Narrative:

After landing runway 34L at flumicino (rome, italy) we cleared runway and taxied on taxiway a. I contacted company to confirm gate assignment. Radio worked 1x2. Copilot contacted ground control. Radio was 5x5, but heavy accent. I did not hear conversation with ground due to heavy static on #2 radio with company, but I heard captain say 'he wants us to turn left on runway 7/25, and copilot said 'that's what he said.' as we approached runway 7/25, copilot called ground again and said 'confirm. You want us to make this left on runway 7/25.' ground responded 'negative, stay (or maybe continue) on taxiway a.' about 1/2 across runway 7/25 (which intersects taxiway a) ground called and said we had passed a stop bar and should have held short. Copilot apologized and explained we saw no stop bar, and thought we had verbal clearance to cross runway. No one in cockpit saw stop bar. There was a NOTAM saying crossing clearance required, but we thought we had it. Communication breakdown in part due to language barrier. If controller had said stay on taxiway a, hold short runway 7/25, even if he thought stop bar was on, we would not have crossed. Aircraft following us had to have multiple readbacks of instructions. Normally, I can hear ground clearance and company at the same time, but poor company communications prevented me backing up copilot on initial call. Better communications and standard phraseology would have prevented this. More prominent stop bar (if indeed it was on) would help.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767-300 FLC HAS RWY INCURSION AT LIRF, ITALY.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG RWY 34L AT FLUMICINO (ROME, ITALY) WE CLRED RWY AND TAXIED ON TXWY A. I CONTACTED COMPANY TO CONFIRM GATE ASSIGNMENT. RADIO WORKED 1X2. COPLT CONTACTED GND CTL. RADIO WAS 5X5, BUT HVY ACCENT. I DID NOT HEAR CONVERSATION WITH GND DUE TO HVY STATIC ON #2 RADIO WITH COMPANY, BUT I HEARD CAPT SAY 'HE WANTS US TO TURN L ON RWY 7/25, AND COPLT SAID 'THAT'S WHAT HE SAID.' AS WE APCHED RWY 7/25, COPLT CALLED GND AGAIN AND SAID 'CONFIRM. YOU WANT US TO MAKE THIS L ON RWY 7/25.' GND RESPONDED 'NEGATIVE, STAY (OR MAYBE CONTINUE) ON TXWY A.' ABOUT 1/2 ACROSS RWY 7/25 (WHICH INTERSECTS TXWY A) GND CALLED AND SAID WE HAD PASSED A STOP BAR AND SHOULD HAVE HELD SHORT. COPLT APOLOGIZED AND EXPLAINED WE SAW NO STOP BAR, AND THOUGHT WE HAD VERBAL CLRNC TO CROSS RWY. NO ONE IN COCKPIT SAW STOP BAR. THERE WAS A NOTAM SAYING XING CLRNC REQUIRED, BUT WE THOUGHT WE HAD IT. COM BREAKDOWN IN PART DUE TO LANGUAGE BARRIER. IF CTLR HAD SAID STAY ON TXWY A, HOLD SHORT RWY 7/25, EVEN IF HE THOUGHT STOP BAR WAS ON, WE WOULD NOT HAVE CROSSED. ACFT FOLLOWING US HAD TO HAVE MULTIPLE READBACKS OF INSTRUCTIONS. NORMALLY, I CAN HEAR GND CLRNC AND COMPANY AT THE SAME TIME, BUT POOR COMPANY COMS PREVENTED ME BACKING UP COPLT ON INITIAL CALL. BETTER COMS AND STANDARD PHRASEOLOGY WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS. MORE PROMINENT STOP BAR (IF INDEED IT WAS ON) WOULD HELP.

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.