Air carrier taxies onto active without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	202041
Time
Date	199202
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : orf
State Reference	VA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other 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 pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	202041
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I taxied onto the active runway believing we had a clearance for takeoff. I asked the first officer to confirm that clearance and was informed that it was the first contact with the tower and we were cleared for takeoff. Contributing factors: 1) tired crew (min layover) 2) early departure. 3) FMS needed reprogramming during taxi (a distracting situation). 4) extraneous cockpit conversation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states flight was cleared to taxi to runway 5 which indicated clearance to intersecting runway. However, the FMS dumped some flight information and crew distracted trying to reprogram. When came to intersecting runway, captain asked first officer to get confirmation for crossing. When arriving at active runway captain really thought clearance was clearance for takeoff. Attributes problem to fatigue as hotel was poor and so was the quality of sleep. Both pilots cleared final before runway entry. Ground controller was also clearance delivery and possibly local as well. Never received instructions to switch from ground to tower so did on their own just prior to contacting as taxi onto runway. No other moving traffic on the airport at that time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR TAXIES ONTO ACTIVE WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I TAXIED ONTO THE ACTIVE RWY BELIEVING WE HAD A CLRNC FOR TKOF. I ASKED THE FO TO CONFIRM THAT CLRNC AND WAS INFORMED THAT IT WAS THE FIRST CONTACT WITH THE TWR AND WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) TIRED CREW (MIN LAYOVER) 2) EARLY DEP. 3) FMS NEEDED REPROGRAMMING DURING TAXI (A DISTRACTING SITUATION). 4) EXTRANEOUS COCKPIT CONVERSATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES FLT WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 5 WHICH INDICATED CLRNC TO INTERSECTING RWY. HOWEVER, THE FMS DUMPED SOME FLT INFO AND CREW DISTRACTED TRYING TO REPROGRAM. WHEN CAME TO INTERSECTING RWY, CAPT ASKED FO TO GET CONFIRMATION FOR XING. WHEN ARRIVING AT ACTIVE RWY CAPT REALLY THOUGHT CLRNC WAS CLRNC FOR TKOF. ATTRIBUTES PROBLEM TO FATIGUE AS HOTEL WAS POOR AND SO WAS THE QUALITY OF SLEEP. BOTH PLTS CLRED FINAL BEFORE RWY ENTRY. GND CTLR WAS ALSO CLRNC DELIVERY AND POSSIBLY LCL AS WELL. NEVER RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS TO SWITCH FROM GND TO TWR SO DID ON THEIR OWN JUST PRIOR TO CONTACTING AS TAXI ONTO RWY. NO OTHER MOVING TFC ON THE ARPT AT THAT TIME.

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.