Narrative:

Departure to MMMX was delayed approximately 4 hours due to a maintenance problem at efd. The aircraft was parked west of taxiway H, on the ramp area, facing east. The runway for departures was runway 17R. Due to taxiway construction, the departure end of runway 17R was not accessible via taxiway a. The means to access the departure end of the runway was via taxiway B, then back-taxi to the departure end on the runway itself. From our position we were able to observe aircraft using this taxi route. The first officer and I discussed the nonstandard taxi route prior to starting engines. Approximately 5 mins prior to engine start, the first officer called for and received our ATC clearance from the ground controller. After starting both engines, the first officer called the ground controller for taxi instructions. The controller replied 'taxi to runway 17R via taxiway B.' I taxied the aircraft to taxiway B, and then turned left onto runway 35L toward the departure end for runway 17R. After completing the turn, the ground controller informed us that we had not been cleared onto the runway. The controller then told us to continue to the departure end. The ground controller did not ask that we switch to the tower frequency. Approximately 1000 ft from the end of the runway, a single engine aircraft passed overhead. At no time did there appear to be a conflict, nor did we observe an aircraft on final approach prior to entering the runway. Upon reaching the end of the runway, the first officer switched to the tower, and the flight was cleared for takeoff. After reaching cruising altitude, the first officer and I discussed what had occurred. We both agreed that we understood the taxi clearance as a clearance to taxi onto the runway at taxiway B, and then to continue down the runway to the takeoff position. Neither of us had any doubt that that is what we had been cleared to first officer. The crew had reported for duty at early morning and the flight was conducted at a known circadian 'low' time. Any time that nonstandard taxi procedures require accessing the active runway by a taxiway other than the taxiway that would normally be used at the departure end, the controller should specifically state in the taxi instructions the phrase 'hold short.' the crew is required to confirm all hold short instructions. This simple phrase and crew confirmation would prevent the type of situation that happened to us. Supplemental information from acn 541685: somewhere, I noted that taxiway B is not for jet aircraft, but this is what they were using and this is what we were given. We cleared left and right and rolled onto the runway for back-taxi. The ground controller came on and said 'hey, I didn't clear you onto the runway.,' at that point, I saw a small single engine aircraft maybe 2000 ft overhead and off the end of the airport. No mention was ever made of it by the controllers. Due to the construction ongoing and the taxi route being nonstandard at best, I believe the ground controller could have been a little more specific by telling us to hold short of runway 17R at taxiway B and contact tower. Although I felt 100% during this occurrence, it should be noted that I had been without sleep since XA00 the following morning. I woke at XA00 on wednesday morning in rfd after 6 hours of rest. I was unable to go back into another sleep cycle prior to our early morning show in the hotel. Thus, I was at about the 24 hour point.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 CREW, TAXIING FOR TKOF AT EFD, TAXIED ONTO THEIR ASSIGNED RWY WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: DEP TO MMMX WAS DELAYED APPROX 4 HRS DUE TO A MAINT PROB AT EFD. THE ACFT WAS PARKED W OF TXWY H, ON THE RAMP AREA, FACING E. THE RWY FOR DEPS WAS RWY 17R. DUE TO TXWY CONSTRUCTION, THE DEP END OF RWY 17R WAS NOT ACCESSIBLE VIA TXWY A. THE MEANS TO ACCESS THE DEP END OF THE RWY WAS VIA TXWY B, THEN BACK-TAXI TO THE DEP END ON THE RWY ITSELF. FROM OUR POS WE WERE ABLE TO OBSERVE ACFT USING THIS TAXI RTE. THE FO AND I DISCUSSED THE NONSTANDARD TAXI RTE PRIOR TO STARTING ENGS. APPROX 5 MINS PRIOR TO ENG START, THE FO CALLED FOR AND RECEIVED OUR ATC CLRNC FROM THE GND CTLR. AFTER STARTING BOTH ENGS, THE FO CALLED THE GND CTLR FOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. THE CTLR REPLIED 'TAXI TO RWY 17R VIA TXWY B.' I TAXIED THE ACFT TO TXWY B, AND THEN TURNED L ONTO RWY 35L TOWARD THE DEP END FOR RWY 17R. AFTER COMPLETING THE TURN, THE GND CTLR INFORMED US THAT WE HAD NOT BEEN CLRED ONTO THE RWY. THE CTLR THEN TOLD US TO CONTINUE TO THE DEP END. THE GND CTLR DID NOT ASK THAT WE SWITCH TO THE TWR FREQ. APPROX 1000 FT FROM THE END OF THE RWY, A SINGLE ENG ACFT PASSED OVERHEAD. AT NO TIME DID THERE APPEAR TO BE A CONFLICT, NOR DID WE OBSERVE AN ACFT ON FINAL APCH PRIOR TO ENTERING THE RWY. UPON REACHING THE END OF THE RWY, THE FO SWITCHED TO THE TWR, AND THE FLT WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. AFTER REACHING CRUISING ALT, THE FO AND I DISCUSSED WHAT HAD OCCURRED. WE BOTH AGREED THAT WE UNDERSTOOD THE TAXI CLRNC AS A CLRNC TO TAXI ONTO THE RWY AT TXWY B, AND THEN TO CONTINUE DOWN THE RWY TO THE TKOF POS. NEITHER OF US HAD ANY DOUBT THAT THAT IS WHAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO FO. THE CREW HAD RPTED FOR DUTY AT EARLY MORNING AND THE FLT WAS CONDUCTED AT A KNOWN CIRCADIAN 'LOW' TIME. ANY TIME THAT NONSTANDARD TAXI PROCS REQUIRE ACCESSING THE ACTIVE RWY BY A TXWY OTHER THAN THE TXWY THAT WOULD NORMALLY BE USED AT THE DEP END, THE CTLR SHOULD SPECIFICALLY STATE IN THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS THE PHRASE 'HOLD SHORT.' THE CREW IS REQUIRED TO CONFIRM ALL HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS. THIS SIMPLE PHRASE AND CREW CONFIRMATION WOULD PREVENT THE TYPE OF SIT THAT HAPPENED TO US. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 541685: SOMEWHERE, I NOTED THAT TXWY B IS NOT FOR JET ACFT, BUT THIS IS WHAT THEY WERE USING AND THIS IS WHAT WE WERE GIVEN. WE CLRED L AND R AND ROLLED ONTO THE RWY FOR BACK-TAXI. THE GND CTLR CAME ON AND SAID 'HEY, I DIDN'T CLR YOU ONTO THE RWY.,' AT THAT POINT, I SAW A SMALL SINGLE ENG ACFT MAYBE 2000 FT OVERHEAD AND OFF THE END OF THE ARPT. NO MENTION WAS EVER MADE OF IT BY THE CTLRS. DUE TO THE CONSTRUCTION ONGOING AND THE TAXI RTE BEING NONSTANDARD AT BEST, I BELIEVE THE GND CTLR COULD HAVE BEEN A LITTLE MORE SPECIFIC BY TELLING US TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 17R AT TXWY B AND CONTACT TWR. ALTHOUGH I FELT 100% DURING THIS OCCURRENCE, IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT I HAD BEEN WITHOUT SLEEP SINCE XA00 THE FOLLOWING MORNING. I WOKE AT XA00 ON WEDNESDAY MORNING IN RFD AFTER 6 HRS OF REST. I WAS UNABLE TO GO BACK INTO ANOTHER SLEEP CYCLE PRIOR TO OUR EARLY MORNING SHOW IN THE HOTEL. THUS, I WAS AT ABOUT THE 24 HR POINT.

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.