Narrative:

We had planned 8L departure at hnl, and were cleared to taxi to 8R (I thought mistakenly 8L) via yankee, sierra, and bravo to hold short of 8L. After being cleared to cross 8L (alpha) taxiway was closed west of xray, we were switched to tower who cleared us into position. Again mistakenly in my mind we were headed for 8L. I observed several aircraft lined up and landing on 4R and no one lined up for 8L. Upon reaching romeo bravo, and after starting #2 engine, getting a manifest check, and completing the before takeoff checklist, I made a right turn towards 8L. The copilot later admitted he knew we were cleared to 8R. I saw no traffic for 8L and headed into position. There was an air carrier Y on a very close right base landing on 8L. He queried the tower about the time the copilot saw the 8L numbers, so we hurried across 8L at victor. Air carrier Y went around and we all discussed the event. I admitted having gone to the wrong runway and the tower said no harm done. I found out 'it can happen to me.' I suggested to the tower that perhaps the clearance into position should be withheld until the aircraft is closer to the respective runway. Supplemental information from acn 190275: on initial call for taxi, were given taxi instructions to runway 8R, hold short of 8L. Prior to reaching 8L, we were cleared to cross 8L and given the taxiways to use to get to 8R. When reaching the end of taxiway bravo, we turned right onto and then across 8L instead of left towards 8R. When we discovered our mistake, we expedited taxiing clear of runway 8L. Hnl tower, after a call from an aircraft on final and a call from us, sent the aircraft on final around. We completed our taxi to runway 8R and had an uneventful flight to our destination. Contributing factors: 1) we used runway 8L for takeoff the previous week. The captain heard 8L again. Ground control and/or tower did say 8R at least twice. 2) while taxiway bravo is fairly long, we still had too much to do (engine start, frequency change and 2 checklists). The so and I were too busy during a critical time. 3) honolulu tower cleared us 'onto hold on 8R' prior to taxiing past the end of 8L. If tower had delayed the clearance until after we had turned towards 8R at the end of taxiway bravo, we would have been short of 8L even if we had turned towards it. 4) neither the so nor I realized the captain had turned towards the wrong runway. Discovery occurred when we saw '8L' painted on the end of the runway. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter participated in structured callback for runway incursion survey. Reporter error admitted but thinks he had a lot of help. Neither first officer nor so noted wrong direction turn on taxiway 'rb' and did not notice runway 8L entry until on runway. The previous week they had used 8L for takeoff as 8R was closed. Reporter assumed 8R still closed. They did not see air carrier Y on right close in right base as that aircraft was at 7 or 8 O'clock position. Aircraft other than 'heavy' aircraft are permitted the short channel approach to 8L. Thinks ATC contributed by changing them to local controller frequency too soon and then local controller cleared them into position much too soon. Controller should hold off on position clearance until after aircraft are sbound on taxiway 'rb.' air carrier Y was first to note the potential conflict and had started go around before tower told them.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR TAXIES TO THE WRONG RWY AT HNL.

