Narrative:

After taxiing off the ramp at bhm, the captain did not turn onto taxiway a, but continued toward runway 05/23 on taxiway east. Ground called us and asked what we were doing. The captain stopped the aircraft, still short of the runway on taxiway east. The ground controller gave permission for a 180 degree turn on the taxiway to go back to taxiway a. I (the copilot) told ground that we would have to go right a little bit first before making the left 180 degree in order to have enough room. Ground said okay, and the captain proceeded to come right in preparation for the left 180 degree. In the process of coming right, the airplane entered the active runway. Ground hastily called and asked why we were partly on the runway. We told ground that we had to come right a bit before making the left 180 degree, and that he had approved it. He said (ground) that he had not given permission for us to be on the runway and thought that we would 'spin it around' right where we were. The copilot initially thought the captain was just going to make an extra wide turn from the ramp onto 'a' and was just about to tell the captain we were not cleared for the runway when ground initially called. I (copilot) should have questioned the captain sooner so as to preclude need for 180 degree turn. The captain explained that he thought the runway (05/23) was taxiway a and that was why he had continued on 'east' toward the runway. Copilot also will always let ground know if airplane might impinge on a runway before taxiing in such a situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION BY ACR.

Narrative: AFTER TAXIING OFF THE RAMP AT BHM, THE CAPT DID NOT TURN ONTO TAXIWAY A, BUT CONTINUED TOWARD RWY 05/23 ON TAXIWAY E. GND CALLED US AND ASKED WHAT WE WERE DOING. THE CAPT STOPPED THE ACFT, STILL SHORT OF THE RWY ON TAXIWAY E. THE GND CTLR GAVE PERMISSION FOR A 180 DEG TURN ON THE TAXIWAY TO GO BACK TO TAXIWAY A. I (THE COPLT) TOLD GND THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO GO R A LITTLE BIT FIRST BEFORE MAKING THE L 180 DEG IN ORDER TO HAVE ENOUGH ROOM. GND SAID OKAY, AND THE CAPT PROCEEDED TO COME R IN PREPARATION FOR THE L 180 DEG. IN THE PROCESS OF COMING R, THE AIRPLANE ENTERED THE ACTIVE RWY. GND HASTILY CALLED AND ASKED WHY WE WERE PARTLY ON THE RWY. WE TOLD GND THAT WE HAD TO COME R A BIT BEFORE MAKING THE L 180 DEG, AND THAT HE HAD APPROVED IT. HE SAID (GND) THAT HE HAD NOT GIVEN PERMISSION FOR US TO BE ON THE RWY AND THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD 'SPIN IT AROUND' RIGHT WHERE WE WERE. THE COPLT INITIALLY THOUGHT THE CAPT WAS JUST GOING TO MAKE AN EXTRA WIDE TURN FROM THE RAMP ONTO 'A' AND WAS JUST ABOUT TO TELL THE CAPT WE WERE NOT CLRED FOR THE RWY WHEN GND INITIALLY CALLED. I (COPLT) SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THE CAPT SOONER SO AS TO PRECLUDE NEED FOR 180 DEG TURN. THE CAPT EXPLAINED THAT HE THOUGHT THE RWY (05/23) WAS TAXIWAY A AND THAT WAS WHY HE HAD CONTINUED ON 'E' TOWARD THE RWY. COPLT ALSO WILL ALWAYS LET GND KNOW IF AIRPLANE MIGHT IMPINGE ON A RWY BEFORE TAXIING IN SUCH A SITUATION.

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.