Narrative:

Before calling clearance delivery, I listened to the ATIS. I learned that runway 18L/36R was closed. Runways 18R and 8 were in use. I informed the ground controller that I was ready to taxi from hangar X ramp. She instructed me to hold short of taxiway left (to allow a regional jet that had just landed on runway 18R to clear the runway at intersection L4). After the rj had passed, the controller instructed me to 'caution wake turbulence (sic), follow the rj northbound on taxiway left to (I thought she said) runway 18R.' I read back something like (I'm reasonably sure), 'I'll be careful of the turbulence and follow behind the rj north on taxiway left to runway 18R.' I proceeded north along taxiway left, crossed runway 8, and when I was abeam of intersection L2 the controller called to inquire if I was aware of having crossed runway 8. I brought the airplane to a complete stop and I informed her that, yes, indeed, I crossed runway 8 and that I was on my way to runway 18R. She informed me that she had cleared me to runway 8, not runway 18R. I assured her that I really thought I had been cleared to runway 18R, and apologized for the misunderstanding. I also said that I was pretty sure, though, that I had read back a clearance to runway 18R. She reaffirmed that she had cleared me only to runway 8. After a long awkward silence I asked for a clearance the rest of the way to runway 18R. She then cleared me to taxi to runway 18R. After a normal run-up I asked for and received a takeoff clearance. What do I think happened? Without having heard ATC's audio tape, I can't say with certainty which clearance I was given. The controller in this incident is known to me to be very competent. She is also usually very accommodating. I suspect that, since an FAA investigation seems to be in progress, she had cleared me to runway 8 after all. I may have pre-programmed myself to hear only a clearance for runway 18R. Why? Even though the ATIS advertised that runways 8 and 18R were both active, the whole time I was on the ramp doing the preflight, warming up, and getting clrncs, the only activity I saw was happening on runway 18R (4 or 5 arrs and departures). Also, my departure heading was to the northwest, so using runway 18R would seem to offer the chance to get an on-course sooner. Since the aircraft I was waiting for to clear ahead of me had used runway 18R it seems that possibly I may have subconsciously assumed that I was going to be sent to runway 18R. In addition, and this may be a stretch, I had a small internal dialog going on in my brain about the caution: wake turbulence admonition she issued. I'm reasonably sure that what she meant to say was caution: jet blast from the taxiing rj. I found myself stifling the impulse to make an impertinent remark about a taxiing airliner not being able to create any significant wake turbulence when I should have been listening to her clearance more closely. In addition, being fully aware that the intersecting runway (runway 8) was active (it usually isn't) I should have been listening very closely to the clearance. Even though I made sure that there wasn't anyone on final before I crossed I might have done well to have asked her for a clarification of the runway 18R clearance that I thought I had. But the bottom line is that I really thought that I was cleared to runway 18R and was proceeding accordingly when the controller pointed out the transgression.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF C182 CROSSED RWY 8 AT TUL WITHOUT CLRNC THINKING HE HAD BEEN CLRED TO RWY 18R.

