Narrative:

Aug/xa/01 dca airport, XA15. EMB145 XXXX outbound to columbus, oh. Received taxi clearance from ground controller to taxi and hold short of runway 15 on taxiway south and complied with. While holding short we 'thought' we were given clearance to cross runway 15 and monitor tower frequency. Unfortunately, when we switched the frequency to tower, tower controller advised us to contact them via phone when we got to our destination. After the phone conversation with tower manager, we were informed -- or should I say I was informed by the captain of the flight XXXX -- that I crossed without clearance, and that the transmission clearance was for airlines DC9 flight xx or xxa. I do not exactly remember, that was holding on taxiway J short of runway 15. We both came to a conclusion that the similarity of the flight number as well as the saturation and frequency blocking, as well as many flts on the ground caused this misunderstanding, and no action was required. I am taking responsibility for too many things happening on my flight, given the short taxi time with checklist to be done contributed to this. However, the frequency saturation was the main contributor I believe. For the record, my first officer replied back by stating 'aircraft XXXX crossing runway 15 monitor tower' without correction from ground, because of the saturation and by the time we crossed and switched to tower, we did not hear anything from ground controller. I think some kind of device to protect blocking the frequency would have been very helpful in cases like this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: E145 CREW CROSSED A RWY ON A CLRNC THEY THOUGHT WAS MEANT FOR THEM.

Narrative: AUG/XA/01 DCA ARPT, XA15. EMB145 XXXX OUTBOUND TO COLUMBUS, OH. RECEIVED TAXI CLRNC FROM GND CTLR TO TAXI AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 15 ON TXWY S AND COMPLIED WITH. WHILE HOLDING SHORT WE 'THOUGHT' WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 15 AND MONITOR TWR FREQ. UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN WE SWITCHED THE FREQ TO TWR, TWR CTLR ADVISED US TO CONTACT THEM VIA PHONE WHEN WE GOT TO OUR DEST. AFTER THE PHONE CONVERSATION WITH TWR MGR, WE WERE INFORMED -- OR SHOULD I SAY I WAS INFORMED BY THE CAPT OF THE FLT XXXX -- THAT I CROSSED WITHOUT CLRNC, AND THAT THE XMISSION CLRNC WAS FOR AIRLINES DC9 FLT XX OR XXA. I DO NOT EXACTLY REMEMBER, THAT WAS HOLDING ON TXWY J SHORT OF RWY 15. WE BOTH CAME TO A CONCLUSION THAT THE SIMILARITY OF THE FLT NUMBER AS WELL AS THE SATURATION AND FREQ BLOCKING, AS WELL AS MANY FLTS ON THE GND CAUSED THIS MISUNDERSTANDING, AND NO ACTION WAS REQUIRED. I AM TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR TOO MANY THINGS HAPPENING ON MY FLT, GIVEN THE SHORT TAXI TIME WITH CHKLIST TO BE DONE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS. HOWEVER, THE FREQ SATURATION WAS THE MAIN CONTRIBUTOR I BELIEVE. FOR THE RECORD, MY FO REPLIED BACK BY STATING 'ACFT XXXX XING RWY 15 MONITOR TWR' WITHOUT CORRECTION FROM GND, BECAUSE OF THE SATURATION AND BY THE TIME WE CROSSED AND SWITCHED TO TWR, WE DID NOT HEAR ANYTHING FROM GND CTLR. I THINK SOME KIND OF DEVICE TO PROTECT BLOCKING THE FREQ WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY HELPFUL IN CASES LIKE THIS.

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.