Narrative:

Taxi clearance from gate at fll was given as, 'taxi to runway 27R.' the ATIS was given departure runways as runway 27R/left. As a new captain with approximately 105 hours since initial captain chkout, I had preplanned my taxi route prior to engine start, but for unknown reasons had planned for runway 31 instead of runway 27R. The taxi to runway 31 was a short one and the copilot was busy doing the takeoff checklist. I guess ground control did not have time to realize our mistake until we were #1 for runway 31 and we had switched to tower control. Tower switched us back to ground and they gave us progressive taxi to runway 27R. Although our weight was legal for takeoff on runway 31, tower and ground control had discovered our mistake, and the copilot was about to discover it after finishing the takeoff checklist. The following factors may have contributed to the error of taxiing to the wrong runway: 1) new captain, 2) captain not familiar with the airport, 3) winds favoring runway 31 (winds 320 degrees at 6 KTS), 4) short taxi time kept the copilot from discovering the error before reaching runway 31, and 5) tower not noticing the error, probably because of a lack of other traffic to monitor on ground control frequency at the time. Supplemental information from acn 167837: the controller and tower controllers were helpful in getting us reoriented, but I feel could have recognized our wrong turn out of the gate a little earlier. In summary, an event as simple as taxiing for takeoff is a team effort, both in the aircraft and in the control tower, and diligence is required by all parties, especially on a clear day with no other traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR TAXIES TO WRONG RWY AT FLL. GND CTLR GIVE PROGRESSIVE INSTRUCTIONS TO CORRECT RWY.

Narrative: TAXI CLRNC FROM GATE AT FLL WAS GIVEN AS, 'TAXI TO RWY 27R.' THE ATIS WAS GIVEN DEP RWYS AS RWY 27R/L. AS A NEW CAPT WITH APPROX 105 HRS SINCE INITIAL CAPT CHKOUT, I HAD PREPLANNED MY TAXI RTE PRIOR TO ENG START, BUT FOR UNKNOWN REASONS HAD PLANNED FOR RWY 31 INSTEAD OF RWY 27R. THE TAXI TO RWY 31 WAS A SHORT ONE AND THE COPLT WAS BUSY DOING THE TKOF CHKLIST. I GUESS GND CTL DID NOT HAVE TIME TO REALIZE OUR MISTAKE UNTIL WE WERE #1 FOR RWY 31 AND WE HAD SWITCHED TO TWR CTL. TWR SWITCHED US BACK TO GND AND THEY GAVE US PROGRESSIVE TAXI TO RWY 27R. ALTHOUGH OUR WT WAS LEGAL FOR TKOF ON RWY 31, TWR AND GND CTL HAD DISCOVERED OUR MISTAKE, AND THE COPLT WAS ABOUT TO DISCOVER IT AFTER FINISHING THE TKOF CHKLIST. THE FOLLOWING FACTORS MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ERROR OF TAXIING TO THE WRONG RWY: 1) NEW CAPT, 2) CAPT NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT, 3) WINDS FAVORING RWY 31 (WINDS 320 DEGS AT 6 KTS), 4) SHORT TAXI TIME KEPT THE COPLT FROM DISCOVERING THE ERROR BEFORE REACHING RWY 31, AND 5) TWR NOT NOTICING THE ERROR, PROBABLY BECAUSE OF A LACK OF OTHER TFC TO MONITOR ON GND CTL FREQ AT THE TIME. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 167837: THE CTLR AND TWR CTLRS WERE HELPFUL IN GETTING US REORIENTED, BUT I FEEL COULD HAVE RECOGNIZED OUR WRONG TURN OUT OF THE GATE A LITTLE EARLIER. IN SUMMARY, AN EVENT AS SIMPLE AS TAXIING FOR TKOF IS A TEAM EFFORT, BOTH IN THE ACFT AND IN THE CTL TWR, AND DILIGENCE IS REQUIRED BY ALL PARTIES, ESPECIALLY ON A CLR DAY WITH NO OTHER TFC.

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.