Narrative:

After engine start the first officer called huntsville ground control for taxi. The ground controller then stated cleared to runway 18L to which we acknowledged, myself and the first officer took this to mean cross runway 18L at taxiway J and continue via G to the approach end. We began to run our normal checklists and prior to crossing cleared in both directions as is normal and continued to cross. Immediately after reaching the other side the ground controller called us. We responded and he proceeded to tell us that in the future we are required to hold short of 18L for further instructions. We advised ground that we took his clearance to mean cross and taxi up to the approach end of runway 18L. At this time he stated that the book says you can cross all intersecting runways and txwys except for the departure runway on this type of clearance. We acknowledged ground and continued on. At this time of the morning there is very little if any other traffic in the air traffic area. While it was my misinterp of the clearance, I believe there were other factors. On other trips through hsv I have always been given a clearance to taxi to runway 18L with a 'hold short of 18L' or a 'cleared to cross 18L'. It was apparent to me that with no other traffic on the frequency and the quick manner ground called us immediately after crossing, that the controller created this situation to make a point to us and potentially let us take ourselves into an unsafe situation. He was very eager to quote our mistake right from 'the book' as if he had watched it occur with spite. I later discussed it with another company pilot who in the past with another carrier heard of several instances at hsv where the same instance had occurred. Although it was clearly my misinterp I believe that the clearance and situation that occurred was set up by that ground controller. There was never any conflict with another aircraft in this instance. I feel that given the conditions, these types of problems need not occur. Our crews are very professional and would never intentionally cause any operation to compromise safety to make a point!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SUP SMT CROSSES ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT PERMISSION ON TAXI OUT.

Narrative: AFTER ENGINE START THE F/O CALLED HUNTSVILLE GND CTL FOR TAXI. THE GND CTLR THEN STATED CLRED TO RWY 18L TO WHICH WE ACKNOWLEDGED, MYSELF AND THE F/O TOOK THIS TO MEAN CROSS RWY 18L AT TXWY J AND CONTINUE VIA G TO THE APCH END. WE BEGAN TO RUN OUR NORMAL CHECKLISTS AND PRIOR TO XING CLRED IN BOTH DIRECTIONS AS IS NORMAL AND CONTINUED TO CROSS. IMMEDIATELY AFTER REACHING THE OTHER SIDE THE GND CTLR CALLED US. WE RESPONDED AND HE PROCEEDED TO TELL US THAT IN THE FUTURE WE ARE REQUIRED TO HOLD SHORT OF 18L FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. WE ADVISED GND THAT WE TOOK HIS CLRNC TO MEAN CROSS AND TAXI UP TO THE APCH END OF RWY 18L. AT THIS TIME HE STATED THAT THE BOOK SAYS YOU CAN CROSS ALL INTERSECTING RWYS AND TXWYS EXCEPT FOR THE DEP RWY ON THIS TYPE OF CLRNC. WE ACKNOWLEDGED GND AND CONTINUED ON. AT THIS TIME OF THE MORNING THERE IS VERY LITTLE IF ANY OTHER TFC IN THE ATA. WHILE IT WAS MY MISINTERP OF THE CLRNC, I BELIEVE THERE WERE OTHER FACTORS. ON OTHER TRIPS THROUGH HSV I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN GIVEN A CLRNC TO TAXI TO RWY 18L WITH A 'HOLD SHORT OF 18L' OR A 'CLRED TO CROSS 18L'. IT WAS APPARENT TO ME THAT WITH NO OTHER TFC ON THE FREQ AND THE QUICK MANNER GND CALLED US IMMEDIATELY AFTER XING, THAT THE CTLR CREATED THIS SITUATION TO MAKE A POINT TO US AND POTENTIALLY LET US TAKE OURSELVES INTO AN UNSAFE SITUATION. HE WAS VERY EAGER TO QUOTE OUR MISTAKE RIGHT FROM 'THE BOOK' AS IF HE HAD WATCHED IT OCCUR WITH SPITE. I LATER DISCUSSED IT WITH ANOTHER COMPANY PLT WHO IN THE PAST WITH ANOTHER CARRIER HEARD OF SEVERAL INSTANCES AT HSV WHERE THE SAME INSTANCE HAD OCCURRED. ALTHOUGH IT WAS CLEARLY MY MISINTERP I BELIEVE THAT THE CLRNC AND SITUATION THAT OCCURRED WAS SET UP BY THAT GND CTLR. THERE WAS NEVER ANY CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER ACFT IN THIS INSTANCE. I FEEL THAT GIVEN THE CONDITIONS, THESE TYPES OF PROBLEMS NEED NOT OCCUR. OUR CREWS ARE VERY PROFESSIONAL AND WOULD NEVER INTENTIONALLY CAUSE ANY OPERATION TO COMPROMISE SAFETY TO MAKE A POINT!

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.