Narrative:

On ground at lax, holding on taxiway B short of taxiway P. A DC8 foreign cargo carrier was holding on taxiway P immediately ahead of us. Ground cleared the DC8 to cross runway 25R hold short of runway 25L. We were then cleared to cross runway 25R on taxiway P hold short of runway 25L. We followed these instructions. The tower later (after we had parked) informed us, however, that our instructions were to turn on taxiway P hold short of runway 25R and that the first officer had acknowledged this. The first officer and I firmly believe that our clearance was 'cleared to cross runway 25R.' before crossing runway 25R, I checked to see if the runway and approach path to runway 25R was clear. They were and no conflict was involved. The tower never instructed us to stop. We crossed runway 25R close behind the DC8 and hold short of runway 25L behind the DC8. During the entire taxi evolution there was a great deal of radio traffic with aircraft having difficulty transmitting to ground control. Several foreign carriers were on ground frequency having difficulty understanding instructions, cluttering ground frequency, and adding to the confusion on ground control frequency. The ground controller finally told everyone to keep quiet until he called them.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR QUESTIONS WHETHER THEY CROSSED RWY WITHOUT CLRNC AT LAX.

Narrative: ON GND AT LAX, HOLDING ON TXWY B SHORT OF TXWY P. A DC8 FOREIGN CARGO CARRIER WAS HOLDING ON TXWY P IMMEDIATELY AHEAD OF US. GND CLRED THE DC8 TO CROSS RWY 25R HOLD SHORT OF RWY 25L. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO CROSS RWY 25R ON TXWY P HOLD SHORT OF RWY 25L. WE FOLLOWED THESE INSTRUCTIONS. THE TWR LATER (AFTER WE HAD PARKED) INFORMED US, HOWEVER, THAT OUR INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO TURN ON TXWY P HOLD SHORT OF RWY 25R AND THAT THE FO HAD ACKNOWLEDGED THIS. THE FO AND I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT OUR CLRNC WAS 'CLRED TO CROSS RWY 25R.' BEFORE XING RWY 25R, I CHKED TO SEE IF THE RWY AND APCH PATH TO RWY 25R WAS CLR. THEY WERE AND NO CONFLICT WAS INVOLVED. THE TWR NEVER INSTRUCTED US TO STOP. WE CROSSED RWY 25R CLOSE BEHIND THE DC8 AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 25L BEHIND THE DC8. DURING THE ENTIRE TAXI EVOLUTION THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF RADIO TFC WITH ACFT HAVING DIFFICULTY XMITTING TO GND CTL. SEVERAL FOREIGN CARRIERS WERE ON GND FREQ HAVING DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING INSTRUCTIONS, CLUTTERING GND FREQ, AND ADDING TO THE CONFUSION ON GND CTL FREQ. THE GND CTLR FINALLY TOLD EVERYONE TO KEEP QUIET UNTIL HE CALLED THEM.

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.