Msn air carrier departure issued clearance to taxi to runway 21 was questioned by ATC crossing runwa...

Narrative:

After pushback in msn; contacted ground for taxi. Was instructed by ground 'aircraft X taxi runway 21.' I (the first officer) read back that instruction. After looking at the airport diagram; captain explained to me the route he planned to take to runway 21 and I agreed. Crossing runway 18 on the way to runway 21; ATC queried us asking 'aircraft X; do you know you just crossed runway 18?' immediately; I replied affirmative; that we had to cross runway 18 in order to arrive at runway 21. Ground control then said that we were instructed to taxi to runway 18. At this point; the captain informed ATC that we were in fact told to taxi to runway 21. Both runways were active. The most recent ATIS did say that both runway 21 and runway 18 were being used. At that time; captain asked for a number for the tower facility to figure out the clearance when we arrived back in ZZZ. No further event occurred. Once at the gate in ZZZ; captain called the ATC facility. At that time they informed us that they had checked the tapes and that we were in fact told to taxi to runway 21. They also said that no airplane was on final approach or departing so it was only a minor incident. Ground control informed us to taxi runway 21; which we read back. However; they must have meant to say runway 18; as they questioned when we crossed runway 18 on the way to runway 21. In my opinion; this event could have happened because the 2 previous aircraft to contact ground control were small GA aircraft; who were both instructed to taxi to runway 21. Then we called immediately following those aircraft. Although ground control made a mistake; I feel as though I could have taken another step and questioned ATC. I had never been issued a departure out of msn from the smaller runway 21. It confused me a little and I should have absolutely confirmed that ATC in fact wanted us to taxi to runway 21. If I would have simply asked; ATC would have told us to taxi to runway 18. I learned that if I ever am confused by an out-of-the-ordinary instruction; I should simply ask ATC to make sure it is; in fact; what they want us to do.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MSN ACR DEP ISSUED CLRNC TO TAXI TO RWY 21 WAS QUESTIONED BY ATC CROSSING RWY 18; TAPE REVIEW CONFIRMED CLRNC WAS TO RWY 21.

Narrative: AFTER PUSHBACK IN MSN; CONTACTED GND FOR TAXI. WAS INSTRUCTED BY GND 'ACFT X TAXI RWY 21.' I (THE FO) READ BACK THAT INSTRUCTION. AFTER LOOKING AT THE ARPT DIAGRAM; CAPT EXPLAINED TO ME THE RTE HE PLANNED TO TAKE TO RWY 21 AND I AGREED. XING RWY 18 ON THE WAY TO RWY 21; ATC QUERIED US ASKING 'ACFT X; DO YOU KNOW YOU JUST CROSSED RWY 18?' IMMEDIATELY; I REPLIED AFFIRMATIVE; THAT WE HAD TO CROSS RWY 18 IN ORDER TO ARRIVE AT RWY 21. GND CTL THEN SAID THAT WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO RWY 18. AT THIS POINT; THE CAPT INFORMED ATC THAT WE WERE IN FACT TOLD TO TAXI TO RWY 21. BOTH RWYS WERE ACTIVE. THE MOST RECENT ATIS DID SAY THAT BOTH RWY 21 AND RWY 18 WERE BEING USED. AT THAT TIME; CAPT ASKED FOR A NUMBER FOR THE TWR FACILITY TO FIGURE OUT THE CLRNC WHEN WE ARRIVED BACK IN ZZZ. NO FURTHER EVENT OCCURRED. ONCE AT THE GATE IN ZZZ; CAPT CALLED THE ATC FACILITY. AT THAT TIME THEY INFORMED US THAT THEY HAD CHKED THE TAPES AND THAT WE WERE IN FACT TOLD TO TAXI TO RWY 21. THEY ALSO SAID THAT NO AIRPLANE WAS ON FINAL APCH OR DEPARTING SO IT WAS ONLY A MINOR INCIDENT. GND CTL INFORMED US TO TAXI RWY 21; WHICH WE READ BACK. HOWEVER; THEY MUST HAVE MEANT TO SAY RWY 18; AS THEY QUESTIONED WHEN WE CROSSED RWY 18 ON THE WAY TO RWY 21. IN MY OPINION; THIS EVENT COULD HAVE HAPPENED BECAUSE THE 2 PREVIOUS ACFT TO CONTACT GND CTL WERE SMALL GA ACFT; WHO WERE BOTH INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO RWY 21. THEN WE CALLED IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THOSE ACFT. ALTHOUGH GND CTL MADE A MISTAKE; I FEEL AS THOUGH I COULD HAVE TAKEN ANOTHER STEP AND QUESTIONED ATC. I HAD NEVER BEEN ISSUED A DEP OUT OF MSN FROM THE SMALLER RWY 21. IT CONFUSED ME A LITTLE AND I SHOULD HAVE ABSOLUTELY CONFIRMED THAT ATC IN FACT WANTED US TO TAXI TO RWY 21. IF I WOULD HAVE SIMPLY ASKED; ATC WOULD HAVE TOLD US TO TAXI TO RWY 18. I LEARNED THAT IF I EVER AM CONFUSED BY AN OUT-OF-THE-ORDINARY INSTRUCTION; I SHOULD SIMPLY ASK ATC TO MAKE SURE IT IS; IN FACT; WHAT THEY WANT US TO DO.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.

Attributes
ACN	782181
Time
Date	200804
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msn.airport
State Reference	WI
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	782181
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Msn air carrier departure issued clearance to taxi to runway 21 was questioned by ATC crossing runway 18; tape review confirmed clearance was to runway 21.