Narrative:

Time: XA56. ATC frequency: 120.900. ATC facility: cle tower. Location: cle. The original clearance after pushback was: taxi to runway 23R via taxiway U, onto runway 28, hold short of runway 23L. One plane was ahead of us holding short of runway 23L. He moved up to runway 23R. As we were beginning to move up to the hold line for runway 23L, we received a clearance that I understood as move up to the hold line of runway 23R. As we were crossing runway 23L, tower said hold short of runway 23R and asked if we had not seen the hold line for runway 23L implying that we were supposed to have held short of runway 23L. The area of the airport is very confusing as it has several runways meeting together. Had the tower never given us additional taxi instructions we would have done what he apparently wanted us to do in the first place. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that both flight crew members were positive they received clearance to move up to runway 23R. They crossed runway 23L and then the tower made the comment, 'did they know where the hold short line for runway 23L was?' from this comment the flight crew surmises they were not cleared to cross runway 23L. They are positive they received the clearance to move up for takeoff or they would not have moved the aircraft. They were already holding short of hold line for runway 23L and knew where it was located. If they had not heard the tower say for them to move up, they would never have moved the aircraft and everything would have been satisfactory. This whole situation is based on the communications understanding of keeping the aircraft moving closer to the takeoff runway. Flight crew had no doubt as to the location of the hold short line. They were positive they had clearance to move forward.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CROSSES RWY WITHOUT CLRNC AT CLE.

Narrative: TIME: XA56. ATC FREQ: 120.900. ATC FACILITY: CLE TWR. LOCATION: CLE. THE ORIGINAL CLRNC AFTER PUSHBACK WAS: TAXI TO RWY 23R VIA TXWY U, ONTO RWY 28, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 23L. ONE PLANE WAS AHEAD OF US HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 23L. HE MOVED UP TO RWY 23R. AS WE WERE BEGINNING TO MOVE UP TO THE HOLD LINE FOR RWY 23L, WE RECEIVED A CLRNC THAT I UNDERSTOOD AS MOVE UP TO THE HOLD LINE OF RWY 23R. AS WE WERE XING RWY 23L, TWR SAID HOLD SHORT OF RWY 23R AND ASKED IF WE HAD NOT SEEN THE HOLD LINE FOR RWY 23L IMPLYING THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE HELD SHORT OF RWY 23L. THE AREA OF THE ARPT IS VERY CONFUSING AS IT HAS SEVERAL RUNWAYS MEETING TOGETHER. HAD THE TWR NEVER GIVEN US ADDITIONAL TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WE WOULD HAVE DONE WHAT HE APPARENTLY WANTED US TO DO IN THE FIRST PLACE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT BOTH FLC MEMBERS WERE POSITIVE THEY RECEIVED CLRNC TO MOVE UP TO RWY 23R. THEY CROSSED RWY 23L AND THEN THE TWR MADE THE COMMENT, 'DID THEY KNOW WHERE THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 23L WAS?' FROM THIS COMMENT THE FLC SURMISES THEY WERE NOT CLRED TO CROSS RWY 23L. THEY ARE POSITIVE THEY RECEIVED THE CLRNC TO MOVE UP FOR TKOF OR THEY WOULD NOT HAVE MOVED THE ACFT. THEY WERE ALREADY HOLDING SHORT OF HOLD LINE FOR RWY 23L AND KNEW WHERE IT WAS LOCATED. IF THEY HAD NOT HEARD THE TWR SAY FOR THEM TO MOVE UP, THEY WOULD NEVER HAVE MOVED THE ACFT AND EVERYTHING WOULD HAVE BEEN SATISFACTORY. THIS WHOLE SIT IS BASED ON THE COMS UNDERSTANDING OF KEEPING THE ACFT MOVING CLOSER TO THE TKOF RWY. FLC HAD NO DOUBT AS TO THE LOCATION OF THE HOLD SHORT LINE. THEY WERE POSITIVE THEY HAD CLRNC TO MOVE FORWARD.

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.