Air carrier light transport cargo flight crossed active runway without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	80223
Time
Date	198801
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mkc
State Reference	KS
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground other : 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 : 120 flight time total : 5700 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	80223
Person 2
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : far non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were cleared to taxi to runway 19. As instructed by ATC ground. To taxi to runway 19 at mkc from our position on the airport we must cross the active runway, 19. At no time was any holding instruction given. Both crewmembers checked for traffic before crossing 19. There was no traffic. Upon crossing 19 ATC ground informed us we needed ATC clearance to cross 19. We both thought that, 'cleared to taxi to 19,' meant that we could taxi to 19 by crossing the active 19 and proceed to the approach end of 19. The controller working ground was also working the tower frequency. If ground issues a clearance to taxi I feel that the, 'cleared to taxi,' gives unrestricted clearance to taxi to the active runway. I feel holding instruction should have been issued if ground control wanted us to hold short of the active runway. From now on I will question any clearance that takes me across an active runway so this situation never occurs again. I'm glad at the time of the problem, to my knowledge, we were the only traffic being handled by ATC. I feel I'm not alone in my interpretation of 'cleared to taxi.' let's keep aviation safe.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LTT CARGO FLT CROSSED ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 19. AS INSTRUCTED BY ATC GND. TO TAXI TO RWY 19 AT MKC FROM OUR POS ON THE ARPT WE MUST CROSS THE ACTIVE RWY, 19. AT NO TIME WAS ANY HOLDING INSTRUCTION GIVEN. BOTH CREWMEMBERS CHKED FOR TFC BEFORE XING 19. THERE WAS NO TFC. UPON XING 19 ATC GND INFORMED US WE NEEDED ATC CLRNC TO CROSS 19. WE BOTH THOUGHT THAT, 'CLRED TO TAXI TO 19,' MEANT THAT WE COULD TAXI TO 19 BY XING THE ACTIVE 19 AND PROCEED TO THE APCH END OF 19. THE CTLR WORKING GND WAS ALSO WORKING THE TWR FREQ. IF GND ISSUES A CLRNC TO TAXI I FEEL THAT THE, 'CLRED TO TAXI,' GIVES UNRESTRICTED CLRNC TO TAXI TO THE ACTIVE RWY. I FEEL HOLDING INSTRUCTION SHOULD HAVE BEEN ISSUED IF GND CTL WANTED US TO HOLD SHORT OF THE ACTIVE RWY. FROM NOW ON I WILL QUESTION ANY CLRNC THAT TAKES ME ACROSS AN ACTIVE RWY SO THIS SITUATION NEVER OCCURS AGAIN. I'M GLAD AT THE TIME OF THE PROB, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, WE WERE THE ONLY TFC BEING HANDLED BY ATC. I FEEL I'M NOT ALONE IN MY INTERP OF 'CLRED TO TAXI.' LET'S KEEP AVIATION SAFE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.