Narrative:

On mar/thu/02 I was on a part 135 flight departing fll. At approximately XA15 we were given a clearance to taxi to runway 27L. As we exited the ramp, the ground controller instructed us to follow an aztec ahead to the runway. The aztec proceeded to the runway following a route that I was not familiar with. We proceeded down taxiway east, which parallels runway 31. The aztec stopped short of runway 27L and proceeded to runup. We did the same. I then called the tower and informed them that we were ready for departure at runway 27L, #2 position. The tower then advised that he 'has not heard from the aztec yet, proceed down runway 31 and hold short of runway 27L.' I did so. After stopping, however, I noticed that I was well behind the aztec, which I knew was holding at the hold short line. Runway 31 intersects and crosses runway 27L and has no hold short line to keep one clear of runway 27L. I proceeded to move a little closer to runway 27L still on runway 31 and stopped. I then heard a plane that was turning from left base to final for runway 27L and he reported to the tower that it appeared that there was an aircraft on runway 27L. I did not think that we were on runway 27L, but there was adequate room for me to proceed further up runway 31 and be sure I was clear of runway 27L by moving further up. I determined that I had adequate time to do so and did. I went to the end of runway 31 and stopped and the controller advised the landing aircraft that the runway was clear and to land. He then cleared us for takeoff and that was all that was said. This situation was very confusing. With the absence of obvious holding point and the angle that the 2 runways intersect, I may or may not have been in the way of the landing aircraft. I was being very cautious trying to stay well clear of runway 27L. When the landing aircraft called in I thought that he might be lining up on runway 31 and I wanted to be as clear of the landing zone as I could be. In retrospect, I guess that I should have held my original position well back from runway 27L. However, the airport was busy, the controllers were trying to expedite movement and moved to help them get us out as quickly as possible. It may have been the wrong decision. If faced with a similar situation again, I think that I would just stay on the taxiway where I could be sure of where I should be at all times. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states his reason for crossing runway 27 was to remove all doubt that he was clear of the active runway. His excuse for doing so without tower's permission was to expedite the crossing. He related the tower was involved with another problem, thereby tying up the frequency, so he took it on his own to speed up things.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA34 PLT, TAXIING FOR TKOF AT FLL, TAXIED ACROSS AN ACTIVE RWY.

Narrative: ON MAR/THU/02 I WAS ON A PART 135 FLT DEPARTING FLL. AT APPROX XA15 WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO TAXI TO RWY 27L. AS WE EXITED THE RAMP, THE GND CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO FOLLOW AN AZTEC AHEAD TO THE RWY. THE AZTEC PROCEEDED TO THE RWY FOLLOWING A RTE THAT I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH. WE PROCEEDED DOWN TXWY E, WHICH PARALLELS RWY 31. THE AZTEC STOPPED SHORT OF RWY 27L AND PROCEEDED TO RUNUP. WE DID THE SAME. I THEN CALLED THE TWR AND INFORMED THEM THAT WE WERE READY FOR DEP AT RWY 27L, #2 POS. THE TWR THEN ADVISED THAT HE 'HAS NOT HEARD FROM THE AZTEC YET, PROCEED DOWN RWY 31 AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 27L.' I DID SO. AFTER STOPPING, HOWEVER, I NOTICED THAT I WAS WELL BEHIND THE AZTEC, WHICH I KNEW WAS HOLDING AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE. RWY 31 INTERSECTS AND CROSSES RWY 27L AND HAS NO HOLD SHORT LINE TO KEEP ONE CLR OF RWY 27L. I PROCEEDED TO MOVE A LITTLE CLOSER TO RWY 27L STILL ON RWY 31 AND STOPPED. I THEN HEARD A PLANE THAT WAS TURNING FROM L BASE TO FINAL FOR RWY 27L AND HE RPTED TO THE TWR THAT IT APPEARED THAT THERE WAS AN ACFT ON RWY 27L. I DID NOT THINK THAT WE WERE ON RWY 27L, BUT THERE WAS ADEQUATE ROOM FOR ME TO PROCEED FURTHER UP RWY 31 AND BE SURE I WAS CLR OF RWY 27L BY MOVING FURTHER UP. I DETERMINED THAT I HAD ADEQUATE TIME TO DO SO AND DID. I WENT TO THE END OF RWY 31 AND STOPPED AND THE CTLR ADVISED THE LNDG ACFT THAT THE RWY WAS CLR AND TO LAND. HE THEN CLRED US FOR TKOF AND THAT WAS ALL THAT WAS SAID. THIS SIT WAS VERY CONFUSING. WITH THE ABSENCE OF OBVIOUS HOLDING POINT AND THE ANGLE THAT THE 2 RWYS INTERSECT, I MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN IN THE WAY OF THE LNDG ACFT. I WAS BEING VERY CAUTIOUS TRYING TO STAY WELL CLR OF RWY 27L. WHEN THE LNDG ACFT CALLED IN I THOUGHT THAT HE MIGHT BE LINING UP ON RWY 31 AND I WANTED TO BE AS CLR OF THE LNDG ZONE AS I COULD BE. IN RETROSPECT, I GUESS THAT I SHOULD HAVE HELD MY ORIGINAL POS WELL BACK FROM RWY 27L. HOWEVER, THE ARPT WAS BUSY, THE CTLRS WERE TRYING TO EXPEDITE MOVEMENT AND MOVED TO HELP THEM GET US OUT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. IT MAY HAVE BEEN THE WRONG DECISION. IF FACED WITH A SIMILAR SIT AGAIN, I THINK THAT I WOULD JUST STAY ON THE TXWY WHERE I COULD BE SURE OF WHERE I SHOULD BE AT ALL TIMES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HIS REASON FOR XING RWY 27 WAS TO REMOVE ALL DOUBT THAT HE WAS CLR OF THE ACTIVE RWY. HIS EXCUSE FOR DOING SO WITHOUT TWR'S PERMISSION WAS TO EXPEDITE THE XING. HE RELATED THE TWR WAS INVOLVED WITH ANOTHER PROB, THEREBY TYING UP THE FREQ, SO HE TOOK IT ON HIS OWN TO SPD UP THINGS.

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.