Narrative:

At xa:36Z light transport X called for taxi. Observed light transport X at the gate and instructed him to taxi to runway 19R. Light transport X acknowledged the taxi instructions for runway 19R. Also at xa:36Z medium large transport Y called in for landing instructions. My attention was diverted to scan runway 19L and then clear medium large transport Y to land on runway 19L. Runway 19L was clear. Between xa:37 and xa:38Z my attention was diverted to other duties, thus not allowing me to observe light transport X taxi progress. The airport was dark. At xa:38Z light transport X called ready for departure (no runway stated). At the same time I instructed light transport X to taxi into position and hold on runway 19R for an small aircraft landing runway 14, which the pilot acknowledged, I was scanning the north end of runway 19R and taxiway D, where light transport X should have been. I could not determine whether or not light transport X was on runway 19R or on taxiway D. The poor visibility of this area at night time did not aid in my search for light transport X. I continued this search for light transport X for 15-30 seconds. At xa:39Z the pilot of medium large transport Y reported an aircraft at the departure end of runway 19L. I turned and observed light transport X at the departure end of runway 19L with medium large transport Y on taxi rollout at mid-field on runway 19L. I instructed light transport X to taxi to runway 19R, again. Light transport X was observed taxiing to runway 19. There were no conflicts for light transport X to taxi to runway 19L and there were aircraft behind light transport X thus not allowing a course reversal to taxi to runway 19R. I allowed light transport X of his mistakes because I thought that this could be an inappropriate transmission. However, I instructed the controller in charge to call the supervisor in the TRACON to alert him of the incident. Supplemental information from acn 169068. The following incident took place at wichita mid-continent airport at approximately xa:40Z. Air carrier small transport X scheduled wichita to kansas city. We were given instructions from wichita ground to taxi to runway 19R. The clearance came through somewhat weak, and in combination with 'headset static', I misunderstood him to say '1R'. I taxied to runway 1R. Upon reaching the runway 1R hold short line, the first officer stated we were ready for departure. We received instructions from the tower: 'taxi into position and hold.' we taxied onto the runway and immediately noticed an aircraft facing our direction (head on) that had just landed on runway 19L and was in the process of clearing the runway. We were then given instructions to clear, which we were already in the process of doing, and to taxi to runway 19R. A clear night with unlimited visibility, I felt that ground control should have noticed which runway we were taxiing to and brought this misunderstanding to our attention. (We were the only aircraft taxiing at the time). A lack of communication and understanding between the crew and ATC, and myself and the first officer, caused an easy assignment to be misunderstood. I feel responsible for the fact we did not verify with complete clarity the proper runway we were to use.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LTT TAXIED TO WRONG RWY, WAS CLRED INTO POSITION AND HOLD EVEN THOUGH TWR COULD NOT SEE THE ACFT. MLG LANDED OPPOSITE END OF RWY AND TOLD TWR THERE WAS AN ACFT ON THE END OF THE RWY.

Narrative: AT XA:36Z LTT X CALLED FOR TAXI. OBSERVED LTT X AT THE GATE AND INSTRUCTED HIM TO TAXI TO RWY 19R. LTT X ACKNOWLEDGED THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS FOR RWY 19R. ALSO AT XA:36Z MLG Y CALLED IN FOR LNDG INSTRUCTIONS. MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED TO SCAN RWY 19L AND THEN CLR MLG Y TO LAND ON RWY 19L. RWY 19L WAS CLR. BTWN XA:37 AND XA:38Z MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED TO OTHER DUTIES, THUS NOT ALLOWING ME TO OBSERVE LTT X TAXI PROGRESS. THE ARPT WAS DARK. AT XA:38Z LTT X CALLED READY FOR DEP (NO RWY STATED). AT THE SAME TIME I INSTRUCTED LTT X TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 19R FOR AN SMA LNDG RWY 14, WHICH THE PLT ACKNOWLEDGED, I WAS SCANNING THE N END OF RWY 19R AND TXWY D, WHERE LTT X SHOULD HAVE BEEN. I COULD NOT DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT LTT X WAS ON RWY 19R OR ON TXWY D. THE POOR VISIBILITY OF THIS AREA AT NIGHT TIME DID NOT AID IN MY SEARCH FOR LTT X. I CONTINUED THIS SEARCH FOR LTT X FOR 15-30 SECS. AT XA:39Z THE PLT OF MLG Y RPTED AN ACFT AT THE DEP END OF RWY 19L. I TURNED AND OBSERVED LTT X AT THE DEP END OF RWY 19L WITH MLG Y ON TAXI ROLLOUT AT MID-FIELD ON RWY 19L. I INSTRUCTED LTT X TO TAXI TO RWY 19R, AGAIN. LTT X WAS OBSERVED TAXIING TO RWY 19. THERE WERE NO CONFLICTS FOR LTT X TO TAXI TO RWY 19L AND THERE WERE ACFT BEHIND LTT X THUS NOT ALLOWING A COURSE REVERSAL TO TAXI TO RWY 19R. I ALLOWED LTT X OF HIS MISTAKES BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT THIS COULD BE AN INAPPROPRIATE XMISSION. HOWEVER, I INSTRUCTED THE CIC TO CALL THE SUPVR IN THE TRACON TO ALERT HIM OF THE INCIDENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 169068. THE FOLLOWING INCIDENT TOOK PLACE AT WICHITA MID-CONTINENT ARPT AT APPROX XA:40Z. ACR SMT X SCHEDULED WICHITA TO KANSAS CITY. WE WERE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS FROM WICHITA GND TO TAXI TO RWY 19R. THE CLRNC CAME THROUGH SOMEWHAT WEAK, AND IN COMBINATION WITH 'HEADSET STATIC', I MISUNDERSTOOD HIM TO SAY '1R'. I TAXIED TO RWY 1R. UPON REACHING THE RWY 1R HOLD SHORT LINE, THE F/O STATED WE WERE READY FOR DEP. WE RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE TWR: 'TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD.' WE TAXIED ONTO THE RWY AND IMMEDIATELY NOTICED AN ACFT FACING OUR DIRECTION (HEAD ON) THAT HAD JUST LANDED ON RWY 19L AND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF CLRING THE RWY. WE WERE THEN GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO CLR, WHICH WE WERE ALREADY IN THE PROCESS OF DOING, AND TO TAXI TO RWY 19R. A CLR NIGHT WITH UNLIMITED VISIBILITY, I FELT THAT GND CTL SHOULD HAVE NOTICED WHICH RWY WE WERE TAXIING TO AND BROUGHT THIS MISUNDERSTANDING TO OUR ATTN. (WE WERE THE ONLY ACFT TAXIING AT THE TIME). A LACK OF COM AND UNDERSTANDING BTWN THE CREW AND ATC, AND MYSELF AND THE F/O, CAUSED AN EASY ASSIGNMENT TO BE MISUNDERSTOOD. I FEEL RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FACT WE DID NOT VERIFY WITH COMPLETE CLARITY THE PROPER RWY WE WERE TO USE.

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.