An air carrier large transport crew taxied onto an active runway at night at ord.

Attributes
ACN	224952
Time
Date	199210
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
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	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 : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 750
ASRS Report	224952
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 16000
ASRS Report	224607
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Air carrier flight X going to oak was pushed back from gate Y at ord. At the end of the push, we were heading approximately northeast. Ground control instructions were to taxi for a 32L T1 takeoff via bravo north, outer, hold short of T12 for further instructions. As I started to taxi, I looked over my left shoulder and thought I was looking down the inner taxiway. I looked ahead and slightly to the right and saw the short wolf road taxiway and misinterpreted this to be the last island turn-around to get on the outer. I was halfway around the turn when I realized I had turned on to the 9L-27R runway, which was an active runway at the time. At the same time, I told my first officer to tell ground control of the error we made, ground control called and asked if we knew we had just turned on to an active runway. I looked to the end of the runway and could see the lights of an aircraft in takeoff position, so we immediately cleared the runway at the highspd turnoff and taxied down the outer as per ground control's instructions. The balance of the flight was normal. The responsibility for the error was mine, however, in retrospect, some of the factors that could have prevented this error were: have a clear picture in mind of where you are and where you are going, especially at night. I thought I did, but obviously I did not. When I saw wolf road taxiway it should have triggered to me something was not right. Obviously, it did not. The controllers at ord are usually so sharp that normally, if it looks like you may go in the wrong direction, they catch it immediately. Obviously, for some reason, this time he did not. Even though the first officer has functions to perform such as getting load plan information and making corrections to the CDU, he should not let it keep his head in the cockpit to the extent that he does not know where he is at all times and keep the captain informed of anything he thinks is amiss. Obviously, this time he did not. Supplemental information from acn 224607: the captain turned onto an active runway. I asked the captain why he turned as he did, and he said that he thought he was pulling away from another concourse. We were anticipating a short taxi, and I had my head in the cockpit working ACARS and programming computers.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LGT CREW TAXIED ONTO AN ACTIVE RWY AT NIGHT AT ORD.

Narrative: ACR FLT X GOING TO OAK WAS PUSHED BACK FROM GATE Y AT ORD. AT THE END OF THE PUSH, WE WERE HDG APPROX NE. GND CTL INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO TAXI FOR A 32L T1 TKOF VIA BRAVO N, OUTER, HOLD SHORT OF T12 FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. AS I STARTED TO TAXI, I LOOKED OVER MY L SHOULDER AND THOUGHT I WAS LOOKING DOWN THE INNER TAXIWAY. I LOOKED AHEAD AND SLIGHTLY TO THE R AND SAW THE SHORT WOLF ROAD TAXIWAY AND MISINTERPRETED THIS TO BE THE LAST ISLAND TURN-AROUND TO GET ON THE OUTER. I WAS HALFWAY AROUND THE TURN WHEN I REALIZED I HAD TURNED ON TO THE 9L-27R RWY, WHICH WAS AN ACTIVE RWY AT THE TIME. AT THE SAME TIME, I TOLD MY FO TO TELL GND CTL OF THE ERROR WE MADE, GND CTL CALLED AND ASKED IF WE KNEW WE HAD JUST TURNED ON TO AN ACTIVE RWY. I LOOKED TO THE END OF THE RWY AND COULD SEE THE LIGHTS OF AN ACFT IN TKOF POS, SO WE IMMEDIATELY CLRED THE RWY AT THE HIGHSPD TURNOFF AND TAXIED DOWN THE OUTER AS PER GND CTL'S INSTRUCTIONS. THE BAL OF THE FLT WAS NORMAL. THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ERROR WAS MINE, HOWEVER, IN RETROSPECT, SOME OF THE FACTORS THAT COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS ERROR WERE: HAVE A CLR PICTURE IN MIND OF WHERE YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU ARE GOING, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. I THOUGHT I DID, BUT OBVIOUSLY I DID NOT. WHEN I SAW WOLF ROAD TAXIWAY IT SHOULD HAVE TRIGGERED TO ME SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT. OBVIOUSLY, IT DID NOT. THE CTLRS AT ORD ARE USUALLY SO SHARP THAT NORMALLY, IF IT LOOKS LIKE YOU MAY GO IN THE WRONG DIRECTION, THEY CATCH IT IMMEDIATELY. OBVIOUSLY, FOR SOME REASON, THIS TIME HE DID NOT. EVEN THOUGH THE FO HAS FUNCTIONS TO PERFORM SUCH AS GETTING LOAD PLAN INFO AND MAKING CORRECTIONS TO THE CDU, HE SHOULD NOT LET IT KEEP HIS HEAD IN THE COCKPIT TO THE EXTENT THAT HE DOES NOT KNOW WHERE HE IS AT ALL TIMES AND KEEP THE CAPT INFORMED OF ANYTHING HE THINKS IS AMISS. OBVIOUSLY, THIS TIME HE DID NOT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 224607: THE CAPT TURNED ONTO AN ACTIVE RWY. I ASKED THE CAPT WHY HE TURNED AS HE DID, AND HE SAID THAT HE THOUGHT HE WAS PULLING AWAY FROM ANOTHER CONCOURSE. WE WERE ANTICIPATING A SHORT TAXI, AND I HAD MY HEAD IN THE COCKPIT WORKING ACARS AND PROGRAMMING COMPUTERS.

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.