Narrative:

Landed on runway 18L at mem. Rolled off at the highspd taxiway, as 'normal,' and continued towards taxiway east while first officer received instructions from tower to 'turn right at taxiway south, hold short of taxiway P.' I did not actually hear the instructions and asked the first officer what tower's taxi instructions were. I assumed taxiway south, which I had never used, was on the west side of runway 18C. In fact, by this time, it was actually behind me as I was taxiing wbound on taxiway east. We crossed runway 18C, anticipating that taxiway south was one of the two upcoming txwys that we would turn right onto. Since we had not received a 'hold short of runway 18C' call, and we were still in contact (as assigned) to tower, crossing the runway did not seem unusual. After parking at the terminal, I received word to call the tower supervisor, who told me that because a GA aircraft had been cleared for takeoff on runway 18C while I was crossing it, a runway incursion incident had occurred. This incident occurred during the noon 'push' at mem. Only 2 of 4 runways were operational, due to construction. ATC was packing them in on final approach, speeding aircraft up and slowing them down, in order to accommodate all the various types of acrs. This contributes greatly to the 'hurry up and get out of the way' mentality of controllers and pilots alike. The runway closures and construction causes ATC to get creative with controling/directing aircraft movement on the ground. Hence, confusion on everyone's part is not uncommon. Anticipated 'normal' taxi instructions during my clearing of the landing runway. However, I did not 'hear' the controller's actual instructions, and proceeded on the taxi routing I've been given repeatedly over the last 7 yrs. Wrongly reverted to a habit pattern instead of listening to what the controller was actually saying. Tower did not monitor my taxi progress after I came off the high speed taxiway. Did not anticipate the aircraft missing/passing the assigned taxiway south.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COMMUTER CAPT'S RPT ON A RWY INCURSION AT MEM, TN.

Narrative: LANDED ON RWY 18L AT MEM. ROLLED OFF AT THE HIGHSPD TXWY, AS 'NORMAL,' AND CONTINUED TOWARDS TXWY E WHILE FO RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS FROM TWR TO 'TURN R AT TXWY S, HOLD SHORT OF TXWY P.' I DID NOT ACTUALLY HEAR THE INSTRUCTIONS AND ASKED THE FO WHAT TWR'S TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WERE. I ASSUMED TXWY S, WHICH I HAD NEVER USED, WAS ON THE W SIDE OF RWY 18C. IN FACT, BY THIS TIME, IT WAS ACTUALLY BEHIND ME AS I WAS TAXIING WBOUND ON TXWY E. WE CROSSED RWY 18C, ANTICIPATING THAT TXWY S WAS ONE OF THE TWO UPCOMING TXWYS THAT WE WOULD TURN R ONTO. SINCE WE HAD NOT RECEIVED A 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 18C' CALL, AND WE WERE STILL IN CONTACT (AS ASSIGNED) TO TWR, XING THE RWY DID NOT SEEM UNUSUAL. AFTER PARKING AT THE TERMINAL, I RECEIVED WORD TO CALL THE TWR SUPVR, WHO TOLD ME THAT BECAUSE A GA ACFT HAD BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 18C WHILE I WAS XING IT, A RWY INCURSION INCIDENT HAD OCCURRED. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED DURING THE NOON 'PUSH' AT MEM. ONLY 2 OF 4 RWYS WERE OPERATIONAL, DUE TO CONSTRUCTION. ATC WAS PACKING THEM IN ON FINAL APCH, SPDING ACFT UP AND SLOWING THEM DOWN, IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE ALL THE VARIOUS TYPES OF ACRS. THIS CONTRIBUTES GREATLY TO THE 'HURRY UP AND GET OUT OF THE WAY' MENTALITY OF CTLRS AND PLTS ALIKE. THE RWY CLOSURES AND CONSTRUCTION CAUSES ATC TO GET CREATIVE WITH CTLING/DIRECTING ACFT MOVEMENT ON THE GND. HENCE, CONFUSION ON EVERYONE'S PART IS NOT UNCOMMON. ANTICIPATED 'NORMAL' TAXI INSTRUCTIONS DURING MY CLRING OF THE LNDG RWY. HOWEVER, I DID NOT 'HEAR' THE CTLR'S ACTUAL INSTRUCTIONS, AND PROCEEDED ON THE TAXI ROUTING I'VE BEEN GIVEN REPEATEDLY OVER THE LAST 7 YRS. WRONGLY REVERTED TO A HABIT PATTERN INSTEAD OF LISTENING TO WHAT THE CTLR WAS ACTUALLY SAYING. TWR DID NOT MONITOR MY TAXI PROGRESS AFTER I CAME OFF THE HIGH SPD TXWY. DID NOT ANTICIPATE THE ACFT MISSING/PASSING THE ASSIGNED TXWY S.

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.