Narrative:

Cleared by apron control to taxi to runway via assigned routing. Read back full taxi clearance. Taxied to runway to hold short behind B737. Called tower. Tower asked us our position. We told them 'on taxiway behind B737, holding short.' tower then informed us we were supposed to call ground after apron and we did not have clearance to be where we were. We apologized and did not argue about apron clearance. Being in a foreign country, language was somewhat of a problem. Should have held at apron exit (I guess) and called ground. After apron gave full clearance to runway, we 'assumed' that we had clearance all the way to runway and they were merely filling in for ground. Tower did not see it that way.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 CARGO FLT TAXIES TO THE ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT HAVING CONTACTED EDDF GND CTLR, BASING THEIR TAXI ON THE EXPECTED TAXI RTE GIVEN BY THE EDDF APRON CTLR. EDDF. FO.

Narrative: CLRED BY APRON CTL TO TAXI TO RWY VIA ASSIGNED ROUTING. READ BACK FULL TAXI CLRNC. TAXIED TO RWY TO HOLD SHORT BEHIND B737. CALLED TWR. TWR ASKED US OUR POS. WE TOLD THEM 'ON TXWY BEHIND B737, HOLDING SHORT.' TWR THEN INFORMED US WE WERE SUPPOSED TO CALL GND AFTER APRON AND WE DID NOT HAVE CLRNC TO BE WHERE WE WERE. WE APOLOGIZED AND DID NOT ARGUE ABOUT APRON CLRNC. BEING IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY, LANGUAGE WAS SOMEWHAT OF A PROB. SHOULD HAVE HELD AT APRON EXIT (I GUESS) AND CALLED GND. AFTER APRON GAVE FULL CLRNC TO RWY, WE 'ASSUMED' THAT WE HAD CLRNC ALL THE WAY TO RWY AND THEY WERE MERELY FILLING IN FOR GND. TWR DID NOT SEE IT THAT WAY.

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.