Narrative:

After being switched to ground control at ord. We received instructions to taxi to runway 14L from our ramp position. We understood the instructions to be 'west on taxiway H, taxiway T, taxiway Z, taxiway east, taxiway Y, taxiway P, runway 14L.' because of ord's congestion we could only acknowledged with our call sign aircraft X. Upon crossing runway 4L/22R we were told to stop. If I had stopped when ground asked, I would have stopped right on the runway. I elected to clear runway 4L/22R on the other side on taxiway H. I then asked ground control what the problem was. They said to hold my position and they'd get back to me. After a short period, I was told to continue my taxi via the route I was already following behind aircraft Y DC10. I again asked for any clarification and ground told me to monitor tower for runway 14L. I asked again, 'was there a problem' and 'what was the nature of the problem?' I was told that if I wanted I could monitor ground and they'd get back to me. They never did get back to me. When I got to runway 14L, I switched to tower and was subsequently cleared for takeoff. I flew to azo. Upon my arrival, I called the tower supervisor at ord. He said that he had cleared us to taxi to runway 14L via 'west on txwys H, B, J. West, T, Z, east, Y, P, runway 14L.' I told him that because of congestion we could not verify the clearance except for our call sign. I told him that we were vigilant in crossing runway 4L/22R and that there was no traffic arriving or departing that runway and he agreed. I asked why we didn't get a clarification after crossing the runway and he didn't have an answer. He said that they pulled the tapes and that this would be considered a 'runway incursion' even though there wasn't an incursion. He said he didn't have any leeway on notifying the FAA regards this matter. I was informed that I could come and listen to the tapes any time. Upon my return to ord, I went to the tower and spoke again to the supervisor to ask to hear the tapes. He told me that he was too busy and to come back another time. Later that same evening when we were taxiing out of ord again. The ground controller was giving taxi instructions to a lot of aircraft. He was not allowing anyone to even read back the instructions or call sign. He just kept giving instructions one right after another.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLC TAXIED ACROSS AN ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC AT ORD.

Narrative: AFTER BEING SWITCHED TO GND CTL AT ORD. WE RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI TO RWY 14L FROM OUR RAMP POS. WE UNDERSTOOD THE INSTRUCTIONS TO BE 'W ON TXWY H, TXWY T, TXWY Z, TXWY E, TXWY Y, TXWY P, RWY 14L.' BECAUSE OF ORD'S CONGESTION WE COULD ONLY ACKNOWLEDGED WITH OUR CALL SIGN ACFT X. UPON XING RWY 4L/22R WE WERE TOLD TO STOP. IF I HAD STOPPED WHEN GND ASKED, I WOULD HAVE STOPPED RIGHT ON THE RWY. I ELECTED TO CLR RWY 4L/22R ON THE OTHER SIDE ON TXWY H. I THEN ASKED GND CTL WHAT THE PROB WAS. THEY SAID TO HOLD MY POS AND THEY'D GET BACK TO ME. AFTER A SHORT PERIOD, I WAS TOLD TO CONTINUE MY TAXI VIA THE RTE I WAS ALREADY FOLLOWING BEHIND ACFT Y DC10. I AGAIN ASKED FOR ANY CLARIFICATION AND GND TOLD ME TO MONITOR TWR FOR RWY 14L. I ASKED AGAIN, 'WAS THERE A PROB' AND 'WHAT WAS THE NATURE OF THE PROB?' I WAS TOLD THAT IF I WANTED I COULD MONITOR GND AND THEY'D GET BACK TO ME. THEY NEVER DID GET BACK TO ME. WHEN I GOT TO RWY 14L, I SWITCHED TO TWR AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED FOR TKOF. I FLEW TO AZO. UPON MY ARR, I CALLED THE TWR SUPVR AT ORD. HE SAID THAT HE HAD CLRED US TO TAXI TO RWY 14L VIA 'W ON TXWYS H, B, J. W, T, Z, E, Y, P, RWY 14L.' I TOLD HIM THAT BECAUSE OF CONGESTION WE COULD NOT VERIFY THE CLRNC EXCEPT FOR OUR CALL SIGN. I TOLD HIM THAT WE WERE VIGILANT IN XING RWY 4L/22R AND THAT THERE WAS NO TFC ARRIVING OR DEPARTING THAT RWY AND HE AGREED. I ASKED WHY WE DIDN'T GET A CLARIFICATION AFTER XING THE RWY AND HE DIDN'T HAVE AN ANSWER. HE SAID THAT THEY PULLED THE TAPES AND THAT THIS WOULD BE CONSIDERED A 'RWY INCURSION' EVEN THOUGH THERE WASN'T AN INCURSION. HE SAID HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY LEEWAY ON NOTIFYING THE FAA REGARDS THIS MATTER. I WAS INFORMED THAT I COULD COME AND LISTEN TO THE TAPES ANY TIME. UPON MY RETURN TO ORD, I WENT TO THE TWR AND SPOKE AGAIN TO THE SUPVR TO ASK TO HEAR THE TAPES. HE TOLD ME THAT HE WAS TOO BUSY AND TO COME BACK ANOTHER TIME. LATER THAT SAME EVENING WHEN WE WERE TAXIING OUT OF ORD AGAIN. THE GND CTLR WAS GIVING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO A LOT OF ACFT. HE WAS NOT ALLOWING ANYONE TO EVEN READ BACK THE INSTRUCTIONS OR CALL SIGN. HE JUST KEPT GIVING INSTRUCTIONS ONE RIGHT AFTER ANOTHER.

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.