Narrative:

When ready to taxi for takeoff, I called ground control for clearance. I was instructed to 'taxi runway 25, taxiway A5.' I interpreted this to be a clearance to taxi to the takeoff end of runway 25 and hold short via taxiway A5. Taxiway A5 crosses runway 25 en route to the takeoff end of runway 25. I proceeded to taxi to taxiway A5 and then crossed runway 25 without any further contact from ground control. Then shortly after crossing the runway, ground control called and stated that I had not been cleared to cross the runway. With that upsetting news, I acknowledged, apologized, and began a mental review of what had taken place. I had interpreted the controller's instructions to taxi to the assigned runway as a clearance to cross all runways en route -- all except the assigned runway would have been the correct interpretation. At least there was not a traffic conflict in this incident since I always look for traffic before entering a runway. The airport involved is small but at times busy with airline, cpr and private aircraft. There is only 1 controller to handle ground, tower, clearance and relays to ZDV. At the time of this incident he was very busy with IFR clrncs inbound and outbound. He had stated on the air that there was a problem with his landline to center and therefore delays in communications. In some cases multiple calls were made to ground from other aircraft before ground control could respond. This, I assume, was the reason for the controller's very short response to my request for taxi clearance. In my opinion, my improper interpretation of a clearance, and a very busy controller are the significant factors in this incident. In light of the FAA's current emphasis on reducing runway incursion incidents, would it not be helpful to require controllers to always specifically state the words 'hold short' or 'cleared to cross,' and pilots to always hold short unless specifically hearing the words 'cleared to cross' whenever a runway is involved in TA taxi clearance? The current written procedure and the actual practice of them are often factors that controllers have to deal with. However, would 2 more words in a clearance 'hold short,' be overwhelming?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HIGH TIME GA PLT CROSSES RWY 25 AT TXWY A5 WHEN GIVEN A CLRNC 'TAXI RWY 25, TXWY A5.' BELIEVING HE WAS CLRED TO HOLDING POS VIA TXWY A5 AT EGE, CO.

Narrative: WHEN READY TO TAXI FOR TKOF, I CALLED GND CTL FOR CLRNC. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO 'TAXI RWY 25, TXWY A5.' I INTERPED THIS TO BE A CLRNC TO TAXI TO THE TKOF END OF RWY 25 AND HOLD SHORT VIA TXWY A5. TXWY A5 CROSSES RWY 25 ENRTE TO THE TKOF END OF RWY 25. I PROCEEDED TO TAXI TO TXWY A5 AND THEN CROSSED RWY 25 WITHOUT ANY FURTHER CONTACT FROM GND CTL. THEN SHORTLY AFTER XING THE RWY, GND CTL CALLED AND STATED THAT I HAD NOT BEEN CLRED TO CROSS THE RWY. WITH THAT UPSETTING NEWS, I ACKNOWLEDGED, APOLOGIZED, AND BEGAN A MENTAL REVIEW OF WHAT HAD TAKEN PLACE. I HAD INTERPED THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI TO THE ASSIGNED RWY AS A CLRNC TO CROSS ALL RWYS ENRTE -- ALL EXCEPT THE ASSIGNED RWY WOULD HAVE BEEN THE CORRECT INTERP. AT LEAST THERE WAS NOT A TFC CONFLICT IN THIS INCIDENT SINCE I ALWAYS LOOK FOR TFC BEFORE ENTERING A RWY. THE ARPT INVOLVED IS SMALL BUT AT TIMES BUSY WITH AIRLINE, CPR AND PVT ACFT. THERE IS ONLY 1 CTLR TO HANDLE GND, TWR, CLRNC AND RELAYS TO ZDV. AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT HE WAS VERY BUSY WITH IFR CLRNCS INBOUND AND OUTBOUND. HE HAD STATED ON THE AIR THAT THERE WAS A PROB WITH HIS LANDLINE TO CTR AND THEREFORE DELAYS IN COMS. IN SOME CASES MULTIPLE CALLS WERE MADE TO GND FROM OTHER ACFT BEFORE GND CTL COULD RESPOND. THIS, I ASSUME, WAS THE REASON FOR THE CTLR'S VERY SHORT RESPONSE TO MY REQUEST FOR TAXI CLRNC. IN MY OPINION, MY IMPROPER INTERP OF A CLRNC, AND A VERY BUSY CTLR ARE THE SIGNIFICANT FACTORS IN THIS INCIDENT. IN LIGHT OF THE FAA'S CURRENT EMPHASIS ON REDUCING RWY INCURSION INCIDENTS, WOULD IT NOT BE HELPFUL TO REQUIRE CTLRS TO ALWAYS SPECIFICALLY STATE THE WORDS 'HOLD SHORT' OR 'CLRED TO CROSS,' AND PLTS TO ALWAYS HOLD SHORT UNLESS SPECIFICALLY HEARING THE WORDS 'CLRED TO CROSS' WHENEVER A RWY IS INVOLVED IN TA TAXI CLRNC? THE CURRENT WRITTEN PROC AND THE ACTUAL PRACTICE OF THEM ARE OFTEN FACTORS THAT CTLRS HAVE TO DEAL WITH. HOWEVER, WOULD 2 MORE WORDS IN A CLRNC 'HOLD SHORT,' BE OVERWHELMING?

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.