A carj flight crew inadvertently cross an active runway without a clearance at sat.

Attributes
ACN	632929
Time
Date	200410
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sat.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Regional Jet CL65, Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 1600
ASRS Report	632929
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was given instructions to taxi to runway 12R. I glanced at the chart, looked up and saw a taxi sign that read 21. I misread it to say 12 and believed that my clearance was to parallel it to the end for takeoff when in fact the correct way was to turn left upon reaching the 12 runways. As I approached the 12 runways, I looked both ways to clear the runways and proceeded across. I then saw another sign that read 21 and correctly interpreted it this time realizing I had gone the wrong way and crossed 2 active runways. Ground control called at that time to say that I had gone the wrong way and gave instructions to taxi back to runway 12R where we departed. I have no explanation for what caused me to misinterp the sign and my position relative to the runway other than a lapse in concentration. I do believe however that a taxi clearance should address the crossing of all runways on the way to the active runway whether they are active or not. If clrncs were given this way, upon reading the 12 runways in this example, I may have caught my mistake. Instead of believing that I was cleared to cross all runways on the way to the active one, I would have queried ground control about the crossing and thus discovered my error in thinking.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CARJ FLT CREW INADVERTENTLY CROSS AN ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT A CLRNC AT SAT.

Narrative: I WAS GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI TO RWY 12R. I GLANCED AT THE CHART, LOOKED UP AND SAW A TAXI SIGN THAT READ 21. I MISREAD IT TO SAY 12 AND BELIEVED THAT MY CLRNC WAS TO PARALLEL IT TO THE END FOR TKOF WHEN IN FACT THE CORRECT WAY WAS TO TURN L UPON REACHING THE 12 RWYS. AS I APCHED THE 12 RWYS, I LOOKED BOTH WAYS TO CLR THE RWYS AND PROCEEDED ACROSS. I THEN SAW ANOTHER SIGN THAT READ 21 AND CORRECTLY INTERPED IT THIS TIME REALIZING I HAD GONE THE WRONG WAY AND CROSSED 2 ACTIVE RWYS. GND CTL CALLED AT THAT TIME TO SAY THAT I HAD GONE THE WRONG WAY AND GAVE INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI BACK TO RWY 12R WHERE WE DEPARTED. I HAVE NO EXPLANATION FOR WHAT CAUSED ME TO MISINTERP THE SIGN AND MY POS RELATIVE TO THE RWY OTHER THAN A LAPSE IN CONCENTRATION. I DO BELIEVE HOWEVER THAT A TAXI CLRNC SHOULD ADDRESS THE XING OF ALL RWYS ON THE WAY TO THE ACTIVE RWY WHETHER THEY ARE ACTIVE OR NOT. IF CLRNCS WERE GIVEN THIS WAY, UPON READING THE 12 RWYS IN THIS EXAMPLE, I MAY HAVE CAUGHT MY MISTAKE. INSTEAD OF BELIEVING THAT I WAS CLRED TO CROSS ALL RWYS ON THE WAY TO THE ACTIVE ONE, I WOULD HAVE QUERIED GND CTL ABOUT THE XING AND THUS DISCOVERED MY ERROR IN THINKING.

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.