Air carrier large transport unauthorized runway crossing at foreign airport.

Attributes
ACN	105990
Time
Date	198903
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : aca
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bos
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet 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 pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	105990
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation Operational Deviation other

Narrative:

Ground cleared us to 28 with a hold short at 24. As I approached 24 and slowed down almost to a stop, ground cleared us to cross 24. The copilot reported the clearance and I myself seconded the clearance to cross. There was an small transport holding in position at the end of 24. The controller continued talking in spanish and I assumed he was receiving a clearance and for that reason we were cleared across. After we crossed ground tells us in english that 24 was our clearance limit. There was no hurry. I was just trying to comply with instructions. The language difference didn't help but we tried to be clear and felt like our readbacks also were clear. Every year I wish more and more that runway xings had lights that could signal the pilot when he was cleared to cross.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT UNAUTH RWY CROSSING AT FOREIGN ARPT.

Narrative: GND CLRED US TO 28 WITH A HOLD SHORT AT 24. AS I APCHED 24 AND SLOWED DOWN ALMOST TO A STOP, GND CLRED US TO CROSS 24. THE COPLT RPTED THE CLRNC AND I MYSELF SECONDED THE CLRNC TO CROSS. THERE WAS AN SMT HOLDING IN POSITION AT THE END OF 24. THE CTLR CONTINUED TALKING IN SPANISH AND I ASSUMED HE WAS RECEIVING A CLRNC AND FOR THAT REASON WE WERE CLRED ACROSS. AFTER WE CROSSED GND TELLS US IN ENGLISH THAT 24 WAS OUR CLRNC LIMIT. THERE WAS NO HURRY. I WAS JUST TRYING TO COMPLY WITH INSTRUCTIONS. THE LANGUAGE DIFFERENCE DIDN'T HELP BUT WE TRIED TO BE CLR AND FELT LIKE OUR READBACKS ALSO WERE CLR. EVERY YEAR I WISH MORE AND MORE THAT RWY XINGS HAD LIGHTS THAT COULD SIGNAL THE PLT WHEN HE WAS CLRED TO CROSS.

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.