Narrative:

Rainy morning. After engines started, I called for taxi clearance. They were using runways 17R, 17L, and 14 (on request). The ground controller instructed us to taxi to runway 17R via taxiway J. Taxiway J is parallel to runway 14/32 and intersects taxiway D (which is parallel with runway 17R) and runway 17R. I had been to lnk a few times in the past, and had always been given a clearance via txwys J and D to runway 17R. We made an assumption that this is what the controller meant. In retrospect, we should have asked him for clarification. I read back the clearance as he had given it, taxi runway 17R via taxiway J, and the captain drove us that way. We joined taxiway D at taxiway J toward the departure end of runway 17R. As we were about to cross runway 14/32, the controller asked if we did not intend to use the intersection J departure. I replied no, wanted full length (it was raining heavily) and we had quite a few preflight checks to accomplish. He said he had instructed us to taxi to intersection J for departure. I told him that there must have been a misunderstanding, we heard runway 17R via taxiway J, did he want us to taxi back to taxiway J? He seemed a little confused, and said no. At this point, we were over the hold short line of runway 14/32, so I asked if we were cleared to cross and taxi to runway 17R. Ground said yes, so we continued. After takeoff, the controller asked us to copy down a phone number and contact them once at our destination regarding a possible pilot deviation. When we reached our destination, the captain phoned lnk. The supervisor told him that they had listened to the tapes and that the controller had been in error. He had not told us to taxi to the intersection for departure. The supervisor told us not to worry about it. I think it is both the controller and the pilot's responsibility to make sure clrncs are clear and understood. The controller should have issued clrer instructions when my readback did not conform to what he thought he had instructed. I or the captain should have asked for clarification of the clearance, since it was vague. Luckily, this did not lead to an accident, since no other aircraft were on runway 14/32. I will certainly be more scrutinizing of clrncs that seem incomplete, even if it is an airport I am familiar with. Supplemental information from acn 532351: as we came to the intersection of taxiway D and runway 14 we checked clear on both sides and I asked the first officer if we were cleared to cross. She said that we were cleared all the way to runway 17R. As I taxied across runway 14 ATC told us we weren't supposed to be there and that we were cleared to runway 17R at intersection J. This would not have occurred if I had just asked ATC if we were cleared to cross runway 14 instead of relying on the opinion of the first officer. If in doubt, just ask. Also if ATC had used specific language such as 'taxi to runway 17R intersection J departure, via taxiway J.' this was my first time at lnk in several yrs. If I had known that they often use intersection departures, I would have verified that full length was intended on runway 17R.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DO328 FLC ARE QUESTIONED BY LNK GND CTLR WHEN TAXIING ACROSS RWY.

Narrative: RAINY MORNING. AFTER ENGS STARTED, I CALLED FOR TAXI CLRNC. THEY WERE USING RWYS 17R, 17L, AND 14 (ON REQUEST). THE GND CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO TAXI TO RWY 17R VIA TXWY J. TXWY J IS PARALLEL TO RWY 14/32 AND INTERSECTS TXWY D (WHICH IS PARALLEL WITH RWY 17R) AND RWY 17R. I HAD BEEN TO LNK A FEW TIMES IN THE PAST, AND HAD ALWAYS BEEN GIVEN A CLRNC VIA TXWYS J AND D TO RWY 17R. WE MADE AN ASSUMPTION THAT THIS IS WHAT THE CTLR MEANT. IN RETROSPECT, WE SHOULD HAVE ASKED HIM FOR CLARIFICATION. I READ BACK THE CLRNC AS HE HAD GIVEN IT, TAXI RWY 17R VIA TXWY J, AND THE CAPT DROVE US THAT WAY. WE JOINED TXWY D AT TXWY J TOWARD THE DEP END OF RWY 17R. AS WE WERE ABOUT TO CROSS RWY 14/32, THE CTLR ASKED IF WE DID NOT INTEND TO USE THE INTXN J DEP. I REPLIED NO, WANTED FULL LENGTH (IT WAS RAINING HEAVILY) AND WE HAD QUITE A FEW PREFLT CHKS TO ACCOMPLISH. HE SAID HE HAD INSTRUCTED US TO TAXI TO INTXN J FOR DEP. I TOLD HIM THAT THERE MUST HAVE BEEN A MISUNDERSTANDING, WE HEARD RWY 17R VIA TXWY J, DID HE WANT US TO TAXI BACK TO TXWY J? HE SEEMED A LITTLE CONFUSED, AND SAID NO. AT THIS POINT, WE WERE OVER THE HOLD SHORT LINE OF RWY 14/32, SO I ASKED IF WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS AND TAXI TO RWY 17R. GND SAID YES, SO WE CONTINUED. AFTER TKOF, THE CTLR ASKED US TO COPY DOWN A PHONE NUMBER AND CONTACT THEM ONCE AT OUR DEST REGARDING A POSSIBLE PLTDEV. WHEN WE REACHED OUR DEST, THE CAPT PHONED LNK. THE SUPVR TOLD HIM THAT THEY HAD LISTENED TO THE TAPES AND THAT THE CTLR HAD BEEN IN ERROR. HE HAD NOT TOLD US TO TAXI TO THE INTXN FOR DEP. THE SUPVR TOLD US NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT. I THINK IT IS BOTH THE CTLR AND THE PLT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE CLRNCS ARE CLR AND UNDERSTOOD. THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE ISSUED CLRER INSTRUCTIONS WHEN MY READBACK DID NOT CONFORM TO WHAT HE THOUGHT HE HAD INSTRUCTED. I OR THE CAPT SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION OF THE CLRNC, SINCE IT WAS VAGUE. LUCKILY, THIS DID NOT LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT, SINCE NO OTHER ACFT WERE ON RWY 14/32. I WILL CERTAINLY BE MORE SCRUTINIZING OF CLRNCS THAT SEEM INCOMPLETE, EVEN IF IT IS AN ARPT I AM FAMILIAR WITH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 532351: AS WE CAME TO THE INTXN OF TXWY D AND RWY 14 WE CHKED CLR ON BOTH SIDES AND I ASKED THE FO IF WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS. SHE SAID THAT WE WERE CLRED ALL THE WAY TO RWY 17R. AS I TAXIED ACROSS RWY 14 ATC TOLD US WE WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE THERE AND THAT WE WERE CLRED TO RWY 17R AT INTXN J. THIS WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED IF I HAD JUST ASKED ATC IF WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS RWY 14 INSTEAD OF RELYING ON THE OPINION OF THE FO. IF IN DOUBT, JUST ASK. ALSO IF ATC HAD USED SPECIFIC LANGUAGE SUCH AS 'TAXI TO RWY 17R INTXN J DEP, VIA TXWY J.' THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME AT LNK IN SEVERAL YRS. IF I HAD KNOWN THAT THEY OFTEN USE INTXN DEPS, I WOULD HAVE VERIFIED THAT FULL LENGTH WAS INTENDED ON RWY 17R.

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.