Narrative:

Northbound on taxiway G at gru, after landing and rollout on gru runway 27L, we were cleared to exit and taxi northbound on taxiway G and stay with the tower. I heard no hold short instructions for us, although there was some chatter on frequency in portuguese. There were no aircraft in position and hold on runway 27R at that time. Taxiway G does not cross runway 27R itself, but does cross its extended centerline on a stopway for runway 27R. Just as we were about to cross into the stopway, a B737 taxied onto runway 27R with his taxi light on. As we continued into the stopway, tower called us and told us to stop, that there was departing traffic on runway 27R. We could not stop without blocking the stopway, so continued on past the stopway and halted. Tower asked us if we had not 'seen the lights'. We assumed he meant the departing aircraft's lights, and told him that we had seen his taxi light only, and thought he was position and hold on runway 27R, waiting for us to get across the stopway. After arrival, I discussed this incident with the tower, extended my sincere apologies, and requested that I be allowed to discuss the incident with the tower chief. I expressed my apologies for apparently missing an amplifying hold short clearance, which none of the 3 pilots in the cockpit at landing had caught. He said that their procedures were to file a report only in case of an international crew from a non-portuguese-speaking nation having an ATC miscom.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MISCOM AT A FOREIGN ARPT LEADS TO THE XING OF THE OVER-RUN AREA OF THE RWY WITH AN ACFT IN POS FOR TKOF.

Narrative: NBOUND ON TXWY G AT GRU, AFTER LNDG AND ROLLOUT ON GRU RWY 27L, WE WERE CLRED TO EXIT AND TAXI NBOUND ON TXWY G AND STAY WITH THE TWR. I HEARD NO HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS FOR US, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS SOME CHATTER ON FREQ IN PORTUGUESE. THERE WERE NO ACFT IN POS AND HOLD ON RWY 27R AT THAT TIME. TXWY G DOES NOT CROSS RWY 27R ITSELF, BUT DOES CROSS ITS EXTENDED CTRLINE ON A STOPWAY FOR RWY 27R. JUST AS WE WERE ABOUT TO CROSS INTO THE STOPWAY, A B737 TAXIED ONTO RWY 27R WITH HIS TAXI LIGHT ON. AS WE CONTINUED INTO THE STOPWAY, TWR CALLED US AND TOLD US TO STOP, THAT THERE WAS DEPARTING TFC ON RWY 27R. WE COULD NOT STOP WITHOUT BLOCKING THE STOPWAY, SO CONTINUED ON PAST THE STOPWAY AND HALTED. TWR ASKED US IF WE HAD NOT 'SEEN THE LIGHTS'. WE ASSUMED HE MEANT THE DEPARTING ACFT'S LIGHTS, AND TOLD HIM THAT WE HAD SEEN HIS TAXI LIGHT ONLY, AND THOUGHT HE WAS POS AND HOLD ON RWY 27R, WAITING FOR US TO GET ACROSS THE STOPWAY. AFTER ARR, I DISCUSSED THIS INCIDENT WITH THE TWR, EXTENDED MY SINCERE APOLOGIES, AND REQUESTED THAT I BE ALLOWED TO DISCUSS THE INCIDENT WITH THE TWR CHIEF. I EXPRESSED MY APOLOGIES FOR APPARENTLY MISSING AN AMPLIFYING HOLD SHORT CLRNC, WHICH NONE OF THE 3 PLTS IN THE COCKPIT AT LNDG HAD CAUGHT. HE SAID THAT THEIR PROCS WERE TO FILE A RPT ONLY IN CASE OF AN INTL CREW FROM A NON-PORTUGUESE-SPEAKING NATION HAVING AN ATC MISCOM.

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.