Narrative:

We were issued a taxi clearance by hpn ground to turn right on taxiway a and left on taxiway D to hold short of runway 16/34. At taxiway D; we stopped and awaited further instructions and when ground told us to proceed; I taxied across runway 16/34 and made a left on taxiway left as instructed. While waiting on taxiway D; we were facing northwest and I could not see the starting point of runway 34 till we were making the left turn. At that time; I noticed an aircraft in position on runway 34 that seemed to be ready for takeoff. After we had crossed runway 16/34 and were taxiing south on taxiway left; we noticed the aircraft in position on runway 34 was coming down the runway and seemed to be aborting a takeoff. My first officer and I questioned what had happened and we concurred we had our clearance to cross and we were not issued any warnings by the ground controller of any incursion we might have caused. We then contacted tower frequency and received clearance to cross runway 11/29 and taxi into the runway 34 pad and wait takeoff clearance due to WX delays. No mention was done from ATC during the next 20 mins of ground delay and then we received our takeoff clearance. I believe the incursion happened due to a clearance misinterp between me and the ground controller of where to hold short and when to proceed. I believe it needs to be highlighted that every clearance to cross an active runway must only be made by the tower controller. I believe it is imperative it will become common practice at all airports today that only the tower controllers can give runway crossing clrncs and not the ground controller. That is the practice at major airports we fly into and it should become common standards at all airports.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR CARRIER CREW CROSSED HPN RUNWAY 16-34 AFTER ALLEGED RECEIVING CLEARANCE FROM GROUND CONTROL; CONFUSION WHETHER THEY WERE CLEARED TO CROSS OR NOT WAS THE RESULT.

Narrative: WE WERE ISSUED A TAXI CLRNC BY HPN GND TO TURN R ON TXWY A AND L ON TXWY D TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 16/34. AT TXWY D; WE STOPPED AND AWAITED FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS AND WHEN GND TOLD US TO PROCEED; I TAXIED ACROSS RWY 16/34 AND MADE A L ON TXWY L AS INSTRUCTED. WHILE WAITING ON TXWY D; WE WERE FACING NW AND I COULD NOT SEE THE STARTING POINT OF RWY 34 TILL WE WERE MAKING THE L TURN. AT THAT TIME; I NOTICED AN ACFT IN POSITION ON RWY 34 THAT SEEMED TO BE READY FOR TKOF. AFTER WE HAD CROSSED RWY 16/34 AND WERE TAXIING S ON TXWY L; WE NOTICED THE ACFT IN POSITION ON RWY 34 WAS COMING DOWN THE RWY AND SEEMED TO BE ABORTING A TKOF. MY FO AND I QUESTIONED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND WE CONCURRED WE HAD OUR CLRNC TO CROSS AND WE WERE NOT ISSUED ANY WARNINGS BY THE GND CTLR OF ANY INCURSION WE MIGHT HAVE CAUSED. WE THEN CONTACTED TWR FREQ AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 11/29 AND TAXI INTO THE RWY 34 PAD AND WAIT TKOF CLRNC DUE TO WX DELAYS. NO MENTION WAS DONE FROM ATC DURING THE NEXT 20 MINS OF GND DELAY AND THEN WE RECEIVED OUR TKOF CLRNC. I BELIEVE THE INCURSION HAPPENED DUE TO A CLRNC MISINTERP BTWN ME AND THE GND CTLR OF WHERE TO HOLD SHORT AND WHEN TO PROCEED. I BELIEVE IT NEEDS TO BE HIGHLIGHTED THAT EVERY CLRNC TO CROSS AN ACTIVE RWY MUST ONLY BE MADE BY THE TWR CTLR. I BELIEVE IT IS IMPERATIVE IT WILL BECOME COMMON PRACTICE AT ALL ARPTS TODAY THAT ONLY THE TWR CTLRS CAN GIVE RWY XING CLRNCS AND NOT THE GND CTLR. THAT IS THE PRACTICE AT MAJOR ARPTS WE FLY INTO AND IT SHOULD BECOME COMMON STANDARDS AT ALL ARPTS.

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.