Narrative:

During taxi (preflight) we were holding at taxiway north and taxiway a waiting further taxi clearance. We were given what we thought was clearance to cross runway 30L and hold short at taxiway right. I read back the clearance to stl ground control and both the captain and I assumed he meant hold short of runway 30R. At the time, a DC9 was taxiing onto runway 30L, but had not been cleared for takeoff. My captain assumed that ground wanted us to expedite our taxi across runway 30L since there was another aircraft on about a 4 mi final. As we went to cross the runway on taxiway north, ground control told us to stop at our current position short of runway 30L. Although our aircraft may have crossed the yellow hold short line, the aircraft was stopped well short of runway 30L. No runway incursion occurred and during this time, the aircraft on final initiated a go around with the DC9 holding in position at runway 30L. We were then cleared to cross runway 30L and proceed to taxi to runway 30R. Ground informed the captain to call the stl tower supervisor to discuss what happened. Apparently, ground control wanted us to taxi to taxiway right and hold short of runway 30L. This would have required us to taxi east on taxiway a, however, that was not included in the instruction. Although I honestly cannot remember verbatim our taxi clearance or my readback, ground control, after listening to the tape replay, concluded that my taxi instruction readback was correct. However, for whatever reason, both the captain and I understood to cross runway 30L and hold short of runway 30R at taxiway right. I believe that 2 things would have prevented this misunderstanding. First, a clearance to 'taxi east on taxiway a to taxiway right then hold short of runway 30L' would have been a more descriptive taxi clearance. Second, on our part there should have been no rushing to try to cross a runway when it was obvious we would have to wait several mins anyway for takeoff due to large numbers of aircraft already waiting in line. It would have been much better for us to simply hold our position and wait for further clearance since a delay was inevitable anyway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC CROSSES HOLD LINE AT STL.

Narrative: DURING TAXI (PREFLT) WE WERE HOLDING AT TXWY N AND TXWY A WAITING FURTHER TAXI CLRNC. WE WERE GIVEN WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 30L AND HOLD SHORT AT TXWY R. I READ BACK THE CLRNC TO STL GND CTL AND BOTH THE CAPT AND I ASSUMED HE MEANT HOLD SHORT OF RWY 30R. AT THE TIME, A DC9 WAS TAXIING ONTO RWY 30L, BUT HAD NOT BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF. MY CAPT ASSUMED THAT GND WANTED US TO EXPEDITE OUR TAXI ACROSS RWY 30L SINCE THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT ON ABOUT A 4 MI FINAL. AS WE WENT TO CROSS THE RWY ON TXWY N, GND CTL TOLD US TO STOP AT OUR CURRENT POS SHORT OF RWY 30L. ALTHOUGH OUR ACFT MAY HAVE CROSSED THE YELLOW HOLD SHORT LINE, THE ACFT WAS STOPPED WELL SHORT OF RWY 30L. NO RWY INCURSION OCCURRED AND DURING THIS TIME, THE ACFT ON FINAL INITIATED A GAR WITH THE DC9 HOLDING IN POS AT RWY 30L. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO CROSS RWY 30L AND PROCEED TO TAXI TO RWY 30R. GND INFORMED THE CAPT TO CALL THE STL TWR SUPVR TO DISCUSS WHAT HAPPENED. APPARENTLY, GND CTL WANTED US TO TAXI TO TXWY R AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 30L. THIS WOULD HAVE REQUIRED US TO TAXI E ON TXWY A, HOWEVER, THAT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE INSTRUCTION. ALTHOUGH I HONESTLY CANNOT REMEMBER VERBATIM OUR TAXI CLRNC OR MY READBACK, GND CTL, AFTER LISTENING TO THE TAPE REPLAY, CONCLUDED THAT MY TAXI INSTRUCTION READBACK WAS CORRECT. HOWEVER, FOR WHATEVER REASON, BOTH THE CAPT AND I UNDERSTOOD TO CROSS RWY 30L AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 30R AT TXWY R. I BELIEVE THAT 2 THINGS WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS MISUNDERSTANDING. FIRST, A CLRNC TO 'TAXI E ON TXWY A TO TXWY R THEN HOLD SHORT OF RWY 30L' WOULD HAVE BEEN A MORE DESCRIPTIVE TAXI CLRNC. SECOND, ON OUR PART THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN NO RUSHING TO TRY TO CROSS A RWY WHEN IT WAS OBVIOUS WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT SEVERAL MINS ANYWAY FOR TKOF DUE TO LARGE NUMBERS OF ACFT ALREADY WAITING IN LINE. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH BETTER FOR US TO SIMPLY HOLD OUR POS AND WAIT FOR FURTHER CLRNC SINCE A DELAY WAS INEVITABLE ANYWAY.

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.