Narrative:

After clearing runway 23L on the southeast side we contacted ground control who issued a 'taxi to the gate' clearance. Due to being asked to turn off the runway on the southeast side, our taxi route to the gate required us to cross runway 23L. Arriving at the approach end, we saw a DC9 about 3 mi out on final, so we continued across. As we entered the runway, the controller told us to hold short. We told him we couldn't, and continued. Upon arrival at the gate we were asked to call the tower. The supervisor told me that we had crossed an active runway without a clearance. I told him we had a clearance to cross because no 'hold short of...' instruction was issued after his 'taxi to the gate' clearance. The aim states when issued a clearance to taxi to a point on the airport you are permitted to cross all runways and txwys to get there. Obviously, had there been a conflict with the aircraft on final we would have given way and requested a clarification. However, since the other aircraft was approximately 3 mi away we saw no need for that. Apparently, the controller didn't fully understand the clearance he issued. Supplemental information from acn 360655: ATIS called runways 23L and 23R active leaving runway 32 inactive. An air carrier exited runway 23L and was told by me 'taxi to the gate' my understanding was that the aircraft could choose his own route, including runway 32, but not enter runways 23L or 23R. Subject aircraft crossed the approach end of runway 23L (the runway he landed on) to access txwys nearer to their gate. My thought was that they would stay on the parallel taxiway until it joined the taxiway that leads to the gate. There was traffic on a 2 mi final, but they were not affected. Phone call with pilot revealed his understanding that when told to taxi to the gate they could cross everything (we still thought this was an obvious pilot deviation -- 7 fpl controllers and 1 supervisor). After the phone call we looked in the aim and learned he was probably right. Judging by my past and everyone I've ever talked to, all air traffic controllers need to be briefed on this if it is true that aircraft can cross active runways when simply told to taxi to the gate when another taxi route exists that does not cross active runways.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B737 WAS TOLD BY THE GND CTLR TO 'TAXI TO THE GATE' AFTER CLRING RWY 23L ON THE SE SIDE OF THE RWY. THE ACFT TAXIED ACROSS THE APCH END OF RWY 23L AND WAS TOLD HE SHOULD HAVE HELD SHORT AS IT WAS AN ACTIVE RWY. SUBSEQUENT CONVERSATION WITH THE TWR SUPVR INDICATED THE CAPT OF THE FLT WAS CORRECT IN DOING SO AND THAT THE TWR CTLRS WERE NOT AWARE THAT HE WAS CORRECT.

Narrative: AFTER CLRING RWY 23L ON THE SE SIDE WE CONTACTED GND CTL WHO ISSUED A 'TAXI TO THE GATE' CLRNC. DUE TO BEING ASKED TO TURN OFF THE RWY ON THE SE SIDE, OUR TAXI RTE TO THE GATE REQUIRED US TO CROSS RWY 23L. ARRIVING AT THE APCH END, WE SAW A DC9 ABOUT 3 MI OUT ON FINAL, SO WE CONTINUED ACROSS. AS WE ENTERED THE RWY, THE CTLR TOLD US TO HOLD SHORT. WE TOLD HIM WE COULDN'T, AND CONTINUED. UPON ARR AT THE GATE WE WERE ASKED TO CALL THE TWR. THE SUPVR TOLD ME THAT WE HAD CROSSED AN ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT A CLRNC. I TOLD HIM WE HAD A CLRNC TO CROSS BECAUSE NO 'HOLD SHORT OF...' INSTRUCTION WAS ISSUED AFTER HIS 'TAXI TO THE GATE' CLRNC. THE AIM STATES WHEN ISSUED A CLRNC TO TAXI TO A POINT ON THE ARPT YOU ARE PERMITTED TO CROSS ALL RWYS AND TXWYS TO GET THERE. OBVIOUSLY, HAD THERE BEEN A CONFLICT WITH THE ACFT ON FINAL WE WOULD HAVE GIVEN WAY AND REQUESTED A CLARIFICATION. HOWEVER, SINCE THE OTHER ACFT WAS APPROX 3 MI AWAY WE SAW NO NEED FOR THAT. APPARENTLY, THE CTLR DIDN'T FULLY UNDERSTAND THE CLRNC HE ISSUED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 360655: ATIS CALLED RWYS 23L AND 23R ACTIVE LEAVING RWY 32 INACTIVE. AN ACR EXITED RWY 23L AND WAS TOLD BY ME 'TAXI TO THE GATE' MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THE ACFT COULD CHOOSE HIS OWN RTE, INCLUDING RWY 32, BUT NOT ENTER RWYS 23L OR 23R. SUBJECT ACFT CROSSED THE APCH END OF RWY 23L (THE RWY HE LANDED ON) TO ACCESS TXWYS NEARER TO THEIR GATE. MY THOUGHT WAS THAT THEY WOULD STAY ON THE PARALLEL TXWY UNTIL IT JOINED THE TXWY THAT LEADS TO THE GATE. THERE WAS TFC ON A 2 MI FINAL, BUT THEY WERE NOT AFFECTED. PHONE CALL WITH PLT REVEALED HIS UNDERSTANDING THAT WHEN TOLD TO TAXI TO THE GATE THEY COULD CROSS EVERYTHING (WE STILL THOUGHT THIS WAS AN OBVIOUS PLTDEV -- 7 FPL CTLRS AND 1 SUPVR). AFTER THE PHONE CALL WE LOOKED IN THE AIM AND LEARNED HE WAS PROBABLY RIGHT. JUDGING BY MY PAST AND EVERYONE I'VE EVER TALKED TO, ALL AIR TFC CTLRS NEED TO BE BRIEFED ON THIS IF IT IS TRUE THAT ACFT CAN CROSS ACTIVE RWYS WHEN SIMPLY TOLD TO TAXI TO THE GATE WHEN ANOTHER TAXI RTE EXISTS THAT DOES NOT CROSS ACTIVE RWYS.

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.