Date: 201708
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: PHL.Airport, PA
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: Large Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Taxi
ATC / advisory: Ground PHL
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Pilot Flying; Captain
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Ground Conflict; Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Incursion Runway
Detector: Person Flight Crew; Person Air Traffic Control
When detected: Taxi
Result: Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Contributing factors: Procedure; Airport; Company Policy; Human Factors
Primary problem: Company Policy

Narrative: Push off gate; taxi to spot 11 with Ramp; contact ground for taxi to RWY 27L. This requires crossing RWY 27R at TWY N. Contacted Ground and [was] given taxi directions. Also told to 'contact Clearance Delivery on your #2 radio.' This is; of course; a bad idea as it takes one crewmember out of the loop and offline; so we stopped the aircraft and set the brake to call Clearance Delivery and input/execute the SWAP (Severe Weather Avoidance Plan) route to our destination.Continued taxi with Ground; who takes us up to and short of RWY 27R at TWY N. Ground then clears us to cross RWY 27R (an active runway being used for all arrival traffic). As we make the turn and start to enter the runway safety area (just past the double hold-short lines) Ground calls us and says '[Company] Stop!' We stop the aircraft and advise Ground that we have fouled their runway. The tower controller sends traffic on short final around. There ensued a less-than-professional radio exchange between us and the ground controller which has been resolved.Safety issues:1. PHL should institute a better system for coordinating new clearances. There were SWAP routes in effect for our destination and apparently they don't issue these to the crews until that aircraft is cleared to go. We called Clearance Delivery shortly before push to ask about delays or reroutes (thinking it better to deal with any while parked at the gate) and we were told we'd get any reroutes taxiing out. This is just poor implementation. There is an opportunity after pushing with Ramp to spot 11 where Ramp could send us to Clearance Delivery to get any reroutes; etc. before calling Ground for taxi. This prevents splitting the crew and keeps everyone involved in installing; reviewing and executing the SWAP route changes. This is difficult due to congestion issues but would be much safer.2. The PHL ground signage depicting taxiways and intersections is bad. Thank god for the JeppPro depiction.3. The procedure to have a Ground controller issuing active runway crossing clearances adds another layer of complexity and potential conflict to an already dangerous event. PHL needs to have all runway crossings done solely and directly by the controlling tower. In our instance; the Ground controller failed to advise us of inbound traffic for our crossing.




Synopsis: Air carrier Captain reported distraction while being issued a revised clearance while taxiing. Ground Control provided clearance to cross a runway; but the aircraft was past the hold short lines.