Taxiing aircraft missed a turn and taxied to runway 22L versus 31R.

Attributes
ACN	201981
Time
Date	199202
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jfk
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 3200 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	201981
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

While taxiing out of jfk to runway 31R was issued taxi instructions 'inner to foxtrot then yankee-alpha to 31R. I am familiar with jfk but ya was new to me. With our hand on tiller and other on throttles, it was very difficult to check airport diagram. We missed taxiway ya and continued to runway 22L/4R. Tower queried if we were at the end on the runway and first officer replied 'affirmative.' tower then cleared us for takeoff. I intervened at this point and stated that we were not at the end of the runway. Tower located us and advised a 180 degree turn with semi-progressive instructions to correct runway. It turns out that ya is fairly new and was still unlit. Very dark! Problems: do we really need to be using unlit taxiways? I should have queried ground the moment I was unsure of position. First officer should have followed taxi progress. Do we really want 2 inexperienced crew in same airplane.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAXIING ACFT MISSED A TURN AND TAXIED TO RWY 22L VERSUS 31R.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING OUT OF JFK TO RWY 31R WAS ISSUED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS 'INNER TO FOXTROT THEN YANKEE-ALPHA TO 31R. I AM FAMILIAR WITH JFK BUT YA WAS NEW TO ME. WITH OUR HAND ON TILLER AND OTHER ON THROTTLES, IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO CHK ARPT DIAGRAM. WE MISSED TAXIWAY YA AND CONTINUED TO RWY 22L/4R. TWR QUERIED IF WE WERE AT THE END ON THE RWY AND FO REPLIED 'AFFIRMATIVE.' TWR THEN CLRED US FOR TKOF. I INTERVENED AT THIS POINT AND STATED THAT WE WERE NOT AT THE END OF THE RWY. TWR LOCATED US AND ADVISED A 180 DEG TURN WITH SEMI-PROGRESSIVE INSTRUCTIONS TO CORRECT RWY. IT TURNS OUT THAT YA IS FAIRLY NEW AND WAS STILL UNLIT. VERY DARK! PROBLEMS: DO WE REALLY NEED TO BE USING UNLIT TAXIWAYS? I SHOULD HAVE QUERIED GND THE MOMENT I WAS UNSURE OF POS. FO SHOULD HAVE FOLLOWED TAXI PROGRESS. DO WE REALLY WANT 2 INEXPERIENCED CREW IN SAME AIRPLANE.

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.