Narrative:

We had flown an ILS to visual conditions for runway 4R at bos. After landing we cleared the runway at taxiway Y and turned left again on runway 33R. During our rollout, while we were transferring aircraft control from the first officer back to the captain, we received a taxi clearance from the tower controller. My first officer and I were both sure that we were cleared to cross runway 4L, turn left on taxiway north, and contact ground control. The first officer read back 'clear to cross 4L.' the tower controller did not correct this readback or challenge us. In the absence of a correction after the readback, we crossed runway 4L in accordance with established practice. I had checked to my left prior to crossing runway 4L, an did not see any aircraft on that runway. When we contacted ground control, we were given a taxi clearance, and told to contact the tower supervisor when we got in. The tower supervisor told me that we had been told to hold short of runway 4L, and they were listening to the tapes. The tower supervisor told me they were processing an operational deviation on the tower controller for not correcting our 'cleared to cross' readback. I feel the root cause of this incident was the issue of a critical clearance during one of the most critical phases of flight. Our concentration was primarily on flying the aircraft down to taxi speed, and exiting the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: D328 PIC DISCUSSES WITH BOS SUPVR THE CLRNC READBACK ERROR THAT IS BEING PROCESSED ON THE GND CTLR.

Narrative: WE HAD FLOWN AN ILS TO VISUAL CONDITIONS FOR RWY 4R AT BOS. AFTER LNDG WE CLRED THE RWY AT TXWY Y AND TURNED L AGAIN ON RWY 33R. DURING OUR ROLLOUT, WHILE WE WERE TRANSFERRING ACFT CTL FROM THE FO BACK TO THE CAPT, WE RECEIVED A TAXI CLRNC FROM THE TWR CTLR. MY FO AND I WERE BOTH SURE THAT WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS RWY 4L, TURN L ON TXWY N, AND CONTACT GND CTL. THE FO READ BACK 'CLR TO CROSS 4L.' THE TWR CTLR DID NOT CORRECT THIS READBACK OR CHALLENGE US. IN THE ABSENCE OF A CORRECTION AFTER THE READBACK, WE CROSSED RWY 4L IN ACCORDANCE WITH ESTABLISHED PRACTICE. I HAD CHKED TO MY L PRIOR TO CROSSING RWY 4L, AN DID NOT SEE ANY ACFT ON THAT RWY. WHEN WE CONTACTED GND CTL, WE WERE GIVEN A TAXI CLRNC, AND TOLD TO CONTACT THE TWR SUPVR WHEN WE GOT IN. THE TWR SUPVR TOLD ME THAT WE HAD BEEN TOLD TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4L, AND THEY WERE LISTENING TO THE TAPES. THE TWR SUPVR TOLD ME THEY WERE PROCESSING AN OPDEV ON THE TWR CTLR FOR NOT CORRECTING OUR 'CLRED TO CROSS' READBACK. I FEEL THE ROOT CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT WAS THE ISSUE OF A CRITICAL CLRNC DURING ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL PHASES OF FLT. OUR CONCENTRATION WAS PRIMARILY ON FLYING THE ACFT DOWN TO TAXI SPEED, AND EXITING THE RWY.

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.