Narrative:

Here is where the trouble began -- I was late switching from the flight intercom (ramp) to ground and the first officer was quick to call for taxi -- hence, I missed the instructions to hold short of a crossing runway and I never heard the readback. I was preoccupied with the initial taxi away from the gate and a requirement to 'give way' to an inbound king air. This act of giving way required me to move the aircraft away from my direction of taxi, and after our 'minuet' was completed, I headed for the takeoff runway. As I approached the crossing runway in question, I 'cleared' it visually and noticed that an airplane was landing on the runway to which I was taxiing and since it was landing parallel and opposite to my direction of taxi, I gave no thought at all to a hold short requirement. About then, ground came up and stated, 'you were supposed to hold short, but since you're already on the runway, continue to taxi.' as soon as I heard ground tell me to hold short, I stopped immediately and was not yet on the runway in question. However, once he cleared me to taxi, I did so and did not contest his statement that I was on the runway already. I would have been on that runway had the ground controller not made his transmission. The first officer apparently had been distraction by his cockpit duties and as a fairly new crew member was not real familiar with the airport, so he did not notice that a potential runway incursion was about to occur. There was no conflict thankfully and I had yet another opportunity to gain experience at a low price! The norm here is vigilance and coordination by both crew members. Or, make the ramp areas as sterile as those old military flight lines and I doubt we'd ever see that happen.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW TAXIING TO RWY 4 AT MDW WERE INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 31. WHEN THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WERE RECEIVED BY THE FO, THE PIC WAS STILL PLUGGED IN WITH THE PUSHBACK CREW AND DID NOT HEAR THE CLRNC.

Narrative: HERE IS WHERE THE TROUBLE BEGAN -- I WAS LATE SWITCHING FROM THE FLT INTERCOM (RAMP) TO GND AND THE FO WAS QUICK TO CALL FOR TAXI -- HENCE, I MISSED THE INSTRUCTIONS TO HOLD SHORT OF A XING RWY AND I NEVER HEARD THE READBACK. I WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH THE INITIAL TAXI AWAY FROM THE GATE AND A REQUIREMENT TO 'GIVE WAY' TO AN INBOUND KING AIR. THIS ACT OF GIVING WAY REQUIRED ME TO MOVE THE ACFT AWAY FROM MY DIRECTION OF TAXI, AND AFTER OUR 'MINUET' WAS COMPLETED, I HEADED FOR THE TKOF RWY. AS I APCHED THE XING RWY IN QUESTION, I 'CLRED' IT VISUALLY AND NOTICED THAT AN AIRPLANE WAS LNDG ON THE RWY TO WHICH I WAS TAXIING AND SINCE IT WAS LNDG PARALLEL AND OPPOSITE TO MY DIRECTION OF TAXI, I GAVE NO THOUGHT AT ALL TO A HOLD SHORT REQUIREMENT. ABOUT THEN, GND CAME UP AND STATED, 'YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO HOLD SHORT, BUT SINCE YOU'RE ALREADY ON THE RWY, CONTINUE TO TAXI.' AS SOON AS I HEARD GND TELL ME TO HOLD SHORT, I STOPPED IMMEDIATELY AND WAS NOT YET ON THE RWY IN QUESTION. HOWEVER, ONCE HE CLRED ME TO TAXI, I DID SO AND DID NOT CONTEST HIS STATEMENT THAT I WAS ON THE RWY ALREADY. I WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THAT RWY HAD THE GND CTLR NOT MADE HIS XMISSION. THE FO APPARENTLY HAD BEEN DISTR BY HIS COCKPIT DUTIES AND AS A FAIRLY NEW CREW MEMBER WAS NOT REAL FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT, SO HE DID NOT NOTICE THAT A POTENTIAL RWY INCURSION WAS ABOUT TO OCCUR. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT THANKFULLY AND I HAD YET ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN EXPERIENCE AT A LOW PRICE! THE NORM HERE IS VIGILANCE AND COORD BY BOTH CREW MEMBERS. OR, MAKE THE RAMP AREAS AS STERILE AS THOSE OLD MIL FLT LINES AND I DOUBT WE'D EVER SEE THAT HAPPEN.

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.