Narrative:

Due to an extra delay landing behind an widebody transport on runway 36R, an approach to 36L was requested and cleared by tower. Wind was 290 degree at 17 KTS and gusting. Normal landing was executed but prior to reaching taxi speed or idle reverse, tower issued the following instructions, 'turn right next taxiway, left onto the high speed, hold short of 36R and stay with me.' I, as copilot read back, 'right turn, left on the high speed and hold short.' the captain brought the aircraft to taxi speed, cleared the runway and asked me to repeat the instructions. I repeated exactly what I read back. While performing the after landing checklist, I helped look for the high speed. We both spotted it together and suddenly realized it was the high speed for 36R and we were on 36R with another air carrier on short final. The captain pushed the power up as tower issued 'medium large transport X you were to hold short. Ok. Hurry on across.' the air carrier elected to go around at about 100', he was not instructed to do so. Factors: cockpit workload. Landing and immediately thereafter are very busy times. We were issued 4 instructions with reversers roaring, a strong crosswind, and a hurried approach behind us. Airport facilities. We noticed no hold lines or signs indicating that runway 36R was the next intersection. The 2 runways are very close and taxiway 3, on which we cleared is at right angles to both runways. There is no high speed intersecting that taxiway. Tower instructions. We understood that there would be 2 turns prior to runway 36R and assumed that the intersection we were crossing was a parallel taxiway between runways. The time of issue, during landing rollout, and number of instructions, 4, was also a confusion factor. Cockpit inattention. There is never a good excuse for crossing a runway without clearance. By cockpit request, the landing runway was changed about 10 mi out and 36L is an unfamiliar landing runway at mco. At most major airports there is a parallel taxiway between air carrier runways and the tower instructions sounded exactly like those given for normal runway arrangement.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG FLT CREW BECAME CONFUSED BY TWR CTLR INSTRUCTIONS AND CROSSED RWY 36R WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: DUE TO AN EXTRA DELAY LNDG BEHIND AN WDB ON RWY 36R, AN APCH TO 36L WAS REQUESTED AND CLRED BY TWR. WIND WAS 290 DEG AT 17 KTS AND GUSTING. NORMAL LNDG WAS EXECUTED BUT PRIOR TO REACHING TAXI SPD OR IDLE REVERSE, TWR ISSUED THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS, 'TURN R NEXT TXWY, L ONTO THE HIGH SPD, HOLD SHORT OF 36R AND STAY WITH ME.' I, AS COPLT READ BACK, 'R TURN, L ON THE HIGH SPD AND HOLD SHORT.' THE CAPT BROUGHT THE ACFT TO TAXI SPD, CLRED THE RWY AND ASKED ME TO REPEAT THE INSTRUCTIONS. I REPEATED EXACTLY WHAT I READ BACK. WHILE PERFORMING THE AFTER LNDG CHKLIST, I HELPED LOOK FOR THE HIGH SPD. WE BOTH SPOTTED IT TOGETHER AND SUDDENLY REALIZED IT WAS THE HIGH SPD FOR 36R AND WE WERE ON 36R WITH ANOTHER AIR CARRIER ON SHORT FINAL. THE CAPT PUSHED THE PWR UP AS TWR ISSUED 'MLG X YOU WERE TO HOLD SHORT. OK. HURRY ON ACROSS.' THE AIR CARRIER ELECTED TO GO AROUND AT ABOUT 100', HE WAS NOT INSTRUCTED TO DO SO. FACTORS: COCKPIT WORKLOAD. LNDG AND IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER ARE VERY BUSY TIMES. WE WERE ISSUED 4 INSTRUCTIONS WITH REVERSERS ROARING, A STRONG XWIND, AND A HURRIED APCH BEHIND US. ARPT FACILITIES. WE NOTICED NO HOLD LINES OR SIGNS INDICATING THAT RWY 36R WAS THE NEXT INTXN. THE 2 RWYS ARE VERY CLOSE AND TXWY 3, ON WHICH WE CLRED IS AT R ANGLES TO BOTH RWYS. THERE IS NO HIGH SPD INTERSECTING THAT TXWY. TWR INSTRUCTIONS. WE UNDERSTOOD THAT THERE WOULD BE 2 TURNS PRIOR TO RWY 36R AND ASSUMED THAT THE INTXN WE WERE XING WAS A PARALLEL TXWY BTWN RWYS. THE TIME OF ISSUE, DURING LNDG ROLLOUT, AND NUMBER OF INSTRUCTIONS, 4, WAS ALSO A CONFUSION FACTOR. COCKPIT INATTENTION. THERE IS NEVER A GOOD EXCUSE FOR XING A RWY WITHOUT CLRNC. BY COCKPIT REQUEST, THE LNDG RWY WAS CHANGED ABOUT 10 MI OUT AND 36L IS AN UNFAMILIAR LNDG RWY AT MCO. AT MOST MAJOR ARPTS THERE IS A PARALLEL TXWY BTWN AIR CARRIER RWYS AND THE TWR INSTRUCTIONS SOUNDED EXACTLY LIKE THOSE GIVEN FOR NORMAL RWY ARRANGEMENT.

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.