Narrative:

Pushed from gate and was given clearance to taxi and hold short of runway 13R on taxiway C. First officer stated that we must be utilizing full length since taxiway C is not only the parallel; but also the hold short taxiway at either end of runway 13R/31L. As we turned onto taxiway C we verified our taxi instructions; and ground stated once again to taxi hold short of runway 13R on taxiway C. As I crossed the hold short line of runway 18/36; I looked to my right and saw an aircraft on final to runway 18 and I stopped short of the actual runway. At this point ground stated this was the third time he had told us to hold short of runway 18. I respectively stated he had actually stated to hold short of runway 13R; and we immediately had another radio transmission (third party) stating that he concurred with the fact that it had been runway 13R in the taxi clearance. The aircraft on final performed a go around. Ground apologized for the confusion and gave us clearance to cross runway 18. We departed without further incident. This was just a human factors incident with the controller misspeaking. Supplemental information from acn 796844: it would have been helpful if: 1) ground had given us the proper 'hold short of runway 18' clearance; and 2) perhaps given us a heads up that an aircraft was on final for runway 18. If we had known #2; we'd have been better able to scrutinize and 'interpret' the ground controller intentions. I am unsure what the captain and I could have done differently. Time permitting; ground could provide amplifying information as to why we've been instructed to hold short of any given runway. This gives the pilots a better 'big picture' of what ground sees from the tower; and also gives us the situational awareness to question conflicting instructions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CREW REPORTS A GND CTLR'S TAXI INSTRUCTION ERROR RESULTS IN A RWY INCURSION AND AN LNDG ACFT'S GAR.

Narrative: PUSHED FROM GATE AND WAS GIVEN CLRNC TO TAXI AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 13R ON TXWY C. FO STATED THAT WE MUST BE UTILIZING FULL LENGTH SINCE TXWY C IS NOT ONLY THE PARALLEL; BUT ALSO THE HOLD SHORT TXWY AT EITHER END OF RWY 13R/31L. AS WE TURNED ONTO TXWY C WE VERIFIED OUR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS; AND GND STATED ONCE AGAIN TO TAXI HOLD SHORT OF RWY 13R ON TXWY C. AS I CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE OF RWY 18/36; I LOOKED TO MY R AND SAW AN ACFT ON FINAL TO RWY 18 AND I STOPPED SHORT OF THE ACTUAL RWY. AT THIS POINT GND STATED THIS WAS THE THIRD TIME HE HAD TOLD US TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 18. I RESPECTIVELY STATED HE HAD ACTUALLY STATED TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 13R; AND WE IMMEDIATELY HAD ANOTHER RADIO XMISSION (THIRD PARTY) STATING THAT HE CONCURRED WITH THE FACT THAT IT HAD BEEN RWY 13R IN THE TAXI CLRNC. THE ACFT ON FINAL PERFORMED A GAR. GND APOLOGIZED FOR THE CONFUSION AND GAVE US CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 18. WE DEPARTED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THIS WAS JUST A HUMAN FACTORS INCIDENT WITH THE CTLR MISSPEAKING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 796844: IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL IF: 1) GND HAD GIVEN US THE PROPER 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 18' CLRNC; AND 2) PERHAPS GIVEN US A HEADS UP THAT AN ACFT WAS ON FINAL FOR RWY 18. IF WE HAD KNOWN #2; WE'D HAVE BEEN BETTER ABLE TO SCRUTINIZE AND 'INTERPRET' THE GND CTLR INTENTIONS. I AM UNSURE WHAT THE CAPT AND I COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY. TIME PERMITTING; GND COULD PROVIDE AMPLIFYING INFO AS TO WHY WE'VE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT OF ANY GIVEN RWY. THIS GIVES THE PLTS A BETTER 'BIG PICTURE' OF WHAT GND SEES FROM THE TWR; AND ALSO GIVES US THE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS TO QUESTION CONFLICTING INSTRUCTIONS.

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.