Air carrier arrival to sfo between runways questioned runway crossing clearance; crossed hold line; ...

Attributes
ACN	791836
Time
Date	200806
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 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 : flight engineer pilot : multi engine pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 111 flight time total : 9200 flight time type : 2457
ASRS Report	791836
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Landed on runway 28R in sfo. Exited at taxiway east. Tower told us to cross runway 28L and contact ground. I don't recall hearing this. The first officer contacted ground and we were given taxi instructions to our parking gate. I told the first officer to confirm that we were cleared to cross runway 28L. We are still on taxiway east between runway 28R and runway 28L. Ground told us that we don't have a runway to cross. I then stopped the aircraft short of runway 28L because I knew we had a runway to cross. We have crossed the hold line; but have not moved onto runway. There was another aircraft stopped on taxiway a or taxiway B and I thought tower might have us confused. At the same time there was an aircraft on final for runway 28L. Not a conflict at this time. I was trying to tell ground the situation; but was being blocked by other radio calls. I finally got a call to ground and told them that we had a runway to cross and that I was stopped short of the runway; but past the hold line. Tower sent the aircraft on final for runway 28L around. Tower later told me that there was not a conflict because they had sent the aircraft around well before short final. I think tower did tell us to cross runway 28L and contact ground. I didn't hear it and that's why I wanted to confirm the clearance. Runway incursions are a very high emphasis item right now. The first officer switched to ground and ground thought that we had already crossed runway 28L. This is why he thought we didn't have any runways to cross. The other issue was just a time factor. The distance between runway 28R and runway 28L is very short; so there isn't a lot of time to be able to confirm clrncs. Especially when the radios are blocked. Tower probably should not tell aircraft to contact ground until crossing all active runways or to say 'contact ground after clearing the active runways (runway 28L).' pilots should not change from tower to ground until clear of all active runways.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ARR TO SFO BETWEEN RWYS QUESTIONED RWY CROSSING CLRNC; CROSSED HOLD LINE; RESULTING ATC ISSUED GAR TO ACFT ON FINAL.

Narrative: LANDED ON RWY 28R IN SFO. EXITED AT TXWY E. TWR TOLD US TO CROSS RWY 28L AND CONTACT GND. I DON'T RECALL HEARING THIS. THE FO CONTACTED GND AND WE WERE GIVEN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO OUR PARKING GATE. I TOLD THE FO TO CONFIRM THAT WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS RWY 28L. WE ARE STILL ON TXWY E BTWN RWY 28R AND RWY 28L. GND TOLD US THAT WE DON'T HAVE A RWY TO CROSS. I THEN STOPPED THE ACFT SHORT OF RWY 28L BECAUSE I KNEW WE HAD A RWY TO CROSS. WE HAVE CROSSED THE HOLD LINE; BUT HAVE NOT MOVED ONTO RWY. THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT STOPPED ON TXWY A OR TXWY B AND I THOUGHT TWR MIGHT HAVE US CONFUSED. AT THE SAME TIME THERE WAS AN ACFT ON FINAL FOR RWY 28L. NOT A CONFLICT AT THIS TIME. I WAS TRYING TO TELL GND THE SITUATION; BUT WAS BEING BLOCKED BY OTHER RADIO CALLS. I FINALLY GOT A CALL TO GND AND TOLD THEM THAT WE HAD A RWY TO CROSS AND THAT I WAS STOPPED SHORT OF THE RWY; BUT PAST THE HOLD LINE. TWR SENT THE ACFT ON FINAL FOR RWY 28L AROUND. TWR LATER TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOT A CONFLICT BECAUSE THEY HAD SENT THE ACFT AROUND WELL BEFORE SHORT FINAL. I THINK TWR DID TELL US TO CROSS RWY 28L AND CONTACT GND. I DIDN'T HEAR IT AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO CONFIRM THE CLRNC. RWY INCURSIONS ARE A VERY HIGH EMPHASIS ITEM RIGHT NOW. THE FO SWITCHED TO GND AND GND THOUGHT THAT WE HAD ALREADY CROSSED RWY 28L. THIS IS WHY HE THOUGHT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY RWYS TO CROSS. THE OTHER ISSUE WAS JUST A TIME FACTOR. THE DISTANCE BTWN RWY 28R AND RWY 28L IS VERY SHORT; SO THERE ISN'T A LOT OF TIME TO BE ABLE TO CONFIRM CLRNCS. ESPECIALLY WHEN THE RADIOS ARE BLOCKED. TWR PROBABLY SHOULD NOT TELL ACFT TO CONTACT GND UNTIL XING ALL ACTIVE RWYS OR TO SAY 'CONTACT GND AFTER CLRING THE ACTIVE RWYS (RWY 28L).' PLTS SHOULD NOT CHANGE FROM TWR TO GND UNTIL CLR OF ALL ACTIVE RWYS.

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.

Air carrier arrival to sfo between runways questioned runway crossing clearance; crossed hold line; resulting ATC issued go around to aircraft on final.