Narrative:

Taxi from gate to departure runway. Received taxi instructions to taxi via 'taxiway V, taxiway east, cross runway 32 to runway 28C.' we, as a crew, heard that we were cleared to cross runway 28C. The standard taxi route for a departure from runway 28L would be to cross runway 28C then via taxiway F to runway 28L. This is the route and runway that is used most. As we approached runway 28C on taxiway V, the ground controller asked us to hold our position. We stopped with about 1/2 the aircraft past the hold line for runway 28C. The runway was active but was not in use. We received new instructions and taxied to runway 28C via taxiway east. This was the last day of a 4 day trip and I believe we did not look close enough at our airport diagrams and were tied into our standard route for takeoff. The verbiage of the taxi instructions may have also created confusion with the instructions to cross runway 32 to runway 28C. I plan to always look at the taxi route on the airport diagram and to know the active runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 FLC UPON MISUNDERSTANDING INSTRUCTIONS FROM GND CTL TAXIED ONTO ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: TAXI FROM GATE TO DEP RWY. RECEIVED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI VIA 'TXWY V, TXWY E, CROSS RWY 32 TO RWY 28C.' WE, AS A CREW, HEARD THAT WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS RWY 28C. THE STANDARD TAXI RTE FOR A DEP FROM RWY 28L WOULD BE TO CROSS RWY 28C THEN VIA TXWY F TO RWY 28L. THIS IS THE RTE AND RWY THAT IS USED MOST. AS WE APCHED RWY 28C ON TXWY V, THE GND CTLR ASKED US TO HOLD OUR POS. WE STOPPED WITH ABOUT 1/2 THE ACFT PAST THE HOLD LINE FOR RWY 28C. THE RWY WAS ACTIVE BUT WAS NOT IN USE. WE RECEIVED NEW INSTRUCTIONS AND TAXIED TO RWY 28C VIA TXWY E. THIS WAS THE LAST DAY OF A 4 DAY TRIP AND I BELIEVE WE DID NOT LOOK CLOSE ENOUGH AT OUR ARPT DIAGRAMS AND WERE TIED INTO OUR STANDARD RTE FOR TKOF. THE VERBIAGE OF THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS MAY HAVE ALSO CREATED CONFUSION WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS TO CROSS RWY 32 TO RWY 28C. I PLAN TO ALWAYS LOOK AT THE TAXI RTE ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM AND TO KNOW THE ACTIVE RWY.

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.