Narrative: BEFORE CALLING CLRNC DELIVERY, I LISTENED TO THE ATIS. I LEARNED THAT RWY 18L/36R WAS CLOSED. RWYS 18R AND 8 WERE IN USE. I INFORMED THE GND CTLR THAT I WAS READY TO TAXI FROM HANGAR X RAMP. SHE INSTRUCTED ME TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY L (TO ALLOW A REGIONAL JET THAT HAD JUST LANDED ON RWY 18R TO CLR THE RWY AT INTXN L4). AFTER THE RJ HAD PASSED, THE CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO 'CAUTION WAKE TURB (SIC), FOLLOW THE RJ NBOUND ON TXWY L TO (I THOUGHT SHE SAID) RWY 18R.' I READ BACK SOMETHING LIKE (I'M REASONABLY SURE), 'I'LL BE CAREFUL OF THE TURB AND FOLLOW BEHIND THE RJ N ON TXWY L TO RWY 18R.' I PROCEEDED N ALONG TXWY L, CROSSED RWY 8, AND WHEN I WAS ABEAM OF INTXN L2 THE CTLR CALLED TO INQUIRE IF I WAS AWARE OF HAVING CROSSED RWY 8. I BROUGHT THE AIRPLANE TO A COMPLETE STOP AND I INFORMED HER THAT, YES, INDEED, I CROSSED RWY 8 AND THAT I WAS ON MY WAY TO RWY 18R. SHE INFORMED ME THAT SHE HAD CLRED ME TO RWY 8, NOT RWY 18R. I ASSURED HER THAT I REALLY THOUGHT I HAD BEEN CLRED TO RWY 18R, AND APOLOGIZED FOR THE MISUNDERSTANDING. I ALSO SAID THAT I WAS PRETTY SURE, THOUGH, THAT I HAD READ BACK A CLRNC TO RWY 18R. SHE REAFFIRMED THAT SHE HAD CLRED ME ONLY TO RWY 8. AFTER A LONG AWKWARD SILENCE I ASKED FOR A CLRNC THE REST OF THE WAY TO RWY 18R. SHE THEN CLRED ME TO TAXI TO RWY 18R. AFTER A NORMAL RUN-UP I ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED A TKOF CLRNC. WHAT DO I THINK HAPPENED? WITHOUT HAVING HEARD ATC'S AUDIO TAPE, I CAN'T SAY WITH CERTAINTY WHICH CLRNC I WAS GIVEN. THE CTLR IN THIS INCIDENT IS KNOWN TO ME TO BE VERY COMPETENT. SHE IS ALSO USUALLY VERY ACCOMMODATING. I SUSPECT THAT, SINCE AN FAA INVESTIGATION SEEMS TO BE IN PROGRESS, SHE HAD CLRED ME TO RWY 8 AFTER ALL. I MAY HAVE PRE-PROGRAMMED MYSELF TO HEAR ONLY A CLRNC FOR RWY 18R. WHY? EVEN THOUGH THE ATIS ADVERTISED THAT RWYS 8 AND 18R WERE BOTH ACTIVE, THE WHOLE TIME I WAS ON THE RAMP DOING THE PREFLT, WARMING UP, AND GETTING CLRNCS, THE ONLY ACTIVITY I SAW WAS HAPPENING ON RWY 18R (4 OR 5 ARRS AND DEPS). ALSO, MY DEP HEADING WAS TO THE NW, SO USING RWY 18R WOULD SEEM TO OFFER THE CHANCE TO GET AN ON-COURSE SOONER. SINCE THE ACFT I WAS WAITING FOR TO CLR AHEAD OF ME HAD USED RWY 18R IT SEEMS THAT POSSIBLY I MAY HAVE SUBCONSCIOUSLY ASSUMED THAT I WAS GOING TO BE SENT TO RWY 18R. IN ADDITION, AND THIS MAY BE A STRETCH, I HAD A SMALL INTERNAL DIALOG GOING ON IN MY BRAIN ABOUT THE CAUTION: WAKE TURB ADMONITION SHE ISSUED. I'M REASONABLY SURE THAT WHAT SHE MEANT TO SAY WAS CAUTION: JET BLAST FROM THE TAXIING RJ. I FOUND MYSELF STIFLING THE IMPULSE TO MAKE AN IMPERTINENT REMARK ABOUT A TAXIING AIRLINER NOT BEING ABLE TO CREATE ANY SIGNIFICANT WAKE TURB WHEN I SHOULD HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO HER CLRNC MORE CLOSELY. IN ADDITION, BEING FULLY AWARE THAT THE INTERSECTING RWY (RWY 8) WAS ACTIVE (IT USUALLY ISN'T) I SHOULD HAVE BEEN LISTENING VERY CLOSELY TO THE CLRNC. EVEN THOUGH I MADE SURE THAT THERE WASN'T ANYONE ON FINAL BEFORE I CROSSED I MIGHT HAVE DONE WELL TO HAVE ASKED HER FOR A CLARIFICATION OF THE RWY 18R CLRNC THAT I THOUGHT I HAD. BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT I REALLY THOUGHT THAT I WAS CLRED TO RWY 18R AND WAS PROCEEDING ACCORDINGLY WHEN THE CTLR POINTED OUT THE TRANSGRESSION.

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.