Narrative:

I received ATIS and clearance at about XA20 pm local. WX was VFR at night, visibility 10 mi, winds northeast at about 6 KTS, runways in use at mia were 9R and 12. Ground controller then instructed us to taxi for departure runway 9L. I acknowledged this clearance, and performed during taxi and before takeoff checklists as the captain taxied the aircraft. It was the captain's leg to fly and mine to work the radios. We approached the end of Q taxiway where runways 9L and 12 are both entered from and the tower instructed us to taxi into position and hold runway 9L. The captain taxied onto runway 12 and neither one of us caught this mistake. I then performed 'line up' checklist and tower cleared us for takeoff. We began our takeoff and tower instructed us to 'abort takeoff, taxi to runway 9R.' we did this and the rest of the flight was uneventful. Contributing factors: traffic normally departs runway 12, lands on 9L at night. I estimate that 90-05 percent of our departures were on runway 12. Due to repetition, the automatic response was to taxi onto 12, even though tower said 9R. Taxiway Q ends at the entrance to both runways. Our taxi was routine up to the point of entry on the runway. Traffic at mia was unusually light this particular evening. Our sequence was #1 even as we left the gate area. There was no other traffic which would have given us visual cues as to the correct runway in use. Runway 9L had been closed for maintenance for several months prior to incident. Note: when we positioned onto runway 12, I saw an aircraft on 5 mi final. We exited in plenty of time for it to land, and there was no disruption of traffic due to this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LINES UP ON WRONG RWY FOR TKOF ROLL. CTLR SAYS ABORT AND TAXI TO OTHER RWY.

Narrative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

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.