Narrative:

I was PIC of a ferry flight from grb to ord. After landing on runway 27R and exiting on the high speed, we were instructed to taxi to our parking spot via txwys H, P and B. My copilot was working the radio and had the only ground chart. I was unfamiliar with the route and asked my copilot for clarification. She mistakenly thought our clearance was taxiway H to taxiway B. She voiced some uncertainty. I queried again and she stated that the directions were indeed taxiway H to taxiway B. In the course of taxiing, we crossed runway 14L/32R. I asked her to contact ground again. We had missed taxiway P. Had we taken taxiway P, we would have avoided runway 14L/32R. After parking, I contacted the O'hare ground supervisor, and explained our mistake. Mr X stated that runway 14L/32R was 'protected' for taxi and that no runway incursion occurred. I informed the supervisor that my error, under different circumstances, would have been an incursion and that I would be submitting an ASRS report. Lessons learned: my copilot and I agreed that at busy airports, taxi instructions should be written down and route checked before proceeding. My copilot's voicing of uncertainty was a 'flag' I should have noticed and taken steps to resolve. It was the end of a long day and I was pushing an equally tired copilot for information. I'm responsible for setting the tone for the crew and had a serious CRM 'flameout.' she is a great copilot, but my insistence for rapid taxi information probably created an authority/authorized gradient which caused her to give me improper clearance. Conclusion: when in doubt, stop, clear the taxiway, if possible, regroup and get the instructions correct. We were fortunate that we had not committed an actual incursion. However, all the elements were in place.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 CREW CROSSES RWY AT O'HARE WITHOUT CLRNC WHEN THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF TAXI CLRNC BECOMES CONFUSED. ONLY 1 ARPT DIAGRAM WAS AVAILABLE.

Narrative: I WAS PIC OF A FERRY FLT FROM GRB TO ORD. AFTER LNDG ON RWY 27R AND EXITING ON THE HIGH SPD, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO OUR PARKING SPOT VIA TXWYS H, P AND B. MY COPLT WAS WORKING THE RADIO AND HAD THE ONLY GND CHART. I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE RTE AND ASKED MY COPLT FOR CLARIFICATION. SHE MISTAKENLY THOUGHT OUR CLRNC WAS TXWY H TO TXWY B. SHE VOICED SOME UNCERTAINTY. I QUERIED AGAIN AND SHE STATED THAT THE DIRECTIONS WERE INDEED TXWY H TO TXWY B. IN THE COURSE OF TAXIING, WE CROSSED RWY 14L/32R. I ASKED HER TO CONTACT GND AGAIN. WE HAD MISSED TXWY P. HAD WE TAKEN TXWY P, WE WOULD HAVE AVOIDED RWY 14L/32R. AFTER PARKING, I CONTACTED THE O'HARE GND SUPVR, AND EXPLAINED OUR MISTAKE. MR X STATED THAT RWY 14L/32R WAS 'PROTECTED' FOR TAXI AND THAT NO RWY INCURSION OCCURRED. I INFORMED THE SUPVR THAT MY ERROR, UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES, WOULD HAVE BEEN AN INCURSION AND THAT I WOULD BE SUBMITTING AN ASRS RPT. LESSONS LEARNED: MY COPLT AND I AGREED THAT AT BUSY ARPTS, TAXI INSTRUCTIONS SHOULD BE WRITTEN DOWN AND RTE CHKED BEFORE PROCEEDING. MY COPLT'S VOICING OF UNCERTAINTY WAS A 'FLAG' I SHOULD HAVE NOTICED AND TAKEN STEPS TO RESOLVE. IT WAS THE END OF A LONG DAY AND I WAS PUSHING AN EQUALLY TIRED COPLT FOR INFO. I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR SETTING THE TONE FOR THE CREW AND HAD A SERIOUS CRM 'FLAMEOUT.' SHE IS A GREAT COPLT, BUT MY INSISTENCE FOR RAPID TAXI INFO PROBABLY CREATED AN AUTH GRADIENT WHICH CAUSED HER TO GIVE ME IMPROPER CLRNC. CONCLUSION: WHEN IN DOUBT, STOP, CLR THE TXWY, IF POSSIBLE, REGROUP AND GET THE INSTRUCTIONS CORRECT. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT WE HAD NOT COMMITTED AN ACTUAL INCURSION. HOWEVER, ALL THE ELEMENTS WERE IN PLACE.

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.