After landing, air carrier crew turns off runway onto crossing runway.

Attributes
ACN	482463
Time
Date	200008
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : clt.airport
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : clt.tower tower : atl.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi landing : roll
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 302
ASRS Report	482463
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllerb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

This captain operated flight xa on aug/xa/00. After uneventful visual approach and landing to runway 5 at clt, after reaching taxi speed and almost stopped, captain turned off runway 5 onto runway 18L to expedite clearing runway. Captain perceived that additional landing traffic would be a factor. Crew was unable to speak with tower controller as he was reading an ATC clearance to another aircraft on clearance frequency. (Controller was occupying all tower position alone.) since turning off onto runway 18L is a very usual occurrence (this crew had been flying to clt all month), captain felt it was acceptable and prudent to clear runway 5 expeditiously due to traffic without tower permission. When tower controller finished delivering clearance, he transmitted words to the effect 'I would appreciate your asking before turning onto my runway.' crew apologized, continued taxi to flight termination. This captain realizes seriousness and necessity to obtain clearance before taxiing onto active runways in spite of circumstances causing this event. Captain also feels fatigue was a factor.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER LNDG, ACR CREW TURNS OFF RWY ONTO XING RWY.

Narrative: THIS CAPT OPERATED FLT XA ON AUG/XA/00. AFTER UNEVENTFUL VISUAL APCH AND LNDG TO RWY 5 AT CLT, AFTER REACHING TAXI SPD AND ALMOST STOPPED, CAPT TURNED OFF RWY 5 ONTO RWY 18L TO EXPEDITE CLRING RWY. CAPT PERCEIVED THAT ADDITIONAL LNDG TFC WOULD BE A FACTOR. CREW WAS UNABLE TO SPEAK WITH TWR CTLR AS HE WAS READING AN ATC CLRNC TO ANOTHER ACFT ON CLRNC FREQ. (CTLR WAS OCCUPYING ALL TWR POS ALONE.) SINCE TURNING OFF ONTO RWY 18L IS A VERY USUAL OCCURRENCE (THIS CREW HAD BEEN FLYING TO CLT ALL MONTH), CAPT FELT IT WAS ACCEPTABLE AND PRUDENT TO CLR RWY 5 EXPEDITIOUSLY DUE TO TFC WITHOUT TWR PERMISSION. WHEN TWR CTLR FINISHED DELIVERING CLRNC, HE XMITTED WORDS TO THE EFFECT 'I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR ASKING BEFORE TURNING ONTO MY RWY.' CREW APOLOGIZED, CONTINUED TAXI TO FLT TERMINATION. THIS CAPT REALIZES SERIOUSNESS AND NECESSITY TO OBTAIN CLRNC BEFORE TAXIING ONTO ACTIVE RWYS IN SPITE OF CIRCUMSTANCES CAUSING THIS EVENT. CAPT ALSO FEELS FATIGUE WAS A FACTOR.

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.