Narrative:

Airplane was cleared to taxi to runway 26 (while on taxiway C). Pilot requested runway 17. Ground control responded 'taxi to runway 17 by taxiway D.' pilot repeated and turned left on taxiway D. Taxiway D crossed runway 17. As pilot approached runway 17, ground control called the pilot. The pilot stopped the airplane which had crossed the hold short line by 10 ft, still well clear of the runway. Ground control told pilot he did not have clearance to cross runway 17. During taxi instruction, 'hold short' was never stated. There are rules about having clearance to cross runways, but rules are different for active and non active runways. In this case, runway 26 was active in first call, runway 17 was not. Then runway 17 was active and runway 27 was not. Taxi instruction should be clear and hold short should be used to avoid confusion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PNS CHALLENGES BE55 WHEN OBSERVED XING CLRED TO RWY.

Narrative: AIRPLANE WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 26 (WHILE ON TXWY C). PLT REQUESTED RWY 17. GND CTL RESPONDED 'TAXI TO RWY 17 BY TXWY D.' PLT REPEATED AND TURNED L ON TXWY D. TXWY D CROSSED RWY 17. AS PLT APCHED RWY 17, GND CTL CALLED THE PLT. THE PLT STOPPED THE AIRPLANE WHICH HAD CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE BY 10 FT, STILL WELL CLR OF THE RWY. GND CTL TOLD PLT HE DID NOT HAVE CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 17. DURING TAXI INSTRUCTION, 'HOLD SHORT' WAS NEVER STATED. THERE ARE RULES ABOUT HAVING CLRNC TO CROSS RWYS, BUT RULES ARE DIFFERENT FOR ACTIVE AND NON ACTIVE RWYS. IN THIS CASE, RWY 26 WAS ACTIVE IN FIRST CALL, RWY 17 WAS NOT. THEN RWY 17 WAS ACTIVE AND RWY 27 WAS NOT. TAXI INSTRUCTION SHOULD BE CLR AND HOLD SHORT SHOULD BE USED TO AVOID CONFUSION.

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.