 OF THE ACFT ON THE RWY HAD ALL OF ITS LIGHTS ON, CHARACTERISTIC OF AN ACFT THAT HAD JUST LANDED. IT SEEMS TO ME (RECOLLECTION NOT CLR ON THIS POINT), I OBSERVED AN ACFT LAND ON RWY 28R AND TAXI OFF WHILE WE WAITED HOLDING RWY 28R. I SAT IN THE TRACTOR ABOUT 3 OR 4 MINS BEFORE DISMOUNTING AND STEPPING OUT INTO VIEW OF THE COCKPIT. WHEN I DID THIS XXY STUCK HIS L ARM OUT OF THE COCKPIT WINDOW AND POINTED ACROSS THE (OUR END) END OF THE RWY. I THOUGHT HE WAS INDICATING WE HAD CLRNC TO CROSS THE RWY 28R! I MOUNTED THE TRACTOR AND RESUMED MY TOW IMMEDIATELY. STILL TRYING TO GET THE RADIO TO WORK, I TURNED THE SQUELCH CTL KNOB AND THE RADIO CAME ALIVE BLARING. AFTER GETTING THE VOLUME UNDER CTL I COULD HEAR TWR CALLING ACFT XYZ AS I WAS APCHING RWY 28L...S...B...UNREADABLE. I ASKED FOR REPEAT INSTRUCTIONS. AGAIN...CONTINUE ON S...B...UNREADABLE! I CALLED ONCE MORE TELLING THE TWR THAT I WAS HAVING RADIO DIFFICULTIES, 'UNDERSTAND CONTINUE ON S, B...TO THE GATE.

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.