DC8 flight crew misunderstands taxi clearance resulting in runway incursion.

Attributes
ACN	442600
Time
Date	199907
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl.airport
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-8 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : atl.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 5100 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	442600
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical incursion : runway non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert
Miss Distance	horizontal : 30
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We received taxi clearance from the ramp as follows, 'taxi to runway 26L, hold short of (either runway 26R or 27R, I don't remember which) on taxiway D. Follow the B727 coming from your left.' the first officer read back the entire clearance. The captain and first officer had a long discussion at this point about the location of the B727 and on how to depart the ramp with minimal jet blast to the buildings. By the time we left the ramp, the B727 was several hundred yards ahead of us and had received clearance to cross the right side runway. As we were approaching the right side runway on taxiway D, I was reading the taxi checklist. I then heard the ground controller say 'hold your position.' the captain made a maximum braking effort stop. I saw we were well past the hold short line but still just short of the right side runway. On the runway in front of us a narrow-body jet was rolling for takeoff. During the ensuing discussion of what happened, the captain had seemed to think our clearance was simply to follow the B727 to runway 26L.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC8 FLC MISUNDERSTANDS TAXI CLRNC RESULTING IN RWY INCURSION.

Narrative: WE RECEIVED TAXI CLRNC FROM THE RAMP AS FOLLOWS, 'TAXI TO RWY 26L, HOLD SHORT OF (EITHER RWY 26R OR 27R, I DON'T REMEMBER WHICH) ON TXWY D. FOLLOW THE B727 COMING FROM YOUR L.' THE FO READ BACK THE ENTIRE CLRNC. THE CAPT AND FO HAD A LONG DISCUSSION AT THIS POINT ABOUT THE LOCATION OF THE B727 AND ON HOW TO DEPART THE RAMP WITH MINIMAL JET BLAST TO THE BUILDINGS. BY THE TIME WE LEFT THE RAMP, THE B727 WAS SEVERAL HUNDRED YARDS AHEAD OF US AND HAD RECEIVED CLRNC TO CROSS THE R SIDE RWY. AS WE WERE APCHING THE R SIDE RWY ON TXWY D, I WAS READING THE TAXI CHKLIST. I THEN HEARD THE GND CTLR SAY 'HOLD YOUR POS.' THE CAPT MADE A MAX BRAKING EFFORT STOP. I SAW WE WERE WELL PAST THE HOLD SHORT LINE BUT STILL JUST SHORT OF THE R SIDE RWY. ON THE RWY IN FRONT OF US A NARROW-BODY JET WAS ROLLING FOR TKOF. DURING THE ENSUING DISCUSSION OF WHAT HAPPENED, THE CAPT HAD SEEMED TO THINK OUR CLRNC WAS SIMPLY TO FOLLOW THE B727 TO RWY 26L.

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.