A B757 flight crew received a clearance to taxi across a runway that was questioned by sfo tower.

Attributes
ACN	451160
Time
Date	199910
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : las.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 11500 flight time type : 110
ASRS Report	451160
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Intra Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

Pushed off the gate by a tug to the top of the alley. Once we were ready, the taxi clearance by ground control 'taxi to runway 1L via taxiway a, taxiway M.' we proceeded to hold short of taxiway B on taxiway a which parallels runway 1L. At that point the first officer stated we were ready to take off. The ground controller with a different voice asked if we could take runway 1L for departure. We informed him we were too heavy and needed runway 1R for takeoff. Ground controller replied with 'position and hold runway 1R, cross runway 1L, contact tower on 120.5.' prior to crossing runway 1L, we called the tower. He was not aware of our taxi clearance to cross runway 1L via taxiway M. Ground controller stated the normal taxi route for runway 1R is via taxiway B. How the problem arose: too many different voices on 1 frequency, ie, ground, maybe due to shift change or training. Contributing factors: situational awareness, not flown into the airport within the last 3 yrs. Night, new aircraft, new hire first officer, conflicting ground instructions with tower.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 FLC RECEIVED A CLRNC TO TAXI ACROSS A RWY THAT WAS QUESTIONED BY SFO TWR.

Narrative: PUSHED OFF THE GATE BY A TUG TO THE TOP OF THE ALLEY. ONCE WE WERE READY, THE TAXI CLRNC BY GND CTL 'TAXI TO RWY 1L VIA TXWY A, TXWY M.' WE PROCEEDED TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY B ON TXWY A WHICH PARALLELS RWY 1L. AT THAT POINT THE FO STATED WE WERE READY TO TAKE OFF. THE GND CTLR WITH A DIFFERENT VOICE ASKED IF WE COULD TAKE RWY 1L FOR DEP. WE INFORMED HIM WE WERE TOO HVY AND NEEDED RWY 1R FOR TKOF. GND CTLR REPLIED WITH 'POS AND HOLD RWY 1R, CROSS RWY 1L, CONTACT TWR ON 120.5.' PRIOR TO XING RWY 1L, WE CALLED THE TWR. HE WAS NOT AWARE OF OUR TAXI CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 1L VIA TXWY M. GND CTLR STATED THE NORMAL TAXI RTE FOR RWY 1R IS VIA TXWY B. HOW THE PROB AROSE: TOO MANY DIFFERENT VOICES ON 1 FREQ, IE, GND, MAYBE DUE TO SHIFT CHANGE OR TRAINING. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, NOT FLOWN INTO THE ARPT WITHIN THE LAST 3 YRS. NIGHT, NEW ACFT, NEW HIRE FO, CONFLICTING GND INSTRUCTIONS WITH TWR.

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.