Narrative:

After a long duty day, we were taking the aircraft to our maintenance base in tampa, fl. Due to company policy, these 'deadhead' legs are the only chance the co-pilot (me) gets to fly and-or taxi the aircraft. Out of 75 hours of flight time in the last 90 days, only 6 hours were real 'stick' time for me. The usual procedure when landing at tampa (to the north) is for turbojets to use runway 36L for arrs. After exiting the runway, we have to taxi across the airport to our maintenance facility. This involves crossing the other active runway (36R). The captain was on the other radio informing the facility of our arrival and I was taxiing the aircraft. Upon approaching the other active runway in our taxi path, the ground controller told us to 'turn right on taxiway 'C' and cross the e-w.' I understood 'right on taxiway 'C' and cross using the e-w taxiway.' since I had always heard of runway 9-27 called runway 9-27 and only its associated taxiway referred to as 'east-west,' I thought this was a clearance to cross the active using that taxiway. I looked both ways when crossing the active and saw a high wing small aircraft taxiing into position at the same time we were crossing. I assumed the ground controller had thought we could cross safely and hence issued the above clearance. There was no dynamic conflict because the small aircraft was holding in position after we crossed, and we both entered the runway at the same time. Another case of communications gone bad through different meanings of the same terminology.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR LTT TAXIED ACROSS AN ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: AFTER A LONG DUTY DAY, WE WERE TAKING THE ACFT TO OUR MAINT BASE IN TAMPA, FL. DUE TO COMPANY POLICY, THESE 'DEADHEAD' LEGS ARE THE ONLY CHANCE THE CO-PLT (ME) GETS TO FLY AND-OR TAXI THE ACFT. OUT OF 75 HRS OF FLT TIME IN THE LAST 90 DAYS, ONLY 6 HRS WERE REAL 'STICK' TIME FOR ME. THE USUAL PROC WHEN LNDG AT TAMPA (TO THE N) IS FOR TURBOJETS TO USE RWY 36L FOR ARRS. AFTER EXITING THE RWY, WE HAVE TO TAXI ACROSS THE ARPT TO OUR MAINT FAC. THIS INVOLVES XING THE OTHER ACTIVE RWY (36R). THE CAPT WAS ON THE OTHER RADIO INFORMING THE FAC OF OUR ARR AND I WAS TAXIING THE ACFT. UPON APCHING THE OTHER ACTIVE RWY IN OUR TAXI PATH, THE GND CTLR TOLD US TO 'TURN RIGHT ON TXWY 'C' AND CROSS THE E-W.' I UNDERSTOOD 'RIGHT ON TXWY 'C' AND CROSS USING THE E-W TXWY.' SINCE I HAD ALWAYS HEARD OF RWY 9-27 CALLED RWY 9-27 AND ONLY ITS ASSOCIATED TXWY REFERRED TO AS 'E-W,' I THOUGHT THIS WAS A CLRNC TO CROSS THE ACTIVE USING THAT TXWY. I LOOKED BOTH WAYS WHEN XING THE ACTIVE AND SAW A HIGH WING SMA TAXIING INTO POS AT THE SAME TIME WE WERE XING. I ASSUMED THE GND CTLR HAD THOUGHT WE COULD CROSS SAFELY AND HENCE ISSUED THE ABOVE CLRNC. THERE WAS NO DYNAMIC CONFLICT BECAUSE THE SMA WAS HOLDING IN POS AFTER WE CROSSED, AND WE BOTH ENTERED THE RWY AT THE SAME TIME. ANOTHER CASE OF COMS GONE BAD THROUGH DIFFERENT MEANINGS OF THE SAME TERMINOLOGY.

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.