Communications breakdowns; heavy traffic; a resulting runway incursion and a 'phantom' AMASS activation result in a directed go around for a CARJ on short final.
Synopsis
Communications breakdowns; heavy traffic; a resulting runway incursion and a 'phantom' AMASS activation result in a directed go around for a CARJ on short final.
Narrative
After landing 18C CLT; holding short of Runway 23 at Taxiway E facing north; second in line. Lots of surface activity and arrival/departure activity. ATC was very busy. While holding with the parking brake on I was tidying up my side of the cockpit when Ground Control issued multiple clearances to cross Runway 23 to an aircraft under tow further up the runway; the aircraft ahead of us; and to our aircraft; or so we believed. My First Officer repeated 'Cleared to cross Runway 23' plus [our call sign] without acknowledgment from ATC. Because I generally do so as a backup; I asked my First Officer 'She cleared us to cross?' and he responded with 'Yes'. I proceeded to taxi across Runway 23 and during the crossing observed the aircraft under tow taxiing across the runway in the opposite direction further up the runway.As we were moving across the runway; ATC urgently stated; '[our call sign] taxi across Runway 23!' After my initial reaction to this transmission by ATC; which I took to be a 'hurry-up' command; I began to question whether we had received the initial clearance to cross the runway and I again asked my First Officer whether we were cleared to cross and we both believed we had heard that we were indeed given a clearance to cross. ATC then asked us to give them a call when we reached the gate.After speaking with ATC via phone; being themselves unable to determine the actual status of crossing clearances given; they reviewed their tapes and claimed to have issued a clearance only to the preceding aircraft that was difficult to understand on their tapes and that both that aircraft and my First Officer had replied to that clearance transmission; blocking each other out with the exception at the end of the blocked transmission being '...[our flight number only]. It would appear that ATC was unsure whether they had issued us a clearance as well and hence asked us to call them. It was only after their review of their tapes that they believed this was a pilot deviation.After a clearance to cross the runway was acknowledged; it should have been more positively verified; even if there is the slightest level of uncertainty by either pilot. If a crossing clearance acknowledgment was blocked or had part of different call sign within it; ATC should have restated the clearance more clearly.
Second reporter narrative
It is important to note we were both adhereing to a sterile cockpit and both listening to the radio despite ATC's assertions; and we both believed we had recieved a clearance to cross. It was only reinforced by a lack of correction from ATC for my clearance readback.[This was a reminder to] reaffirm clearances if there is any doubt from either pilot.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.