Narrative:

Flight from chicago to boston with night landing at bos. Landed runway 22L, hold short of runway 27. We turned off at taxiway C and contacted bos tower on 128.8. Male controller initially told us to 'hold short of runway 22R,' then told us to cross, and then told to 'hold short' due to traffic exiting the concourse ramp which would have prevented our entry to the gate area. There was a delay of several mins, during which time we made a PA announcement to the passenger. Next thing I heard was the last part of a clearance to cross runway 22R, 'cleared to cross without delay, fast traffic on a 2 NM final.' the copilot immediately read back the clearance, that we were 'cleared to cross runway 22R, without delay.' this clearance was given by a different/female controller, and was a bit surprising since I had not yet seen the traffic exit the concourse ramp. Since I had heard only the last portion of the transmission, and not the call sign, I turned and asked the copilot, 'are you positive that it was for us?' he replied in the affirmative and we crossed runway 22R without delay. The controller was already talking to someone else so I had to depend on the copilot. He was wrong! As we crossed, we could see traffic still blocking the alleyway. Another aircraft on the parallel taxiway had to stop and give way so we could clear the hold line. Ground control had no idea what to do with us and ended up 'boxing' us around to get us out of everyone's way. When we switched to ground control, we heard them talking to another aircraft, possibly a call sign that was similar. In fact, the copilot answered twice for them. I'm convinced that we crossed runway 22R based on a clearance given to an aircraft with a similar call sign. A telephone call to boston confirmed my suspicion. Trust is a fragile commodity. Reliance on crew concept is only as good as each member. You are either all wrong or you are all right. Next time I ask twice, maybe 3 times.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B737 FLC COPIED AND COMPLIED WITH ANOTHER ACFT'S CLRNC TO CROSS AN ACTIVE RWY.

Narrative: FLT FROM CHICAGO TO BOSTON WITH NIGHT LNDG AT BOS. LANDED RWY 22L, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 27. WE TURNED OFF AT TXWY C AND CONTACTED BOS TWR ON 128.8. MALE CTLR INITIALLY TOLD US TO 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 22R,' THEN TOLD US TO CROSS, AND THEN TOLD TO 'HOLD SHORT' DUE TO TFC EXITING THE CONCOURSE RAMP WHICH WOULD HAVE PREVENTED OUR ENTRY TO THE GATE AREA. THERE WAS A DELAY OF SEVERAL MINS, DURING WHICH TIME WE MADE A PA ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PAX. NEXT THING I HEARD WAS THE LAST PART OF A CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 22R, 'CLRED TO CROSS WITHOUT DELAY, FAST TFC ON A 2 NM FINAL.' THE COPLT IMMEDIATELY READ BACK THE CLRNC, THAT WE WERE 'CLRED TO CROSS RWY 22R, WITHOUT DELAY.' THIS CLRNC WAS GIVEN BY A DIFFERENT/FEMALE CTLR, AND WAS A BIT SURPRISING SINCE I HAD NOT YET SEEN THE TFC EXIT THE CONCOURSE RAMP. SINCE I HAD HEARD ONLY THE LAST PORTION OF THE XMISSION, AND NOT THE CALL SIGN, I TURNED AND ASKED THE COPLT, 'ARE YOU POSITIVE THAT IT WAS FOR US?' HE REPLIED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE AND WE CROSSED RWY 22R WITHOUT DELAY. THE CTLR WAS ALREADY TALKING TO SOMEONE ELSE SO I HAD TO DEPEND ON THE COPLT. HE WAS WRONG! AS WE CROSSED, WE COULD SEE TFC STILL BLOCKING THE ALLEYWAY. ANOTHER ACFT ON THE PARALLEL TXWY HAD TO STOP AND GIVE WAY SO WE COULD CLR THE HOLD LINE. GND CTL HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO DO WITH US AND ENDED UP 'BOXING' US AROUND TO GET US OUT OF EVERYONE'S WAY. WHEN WE SWITCHED TO GND CTL, WE HEARD THEM TALKING TO ANOTHER ACFT, POSSIBLY A CALL SIGN THAT WAS SIMILAR. IN FACT, THE COPLT ANSWERED TWICE FOR THEM. I'M CONVINCED THAT WE CROSSED RWY 22R BASED ON A CLRNC GIVEN TO AN ACFT WITH A SIMILAR CALL SIGN. A TELEPHONE CALL TO BOSTON CONFIRMED MY SUSPICION. TRUST IS A FRAGILE COMMODITY. RELIANCE ON CREW CONCEPT IS ONLY AS GOOD AS EACH MEMBER. YOU ARE EITHER ALL WRONG OR YOU ARE ALL RIGHT. NEXT TIME I ASK TWICE, MAYBE 3 TIMES.

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.