Narrative:

Our aircraft was parked at san jose FBO #1. PNF called ground control to reposition from FBO #1 to FBO #2 on the other side of the field. We were told taxi via taxiway V to taxiway C, hold short runway 30L on taxiway C. An air carrier B737 landed. We were then cleared to cross runways 30L and 30R taxi to FBO #2. We did all this and everything was fine. We had a passenger to drop off, then PNF called ground control that we were ready to taxi out of FBO #2 with our IFR clearance and ATIS information. (Here is where the problem starts.) both pilots unfamiliar with san jose. Ground control instructions were to 'taxi to runway 30L.' there was no mention of any turns, proceed with caution, or hold short of any txwys or runways. A clearance to taxi to an active runway with nothing else said is a clearance to cross taxiway or runway to get to that runway. The most direct route to runway 30L was the way we had just been cleared to come across. We came straight out of FBO #2 onto taxiway C, crossed the approach end of runway 30R on taxiway C and held short of runway 30L. PNF called tower that we were ready for takeoff, they then cleared us into position and take this phone number because we had a runway and taxiway pilot deviation. There were no aircraft on final of runways 30R, 30L or on any txwys around us. There may have been lack of communication or misunderstanding on both our part and ground control, but definitely nothing intentional on our part. We did call the tower twice and talked to the supervisor, who then told us that he did not feel there would be any violations, but a report was to be filed. Supplemental information from acn 452103: we were parked on the ramp at the san jose FBO #1. We called ground for taxi instructions to reposition to the FBO #2 ramp on the opposite side of the airfield to drop off a passenger. We were cleared to taxi via txwys V and C with instructions to hold short of runway 30L at taxiway C. After an airplane landed on runway 30L we were cleared to taxi to the FBO #2 ramp by crossing runways 30L and 30R. We dropped off our passenger at FBO #2 and then requested taxi clearance to the active runway 30L. Ground cleared us to taxi to runway 30L without any other taxi instructions. We feel, and so did the tower supervisor, that this is where the misunderstanding/deviation occurred between us and ground control. When we were cleared to taxi to runway 30L we assumed we were cleared to taxi back out to runway 30L the same way we came in. This taxi route took us across the approach end of runway 30R which we thought we were cleared to cross with our clearance to taxi to runway 30L. Ground control expected us to taxi a different way to the displaced threshold for runway 30L. When we approached the hold short of runway 30L we received clearance to take off and were given a phone number to call the tower supervisor. We called the tower supervisor and he informed us of the possible pilot deviation. He had reviewed the tapes and stated that he could see where the misunderstanding occurred between our aircraft and ground control.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CPR FLC FLYING AN HS125-800 AT SJC RPTS MISUNDERSTANDING WITH GND CTL AFTER COMPLYING WITH TAXI INSTRUCTIONS.

Narrative: OUR ACFT WAS PARKED AT SAN JOSE FBO #1. PNF CALLED GND CTL TO REPOSITION FROM FBO #1 TO FBO #2 ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FIELD. WE WERE TOLD TAXI VIA TXWY V TO TXWY C, HOLD SHORT RWY 30L ON TXWY C. AN ACR B737 LANDED. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO CROSS RWYS 30L AND 30R TAXI TO FBO #2. WE DID ALL THIS AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE. WE HAD A PAX TO DROP OFF, THEN PNF CALLED GND CTL THAT WE WERE READY TO TAXI OUT OF FBO #2 WITH OUR IFR CLRNC AND ATIS INFO. (HERE IS WHERE THE PROB STARTS.) BOTH PLTS UNFAMILIAR WITH SAN JOSE. GND CTL INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO 'TAXI TO RWY 30L.' THERE WAS NO MENTION OF ANY TURNS, PROCEED WITH CAUTION, OR HOLD SHORT OF ANY TXWYS OR RWYS. A CLRNC TO TAXI TO AN ACTIVE RWY WITH NOTHING ELSE SAID IS A CLRNC TO CROSS TXWY OR RWY TO GET TO THAT RWY. THE MOST DIRECT RTE TO RWY 30L WAS THE WAY WE HAD JUST BEEN CLRED TO COME ACROSS. WE CAME STRAIGHT OUT OF FBO #2 ONTO TXWY C, CROSSED THE APCH END OF RWY 30R ON TXWY C AND HELD SHORT OF RWY 30L. PNF CALLED TWR THAT WE WERE READY FOR TKOF, THEY THEN CLRED US INTO POS AND TAKE THIS PHONE NUMBER BECAUSE WE HAD A RWY AND TXWY PLTDEV. THERE WERE NO ACFT ON FINAL OF RWYS 30R, 30L OR ON ANY TXWYS AROUND US. THERE MAY HAVE BEEN LACK OF COM OR MISUNDERSTANDING ON BOTH OUR PART AND GND CTL, BUT DEFINITELY NOTHING INTENTIONAL ON OUR PART. WE DID CALL THE TWR TWICE AND TALKED TO THE SUPVR, WHO THEN TOLD US THAT HE DID NOT FEEL THERE WOULD BE ANY VIOLATIONS, BUT A RPT WAS TO BE FILED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 452103: WE WERE PARKED ON THE RAMP AT THE SAN JOSE FBO #1. WE CALLED GND FOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO REPOSITION TO THE FBO #2 RAMP ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE AIRFIELD TO DROP OFF A PAX. WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI VIA TXWYS V AND C WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 30L AT TXWY C. AFTER AN AIRPLANE LANDED ON RWY 30L WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO THE FBO #2 RAMP BY XING RWYS 30L AND 30R. WE DROPPED OFF OUR PAX AT FBO #2 AND THEN REQUESTED TAXI CLRNC TO THE ACTIVE RWY 30L. GND CLRED US TO TAXI TO RWY 30L WITHOUT ANY OTHER TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. WE FEEL, AND SO DID THE TWR SUPVR, THAT THIS IS WHERE THE MISUNDERSTANDING/DEV OCCURRED BTWN US AND GND CTL. WHEN WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 30L WE ASSUMED WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI BACK OUT TO RWY 30L THE SAME WAY WE CAME IN. THIS TAXI RTE TOOK US ACROSS THE APCH END OF RWY 30R WHICH WE THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS WITH OUR CLRNC TO TAXI TO RWY 30L. GND CTL EXPECTED US TO TAXI A DIFFERENT WAY TO THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD FOR RWY 30L. WHEN WE APCHED THE HOLD SHORT OF RWY 30L WE RECEIVED CLRNC TO TAKE OFF AND WERE GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL THE TWR SUPVR. WE CALLED THE TWR SUPVR AND HE INFORMED US OF THE POSSIBLE PLTDEV. HE HAD REVIEWED THE TAPES AND STATED THAT HE COULD SEE WHERE THE MISUNDERSTANDING OCCURRED BTWN OUR ACFT AND GND CTL.

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.