Narrative:

At approximately XA10 we were holding short of runway 24 at taxiway G as per instructions. After holding for several mins, we received a call over the radio that said 'aircraft X, go ahead and go' this seemed like an odd crossing clearance but after observing an airplane turning from right in front of us on the runway off onto the taxiway across from us, and no airplanes on final, it seemed logical that the controller would want us to follow the other airplane across. There was an airplane at the end of the runway approximately 5000 ft away that was pulling onto the runway for takeoff. Because the crossing clearance seemed odd, I read back 'aircraft X crossing runway 24' and listened for the controller to say anything. There was nothing said so I wrongly assumed that I had received a crossing clearance. After crossing the runway, the ground controller began yelling at us that we crossed without clearance. The controller said that he told us to 'disregard' what he had said concerning 'go ahead and go.' that never came over the radio and I assume that it was said while I was reading back the clearance. The problems with this event are that it was a sunday and there was a perception of everyone taking it a little easy, which is a reason I thought that the controller had wanted me to cross with such a weak sounding clearance. Also, the other pilot on board was busy with other things so did not monitor the frequency to xchk what was occurring, but was operating the flight controls at the time. In addition, there was another frequency bleeding over onto the ground frequency that was later idented as newark ground control, which was causing blocking of xmissions. In the end it comes down to never assume anything and verify everything with proper phraseology. Supplemental information from acn 612418: we were holding short of the runway and the ground controller distinctly said over the radio, 'lear XXX, go ahead and go.' we cleared left and right, and were following an aircraft that had landed and was turning off the runway the other direction. There was another aircraft pulling into position 5000 ft down the runway. We read back, 'lear XXXX, crossing runway 24.' this was apparent on the ground frequency tape. But, during the readback, there was a transmission on the frequency that was unintelligible. Apparently, it was the controller saying 'disregard,' which never came over the radio. The phraseology that the controller used was not correct, and we should have verified before crossing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LR55 CROSSED RWY AT TEB WITHOUT ATC CLRNC.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA10 WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 24 AT TXWY G AS PER INSTRUCTIONS. AFTER HOLDING FOR SEVERAL MINS, WE RECEIVED A CALL OVER THE RADIO THAT SAID 'ACFT X, GO AHEAD AND GO' THIS SEEMED LIKE AN ODD XING CLRNC BUT AFTER OBSERVING AN AIRPLANE TURNING FROM RIGHT IN FRONT OF US ON THE RWY OFF ONTO THE TXWY ACROSS FROM US, AND NO AIRPLANES ON FINAL, IT SEEMED LOGICAL THAT THE CTLR WOULD WANT US TO FOLLOW THE OTHER AIRPLANE ACROSS. THERE WAS AN AIRPLANE AT THE END OF THE RWY APPROX 5000 FT AWAY THAT WAS PULLING ONTO THE RWY FOR TKOF. BECAUSE THE XING CLRNC SEEMED ODD, I READ BACK 'ACFT X XING RWY 24' AND LISTENED FOR THE CTLR TO SAY ANYTHING. THERE WAS NOTHING SAID SO I WRONGLY ASSUMED THAT I HAD RECEIVED A XING CLRNC. AFTER XING THE RWY, THE GND CTLR BEGAN YELLING AT US THAT WE CROSSED WITHOUT CLRNC. THE CTLR SAID THAT HE TOLD US TO 'DISREGARD' WHAT HE HAD SAID CONCERNING 'GO AHEAD AND GO.' THAT NEVER CAME OVER THE RADIO AND I ASSUME THAT IT WAS SAID WHILE I WAS READING BACK THE CLRNC. THE PROBS WITH THIS EVENT ARE THAT IT WAS A SUNDAY AND THERE WAS A PERCEPTION OF EVERYONE TAKING IT A LITTLE EASY, WHICH IS A REASON I THOUGHT THAT THE CTLR HAD WANTED ME TO CROSS WITH SUCH A WEAK SOUNDING CLRNC. ALSO, THE OTHER PLT ON BOARD WAS BUSY WITH OTHER THINGS SO DID NOT MONITOR THE FREQ TO XCHK WHAT WAS OCCURRING, BUT WAS OPERATING THE FLT CTLS AT THE TIME. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS ANOTHER FREQ BLEEDING OVER ONTO THE GND FREQ THAT WAS LATER IDENTED AS NEWARK GND CTL, WHICH WAS CAUSING BLOCKING OF XMISSIONS. IN THE END IT COMES DOWN TO NEVER ASSUME ANYTHING AND VERIFY EVERYTHING WITH PROPER PHRASEOLOGY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 612418: WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF THE RWY AND THE GND CTLR DISTINCTLY SAID OVER THE RADIO, 'LEAR XXX, GO AHEAD AND GO.' WE CLRED L AND R, AND WERE FOLLOWING AN ACFT THAT HAD LANDED AND WAS TURNING OFF THE RWY THE OTHER DIRECTION. THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT PULLING INTO POS 5000 FT DOWN THE RWY. WE READ BACK, 'LEAR XXXX, XING RWY 24.' THIS WAS APPARENT ON THE GND FREQ TAPE. BUT, DURING THE READBACK, THERE WAS A XMISSION ON THE FREQ THAT WAS UNINTELLIGIBLE. APPARENTLY, IT WAS THE CTLR SAYING 'DISREGARD,' WHICH NEVER CAME OVER THE RADIO. THE PHRASEOLOGY THAT THE CTLR USED WAS NOT CORRECT, AND WE SHOULD HAVE VERIFIED BEFORE XING.

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.