Narrative: WE HAD PLANNED 8L DEP AT HNL, AND WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO 8R (I THOUGHT MISTAKENLY 8L) VIA YANKEE, SIERRA, AND BRAVO TO HOLD SHORT OF 8L. AFTER BEING CLRED TO CROSS 8L (ALPHA) TAXIWAY WAS CLOSED W OF XRAY, WE WERE SWITCHED TO TWR WHO CLRED US INTO POS. AGAIN MISTAKENLY IN MY MIND WE WERE HEADED FOR 8L. I OBSERVED SEVERAL ACFT LINED UP AND LNDG ON 4R AND NO ONE LINED UP FOR 8L. UPON REACHING ROMEO BRAVO, AND AFTER STARTING #2 ENG, GETTING A MANIFEST CHK, AND COMPLETING THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST, I MADE A R TURN TOWARDS 8L. THE COPLT LATER ADMITTED HE KNEW WE WERE CLRED TO 8R. I SAW NO TFC FOR 8L AND HEADED INTO POS. THERE WAS AN ACR Y ON A VERY CLOSE R BASE LNDG ON 8L. HE QUERIED THE TWR ABOUT THE TIME THE COPLT SAW THE 8L NUMBERS, SO WE HURRIED ACROSS 8L AT VICTOR. ACR Y WENT AROUND AND WE ALL DISCUSSED THE EVENT. I ADMITTED HAVING GONE TO THE WRONG RWY AND THE TWR SAID NO HARM DONE. I FOUND OUT 'IT CAN HAPPEN TO ME.' I SUGGESTED TO THE TWR THAT PERHAPS THE CLRNC INTO POS SHOULD BE WITHHELD UNTIL THE ACFT IS CLOSER TO THE RESPECTIVE RWY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 190275: ON INITIAL CALL FOR TAXI, WERE GIVEN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO RWY 8R, HOLD SHORT OF 8L. PRIOR TO REACHING 8L, WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS 8L AND GIVEN THE TAXIWAYS TO USE TO GET TO 8R. WHEN REACHING THE END OF TAXIWAY BRAVO, WE TURNED R ONTO AND THEN ACROSS 8L INSTEAD OF L TOWARDS 8R. WHEN WE DISCOVERED OUR MISTAKE, WE EXPEDITED TAXIING CLR OF RWY 8L. HNL TWR, AFTER A CALL FROM AN ACFT ON FINAL AND A CALL FROM US, SENT THE ACFT ON FINAL AROUND. WE COMPLETED OUR TAXI TO RWY 8R AND HAD AN UNEVENTFUL FLT TO OUR DEST. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) WE USED RWY 8L FOR TKOF THE PREVIOUS WK. THE CAPT HEARD 8L AGAIN. GND CTL AND/OR TWR DID SAY 8R AT LEAST TWICE. 2) WHILE TAXIWAY BRAVO IS FAIRLY LONG, WE STILL HAD TOO MUCH TO DO (ENG START, FREQ CHANGE AND 2 CHKLISTS). THE SO AND I WERE TOO BUSY DURING A CRITICAL TIME. 3) HONOLULU TWR CLRED US 'ONTO HOLD ON 8R' PRIOR TO TAXIING PAST THE END OF 8L. IF TWR HAD DELAYED THE CLRNC UNTIL AFTER WE HAD TURNED TOWARDS 8R AT THE END OF TAXIWAY BRAVO, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN SHORT OF 8L EVEN IF WE HAD TURNED TOWARDS IT. 4) NEITHER THE SO NOR I REALIZED THE CAPT HAD TURNED TOWARDS THE WRONG RWY. DISCOVERY OCCURRED WHEN WE SAW '8L' PAINTED ON THE END OF THE RWY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR PARTICIPATED IN STRUCTURED CALLBACK FOR RWY INCURSION SURVEY. RPTR ERROR ADMITTED BUT THINKS HE HAD A LOT OF HELP. NEITHER FO NOR SO NOTED WRONG DIRECTION TURN ON TAXIWAY 'RB' AND DID NOT NOTICE RWY 8L ENTRY UNTIL ON RWY. THE PREVIOUS WK THEY HAD USED 8L FOR TKOF AS 8R WAS CLOSED. RPTR ASSUMED 8R STILL CLOSED. THEY DID NOT SEE ACR Y ON R CLOSE IN R BASE AS THAT ACFT WAS AT 7 OR 8 O'CLOCK POS. ACFT OTHER THAN 'HVY' ACFT ARE PERMITTED THE SHORT CHANNEL APCH TO 8L. THINKS ATC CONTRIBUTED BY CHANGING THEM TO LCL CTLR FREQ TOO SOON AND THEN LCL CTLR CLRED THEM INTO POS MUCH TOO SOON. CTLR SHOULD HOLD OFF ON POS CLRNC UNTIL AFTER ACFT ARE SBOUND ON TAXIWAY 'RB.' ACR Y WAS FIRST TO NOTE THE POTENTIAL CONFLICT AND HAD STARTED GAR BEFORE TWR TOLD THEM.

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.