Narrative:

With some linguistic/hearing miscom, I managed to cross a runway after a B737 was cleared for takeoff. Typical of phoenix, everything is done to save time, and many actions may be anticipated. During many runway xings, tower will put an aircraft into position and hold, then cross somebody else downstream. I was holding short of runway 25R at taxiway E4, with a destination at south cargo. A company flight was holding short of runway 25L at taxiway G7 with a destination of the northwest corner (north of runway 8). An aeronautical commander was on 1/4 - 1/8 mi final landing runway 25L. A B737 was located at taxiway D13, and had been cleared for takeoff. (I only found out after the fact that they were cleared for takeoff.) the B737 at the time I started moving was now on the runway with lights on. (I figure he is in position to hold). Tower called 'flight X (my flight) cross runway 25L, hold short runway 25R at taxiway F7.' I replied 'cross runway 25R, hold short runway 25L and verify you want me at taxiway F7?' (going to taxiway F7 is not typical, we usually cross at taxiway F4.) tower 'cross runway 25L, hold short runway 25R at taxiway F7.' at this point, I had begun rolling, and figured he had his runway numbers mixed up. I saw somebody on hold on the runway directly in front of me, and somebody landing on the next runway. It paints a perfect picture for me to cross runway 25R and hold short runway 25L and I'll taxi to taxiway F7. At this point I had been moving since the time he told me to cross the runway, and was now 3/4 of the way across when it dawned on me that he said to 'cross the left, hold short of the right.' I finished crossing and stopped at taxiway F4. Several seconds later, the B737 went by on its climb out. After the fact, I learned that the controller was trying to cross my company flight at taxiway G7 to hold short runway 25R at taxiway F7, and that the controller was wondering why that plane did not move. The problem: the controller simply slipped the wrong call sign out and neither of us caught my incorrect replies. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter reiterated what was in his report, but added there were 4 company aircraft on the frequency at the time of the incident. He said his chief pilot had handled the communications with the tower regarding this incident. The reporter said the chief pilot was informed by the tower quality assurance manager that the controller was assigned retraining after the incident. Reporter said he received a 4 day suspension for his part in the error.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PHX LCL CTLR HAS A CALL SIGN MIX-UP AND INCORRECTLY ISSUES A BE99 CLRNC TO CROSS A RWY WITH A B737 ON TKOF ROLL.

Narrative: WITH SOME LINGUISTIC/HEARING MISCOM, I MANAGED TO CROSS A RWY AFTER A B737 WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. TYPICAL OF PHOENIX, EVERYTHING IS DONE TO SAVE TIME, AND MANY ACTIONS MAY BE ANTICIPATED. DURING MANY RWY XINGS, TWR WILL PUT AN ACFT INTO POS AND HOLD, THEN CROSS SOMEBODY ELSE DOWNSTREAM. I WAS HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 25R AT TXWY E4, WITH A DEST AT S CARGO. A COMPANY FLT WAS HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 25L AT TXWY G7 WITH A DEST OF THE NW CORNER (N OF RWY 8). AN AERO COMMANDER WAS ON 1/4 - 1/8 MI FINAL LNDG RWY 25L. A B737 WAS LOCATED AT TXWY D13, AND HAD BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF. (I ONLY FOUND OUT AFTER THE FACT THAT THEY WERE CLRED FOR TKOF.) THE B737 AT THE TIME I STARTED MOVING WAS NOW ON THE RWY WITH LIGHTS ON. (I FIGURE HE IS IN POS TO HOLD). TWR CALLED 'FLT X (MY FLT) CROSS RWY 25L, HOLD SHORT RWY 25R AT TXWY F7.' I REPLIED 'CROSS RWY 25R, HOLD SHORT RWY 25L AND VERIFY YOU WANT ME AT TXWY F7?' (GOING TO TXWY F7 IS NOT TYPICAL, WE USUALLY CROSS AT TXWY F4.) TWR 'CROSS RWY 25L, HOLD SHORT RWY 25R AT TXWY F7.' AT THIS POINT, I HAD BEGUN ROLLING, AND FIGURED HE HAD HIS RWY NUMBERS MIXED UP. I SAW SOMEBODY ON HOLD ON THE RWY DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME, AND SOMEBODY LNDG ON THE NEXT RWY. IT PAINTS A PERFECT PICTURE FOR ME TO CROSS RWY 25R AND HOLD SHORT RWY 25L AND I'LL TAXI TO TXWY F7. AT THIS POINT I HAD BEEN MOVING SINCE THE TIME HE TOLD ME TO CROSS THE RWY, AND WAS NOW 3/4 OF THE WAY ACROSS WHEN IT DAWNED ON ME THAT HE SAID TO 'CROSS THE L, HOLD SHORT OF THE R.' I FINISHED XING AND STOPPED AT TXWY F4. SEVERAL SECONDS LATER, THE B737 WENT BY ON ITS CLBOUT. AFTER THE FACT, I LEARNED THAT THE CTLR WAS TRYING TO CROSS MY COMPANY FLT AT TXWY G7 TO HOLD SHORT RWY 25R AT TXWY F7, AND THAT THE CTLR WAS WONDERING WHY THAT PLANE DID NOT MOVE. THE PROB: THE CTLR SIMPLY SLIPPED THE WRONG CALL SIGN OUT AND NEITHER OF US CAUGHT MY INCORRECT REPLIES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR REITERATED WHAT WAS IN HIS RPT, BUT ADDED THERE WERE 4 COMPANY ACFT ON THE FREQ AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. HE SAID HIS CHIEF PLT HAD HANDLED THE COMS WITH THE TWR REGARDING THIS INCIDENT. THE RPTR SAID THE CHIEF PLT WAS INFORMED BY THE TWR QUALITY ASSURANCE MGR THAT THE CTLR WAS ASSIGNED RETRAINING AFTER THE INCIDENT. RPTR SAID HE RECEIVED A 4 DAY SUSPENSION FOR HIS PART IN THE ERROR.

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.