Narrative:

On the morning of jul/wed/99, at XA00 am we crossed sea runway 16R without a clearance from tower. Sea airport runway 16L was closed for construction, ground control was having aircraft taxi across runways 16L and 16R to taxi to the end of the runway on the west side. Our initial ground clearance was to cross runways 16L and hold short runway 16R. Being the first flight of the day we had a couple of extra preflight checks to make prior to takeoff. So ground instructed us to proceed to the next taxiway past the one being used to cross both runways and to follow the aircraft behind us once we were finished. Upon finishing checks we pulled in behind the aircraft we were to follow. That aircraft continued to cross runway 16R and we followed after looking up the approach end of the runway to insure it was safe to cross. I questioned whether or not we had been cleared to cross the runway. The captain said that we were told to follow the aircraft in front of us which was true. However after we crossed the runway ground control informed us that we had just crossed an active runway without a clearance from tower, which made sense, because of the fact that we needed clearance from tower to cross an active runway, but it was very confusing at the time. Contributing factors were the abnormal construction operations at sea. Not the clearest of ground control clrncs. Pilot's perception of clearance. Pilot fatigue from poor company schedules that had all other trips that were back to back leave at similar times, much later in the morning. This trip was a XB00 am show time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DH8 CREW HAD RWY INCURSION.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF JUL/WED/99, AT XA00 AM WE CROSSED SEA RWY 16R WITHOUT A CLRNC FROM TWR. SEA ARPT RWY 16L WAS CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION, GND CTL WAS HAVING ACFT TAXI ACROSS RWYS 16L AND 16R TO TAXI TO THE END OF THE RWY ON THE W SIDE. OUR INITIAL GND CLRNC WAS TO CROSS RWYS 16L AND HOLD SHORT RWY 16R. BEING THE FIRST FLT OF THE DAY WE HAD A COUPLE OF EXTRA PREFLT CHKS TO MAKE PRIOR TO TKOF. SO GND INSTRUCTED US TO PROCEED TO THE NEXT TXWY PAST THE ONE BEING USED TO CROSS BOTH RWYS AND TO FOLLOW THE ACFT BEHIND US ONCE WE WERE FINISHED. UPON FINISHING CHKS WE PULLED IN BEHIND THE ACFT WE WERE TO FOLLOW. THAT ACFT CONTINUED TO CROSS RWY 16R AND WE FOLLOWED AFTER LOOKING UP THE APCH END OF THE RWY TO INSURE IT WAS SAFE TO CROSS. I QUESTIONED WHETHER OR NOT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO CROSS THE RWY. THE CAPT SAID THAT WE WERE TOLD TO FOLLOW THE ACFT IN FRONT OF US WHICH WAS TRUE. HOWEVER AFTER WE CROSSED THE RWY GND CTL INFORMED US THAT WE HAD JUST CROSSED AN ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT A CLRNC FROM TWR, WHICH MADE SENSE, BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT WE NEEDED CLRNC FROM TWR TO CROSS AN ACTIVE RWY, BUT IT WAS VERY CONFUSING AT THE TIME. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE ABNORMAL CONSTRUCTION OPS AT SEA. NOT THE CLEAREST OF GND CTL CLRNCS. PLT'S PERCEPTION OF CLRNC. PLT FATIGUE FROM POOR COMPANY SCHEDULES THAT HAD ALL OTHER TRIPS THAT WERE BACK TO BACK LEAVE AT SIMILAR TIMES, MUCH LATER IN THE MORNING. THIS TRIP WAS A XB00 AM SHOW 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.