MD80 crew understood ground controller clearance was to taxi to the gate.

Attributes
ACN	414840
Time
Date	199809
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
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
ASRS Report	414840
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Holding on taxiway B short of taxiway F at lga. Ground control gave us instructions to taxi to gate. Turning into ramp, ground said we did not have clearance to taxi. Apparently she was asking if we could taxi to the gate, not cleared to the gate. Although she apologized to other traffic, we were never a factor to his taxi. Both of us thought we had a clearance to the gate but she obviously did not. We will listen closer next time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW UNDERSTOOD GND CTLR CLRNC WAS TO TAXI TO THE GATE.

Narrative: HOLDING ON TXWY B SHORT OF TXWY F AT LGA. GND CTL GAVE US INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI TO GATE. TURNING INTO RAMP, GND SAID WE DID NOT HAVE CLRNC TO TAXI. APPARENTLY SHE WAS ASKING IF WE COULD TAXI TO THE GATE, NOT CLRED TO THE GATE. ALTHOUGH SHE APOLOGIZED TO OTHER TFC, WE WERE NEVER A FACTOR TO HIS TAXI. BOTH OF US THOUGHT WE HAD A CLRNC TO THE GATE BUT SHE OBVIOUSLY DID NOT. WE WILL LISTEN CLOSER NEXT TIME.

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.