Narrative:

Taxiing north (inbound to the ramp) via taxiway C, ATC informed us to hold short of taxiway a. After waiting there a short while, we advised ATC that we were holding short of taxiway a on taxiway C. They told us to continue holding short so that an airbus landing on runway 27 (parallel to taxiway a) could clear if need be in front of us at taxiway C then taxiway a. Subsequently, the airbus exited the runway prior to taxiway C with a right turnoff. Then ATC informed us to cross runway 27 at taxiway C. I read back the crossing clearance to ATC. As we were about to cross the runway, we noticed another aircraft inbound on final about 3 mi out and another aircraft to our right still holding short and waiting to cross the runway. ATC did not correct our crossing clearance readback so we continued across. The captain asked me if we were cleared to cross and I told him that we were cleared. The remainder of the taxi inbound to the ramp was uneventful. Later, I found out I was the only crew member (out of 3) in the cockpit who heard the crossing clearance given by ATC. In the future, I will always ask for a confirmation from ATC if myself or any other crew member has a question about our clearance. At the time I was almost positive that ATC gave us the crossing clearance, but now that I think back, I wonder if it was possible that ATC told us to hold short of runway 27 on taxiway C or that the crossing clearance was for another aircraft with a similar call sign. There was a lot of ground traffic and radio frequency congestion. Plus with the traffic on a 3 mi final and the other aircraft to our right still holding short, it made me wonder if we possibly had taxied across without proper clearance. I think my anticipation of what was going to happen next did not help matters. Sometimes people hear what they want to hear based on their expectations. To prevent this from happening, try to listen with a clrer and more cautious mind. To help lessen mistakes, write down clrncs on paper and have situational awareness during ground operations by having the airport taxi diagram out at all times to keep track of your position. Most important is always ask if not sure or if someone in the cockpit questions a clearance then always reconfirm before proceeding.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727, UPON TAXIING TO RAMP, ACKNOWLEDGED A CLRNC TO CROSS A RWY BUT LATER WAS UNSURE IF CLRNC WAS INTENDED FOR HIS FLT.

Narrative: TAXIING N (INBOUND TO THE RAMP) VIA TXWY C, ATC INFORMED US TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY A. AFTER WAITING THERE A SHORT WHILE, WE ADVISED ATC THAT WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF TXWY A ON TXWY C. THEY TOLD US TO CONTINUE HOLDING SHORT SO THAT AN AIRBUS LNDG ON RWY 27 (PARALLEL TO TXWY A) COULD CLR IF NEED BE IN FRONT OF US AT TXWY C THEN TXWY A. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRBUS EXITED THE RWY PRIOR TO TXWY C WITH A R TURNOFF. THEN ATC INFORMED US TO CROSS RWY 27 AT TXWY C. I READ BACK THE XING CLRNC TO ATC. AS WE WERE ABOUT TO CROSS THE RWY, WE NOTICED ANOTHER ACFT INBOUND ON FINAL ABOUT 3 MI OUT AND ANOTHER ACFT TO OUR R STILL HOLDING SHORT AND WAITING TO CROSS THE RWY. ATC DID NOT CORRECT OUR XING CLRNC READBACK SO WE CONTINUED ACROSS. THE CAPT ASKED ME IF WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS AND I TOLD HIM THAT WE WERE CLRED. THE REMAINDER OF THE TAXI INBOUND TO THE RAMP WAS UNEVENTFUL. LATER, I FOUND OUT I WAS THE ONLY CREW MEMBER (OUT OF 3) IN THE COCKPIT WHO HEARD THE XING CLRNC GIVEN BY ATC. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL ALWAYS ASK FOR A CONFIRMATION FROM ATC IF MYSELF OR ANY OTHER CREW MEMBER HAS A QUESTION ABOUT OUR CLRNC. AT THE TIME I WAS ALMOST POSITIVE THAT ATC GAVE US THE XING CLRNC, BUT NOW THAT I THINK BACK, I WONDER IF IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT ATC TOLD US TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 27 ON TXWY C OR THAT THE XING CLRNC WAS FOR ANOTHER ACFT WITH A SIMILAR CALL SIGN. THERE WAS A LOT OF GND TFC AND RADIO FREQ CONGESTION. PLUS WITH THE TFC ON A 3 MI FINAL AND THE OTHER ACFT TO OUR R STILL HOLDING SHORT, IT MADE ME WONDER IF WE POSSIBLY HAD TAXIED ACROSS WITHOUT PROPER CLRNC. I THINK MY ANTICIPATION OF WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT DID NOT HELP MATTERS. SOMETIMES PEOPLE HEAR WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR BASED ON THEIR EXPECTATIONS. TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING, TRY TO LISTEN WITH A CLRER AND MORE CAUTIOUS MIND. TO HELP LESSEN MISTAKES, WRITE DOWN CLRNCS ON PAPER AND HAVE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS DURING GND OPS BY HAVING THE ARPT TAXI DIAGRAM OUT AT ALL TIMES TO KEEP TRACK OF YOUR POS. MOST IMPORTANT IS ALWAYS ASK IF NOT SURE OR IF SOMEONE IN THE COCKPIT QUESTIONS A CLRNC THEN ALWAYS RECONFIRM BEFORE PROCEEDING.

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.