Narrative:

Flight was cleared to taxi to runway 9L in mia. Crew thought clearance was to runway 9R. Crossed 12/30 (runway) en route to 9R. We thought we were cleared to cross a runway en route. This is an example of a problem resulting from the rule that clears on to cross all runways en route to an assigned runway. Had we requested clearance to cross 12, the ground controller may have caught the error and corrected us. There was no traffic using 12 at the time and no conflict resulted. Also if I had the first officer ask the controller permission to cross 12 it would have been caught. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter states there was no excuse for problem but himself. He had a mind set about runway in use as mia usually has departures on 9R and lndgs on 9L. Controller gave no taxiway guidance so he took most direct route to where he thought they were cleared. Had a gut feeling just before crossing runway that they should confirm cleared to cross. After fact, controller asked if having trouble, then gave guidance to get back to 9L, then asked if they would like 9R. Reporter has strong feelings about standardizing runway numbering systems. Feels lgw and den have excellent and easy to follow systems. Lgw has consecutive numbering and red lights in taxiway at runway xings. They are directly in front of pilots. Den has colored lines to follow. Also feels it would be extremely helpful to paint taxiway identify on the taxiway itself. That is where pilot attention is focused while taxiing, not on side areas.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CROSSES RWY WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: FLT WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 9L IN MIA. CREW THOUGHT CLRNC WAS TO RWY 9R. CROSSED 12/30 (RWY) ENRTE TO 9R. WE THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS A RWY ENRTE. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF A PROBLEM RESULTING FROM THE RULE THAT CLRS ON TO CROSS ALL RWYS ENRTE TO AN ASSIGNED RWY. HAD WE REQUESTED CLRNC TO CROSS 12, THE GND CTLR MAY HAVE CAUGHT THE ERROR AND CORRECTED US. THERE WAS NO TFC USING 12 AT THE TIME AND NO CONFLICT RESULTED. ALSO IF I HAD THE FO ASK THE CTLR PERMISSION TO CROSS 12 IT WOULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATES THERE WAS NO EXCUSE FOR PROBLEM BUT HIMSELF. HE HAD A MIND SET ABOUT RWY IN USE AS MIA USUALLY HAS DEPS ON 9R AND LNDGS ON 9L. CTLR GAVE NO TAXIWAY GUIDANCE SO HE TOOK MOST DIRECT RTE TO WHERE HE THOUGHT THEY WERE CLRED. HAD A GUT FEELING JUST BEFORE XING RWY THAT THEY SHOULD CONFIRM CLRED TO CROSS. AFTER FACT, CTLR ASKED IF HAVING TROUBLE, THEN GAVE GUIDANCE TO GET BACK TO 9L, THEN ASKED IF THEY WOULD LIKE 9R. RPTR HAS STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT STANDARDIZING RWY NUMBERING SYSTEMS. FEELS LGW AND DEN HAVE EXCELLENT AND EASY TO FOLLOW SYSTEMS. LGW HAS CONSECUTIVE NUMBERING AND RED LIGHTS IN TAXIWAY AT RWY XINGS. THEY ARE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF PLTS. DEN HAS COLORED LINES TO FOLLOW. ALSO FEELS IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL TO PAINT TAXIWAY IDENT ON THE TAXIWAY ITSELF. THAT IS WHERE PLT ATTN IS FOCUSED WHILE TAXIING, NOT ON SIDE AREAS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.