Narrative:

Potential runway incursion. After landing runway 18R we were instructed to hold short of runway 18L. Numerous aircraft ahead of us were being cleared across runway 18L and an airplane was in position and holding on runway 18L. As we approached the runway 18L hold line on taxiway wm, I heard tower clear us to cross the runway. Wanting to help expedite the flow of traffic I added power to taxi across as the first officer confirmed the clearance. The first officer heard something wrong with the clearance, however, and questioned the controller. The controller immediately said 'negative, cross the right and hold short of the left.' as soon as I heard 'negative,' I stopped the airplane. We were about 10-20 ft across the hold line still short of the runway. The first officer explained to the controller that he had confused us with another aircraft since we had landed runway 18R and he told the controller our position. He then again told us to hold short. He still seemed confused about our position so the first officer reiterated that we were across the hold line. The controller then cleared us to cross runway 18L and switched us to ground. No apparent conflict was caused by our brief incursion as the aircraft in position had not been cleared for takeoff. It was a good catch by the first officer. I was so intent on expediting that I did not listen carefully enough to the clearance after our call sign. I heard what I wanted to hear not what was actually said. Since the controller was looking at another aircraft downfield when he gave the clearance it could have been hazardous if he had then cleared the aircraft for takeoff while we were crossing. Lesson learned. Pay careful attention to the complete crossing clearance. Supplemental information from acn 450113: while holding short of runway 18L on taxiway wm after landing we received the following call from tower, 'aircraft X cross runway 18R hold short of runway 18L.' we were the tail end of a group of 5 aircraft to cross. We were anticipating the call and upon hearing the controller say, 'aircraft X cross...' we began to move and were moving before we realized the controller had the wrong call sign. The controller was inadvertently using our call sign for an aircraft that was holding short of runway 18R after having landed on runway 13R. Upon realizing that we were not the intended aircraft, we stopped, but our aircraft's nose was over the hold line. I explained what happened to the controller and the controller subsequently cleared us to cross. This mix-up underscores the importance of knowing who you are talking to and ensuring that you are the intended receiver of the radio call. Nothing happened today, just mix in low visibility and a tired crew and I would add a busy tower controller, but he was already saturated and the potential for disaster is high.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW WENT PAST RWY HOLD SHORT LINE.

Narrative: POTENTIAL RWY INCURSION. AFTER LNDG RWY 18R WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 18L. NUMEROUS ACFT AHEAD OF US WERE BEING CLRED ACROSS RWY 18L AND AN AIRPLANE WAS IN POS AND HOLDING ON RWY 18L. AS WE APCHED THE RWY 18L HOLD LINE ON TXWY WM, I HEARD TWR CLR US TO CROSS THE RWY. WANTING TO HELP EXPEDITE THE FLOW OF TFC I ADDED PWR TO TAXI ACROSS AS THE FO CONFIRMED THE CLRNC. THE FO HEARD SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE CLRNC, HOWEVER, AND QUESTIONED THE CTLR. THE CTLR IMMEDIATELY SAID 'NEGATIVE, CROSS THE R AND HOLD SHORT OF THE L.' AS SOON AS I HEARD 'NEGATIVE,' I STOPPED THE AIRPLANE. WE WERE ABOUT 10-20 FT ACROSS THE HOLD LINE STILL SHORT OF THE RWY. THE FO EXPLAINED TO THE CTLR THAT HE HAD CONFUSED US WITH ANOTHER ACFT SINCE WE HAD LANDED RWY 18R AND HE TOLD THE CTLR OUR POS. HE THEN AGAIN TOLD US TO HOLD SHORT. HE STILL SEEMED CONFUSED ABOUT OUR POS SO THE FO REITERATED THAT WE WERE ACROSS THE HOLD LINE. THE CTLR THEN CLRED US TO CROSS RWY 18L AND SWITCHED US TO GND. NO APPARENT CONFLICT WAS CAUSED BY OUR BRIEF INCURSION AS THE ACFT IN POS HAD NOT BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF. IT WAS A GOOD CATCH BY THE FO. I WAS SO INTENT ON EXPEDITING THAT I DID NOT LISTEN CAREFULLY ENOUGH TO THE CLRNC AFTER OUR CALL SIGN. I HEARD WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR NOT WHAT WAS ACTUALLY SAID. SINCE THE CTLR WAS LOOKING AT ANOTHER ACFT DOWNFIELD WHEN HE GAVE THE CLRNC IT COULD HAVE BEEN HAZARDOUS IF HE HAD THEN CLRED THE ACFT FOR TKOF WHILE WE WERE XING. LESSON LEARNED. PAY CAREFUL ATTN TO THE COMPLETE XING CLRNC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 450113: WHILE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 18L ON TXWY WM AFTER LNDG WE RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING CALL FROM TWR, 'ACFT X CROSS RWY 18R HOLD SHORT OF RWY 18L.' WE WERE THE TAIL END OF A GROUP OF 5 ACFT TO CROSS. WE WERE ANTICIPATING THE CALL AND UPON HEARING THE CTLR SAY, 'ACFT X CROSS...' WE BEGAN TO MOVE AND WERE MOVING BEFORE WE REALIZED THE CTLR HAD THE WRONG CALL SIGN. THE CTLR WAS INADVERTENTLY USING OUR CALL SIGN FOR AN ACFT THAT WAS HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 18R AFTER HAVING LANDED ON RWY 13R. UPON REALIZING THAT WE WERE NOT THE INTENDED ACFT, WE STOPPED, BUT OUR ACFT'S NOSE WAS OVER THE HOLD LINE. I EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CTLR AND THE CTLR SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED US TO CROSS. THIS MIX-UP UNDERSCORES THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWING WHO YOU ARE TALKING TO AND ENSURING THAT YOU ARE THE INTENDED RECEIVER OF THE RADIO CALL. NOTHING HAPPENED TODAY, JUST MIX IN LOW VISIBILITY AND A TIRED CREW AND I WOULD ADD A BUSY TWR CTLR, BUT HE WAS ALREADY SATURATED AND THE POTENTIAL FOR DISASTER IS HIGH.

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.