Narrative:

Cleared to runway 32 at cyow and to cross runway 7. Instead we crossed runway 32 on our way to runway 7. We had just departed gate where the airplane had been deiced. We were running the checklist, trying to look at the wings for any more contamination. Also, the first officer was busy getting the weight and balance from the ACARS screen. We looked both ways before crossing the runway, except it was the wrong runway. Several mins later we were informed about our mistake. I felt pretty stupid to say the least. This trip was an all night on duty type trip. We checked into the hotel at about late PM00 the night before. My wake-up call was at early AM30. It was one of those nights where I got very little sleep (tossed and turned most of the night). I had the same trip the day before with the same sleep problems. As far as any corrective action: next time I get to a runway, I intend to stop the airplane and again get permission to cross. Supplemental information from acn 233596: I requested and received taxi instructions from ground control (121.8) and I read back '30.02 echo, cross 35 to 32 via apron.' captain proceeded with a left turn (aircraft was facing northwest) to taxi for what I acknowledged as 'echo.' I read the after start checklist. The weight and balance information came up on ACARS and I proceeded to put appropriate numbers into the computer. Then I looked outside and saw a sign to our left front that said 'hold 14/32 C direction arrow.' I looked around further, looked at my compass/HSI for orientation, and began to look at the airport diagram to determine our location. Not 1 min later, ground said that we must have taken a wrong turn, that we were now at runway 7 and we can back taxi runway 7 to runway 32 and inform when in position. When I saw the 'hold 14-32 C direction arrow sign, I hesitated speaking up because I thought that I must be disoriented. Not only was it in my mind that we were cleared to cross runway 35 (which in actuality should have been runway 25, ground never corrected my readback) and my HSI direction was so close (runway 32 and 35 being only 30 degrees different), it was still night time conditions and snow covered environment. In addition, from the time I received taxi instructions, captain made no query or gave any indication whatsoever that he was unsure of clearance, his location on the field or direction of travel. So when I looked out of the cockpit after putting in weight and balance numbers, my first reaction was that I must be reading the sign incorrectly when I saw '...direction arrow' I thought 'hold 14/32 C' must be ahead (direction arrow) and that we were indeed crossing runway 35 (I had missed that sign). It is my fault that when I looked up and felt confused I didn't say anything to the captain. But it's also true that with 'cross 35' in my mind, no uncomfortableness from the captain, the close heading of 32 and 35, the environmental conditions, unfamiliarity with the airport (I hadn't been there for about 1 yr), and the fact that I had a 'heads down' duty to perform, I don't think I would have handled it any differently. My only solution is that even though my fellow pilot gives me no reason to doubt his/her familiarity with an airport, clearance, etc, I need to be more vigilant, more aware of our direction of travel, and more confident of my own 'discomfort.'

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT CREW TAXIES TO WRONG RWY AT YOW.

Narrative: CLRED TO RWY 32 AT CYOW AND TO CROSS RWY 7. INSTEAD WE CROSSED RWY 32 ON OUR WAY TO RWY 7. WE HAD JUST DEPARTED GATE WHERE THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN DEICED. WE WERE RUNNING THE CHKLIST, TRYING TO LOOK AT THE WINGS FOR ANY MORE CONTAMINATION. ALSO, THE FO WAS BUSY GETTING THE WT AND BAL FROM THE ACARS SCREEN. WE LOOKED BOTH WAYS BEFORE XING THE RWY, EXCEPT IT WAS THE WRONG RWY. SEVERAL MINS LATER WE WERE INFORMED ABOUT OUR MISTAKE. I FELT PRETTY STUPID TO SAY THE LEAST. THIS TRIP WAS AN ALL NIGHT ON DUTY TYPE TRIP. WE CHKED INTO THE HOTEL AT ABOUT LATE PM00 THE NIGHT BEFORE. MY WAKE-UP CALL WAS AT EARLY AM30. IT WAS ONE OF THOSE NIGHTS WHERE I GOT VERY LITTLE SLEEP (TOSSED AND TURNED MOST OF THE NIGHT). I HAD THE SAME TRIP THE DAY BEFORE WITH THE SAME SLEEP PROBS. AS FAR AS ANY CORRECTIVE ACTION: NEXT TIME I GET TO A RWY, I INTEND TO STOP THE AIRPLANE AND AGAIN GET PERMISSION TO CROSS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 233596: I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS FROM GND CTL (121.8) AND I READ BACK '30.02 ECHO, CROSS 35 TO 32 VIA APRON.' CAPT PROCEEDED WITH A L TURN (ACFT WAS FACING NW) TO TAXI FOR WHAT I ACKNOWLEDGED AS 'ECHO.' I READ THE AFTER START CHKLIST. THE WT AND BAL INFO CAME UP ON ACARS AND I PROCEEDED TO PUT APPROPRIATE NUMBERS INTO THE COMPUTER. THEN I LOOKED OUTSIDE AND SAW A SIGN TO OUR L FRONT THAT SAID 'HOLD 14/32 C DIRECTION ARROW.' I LOOKED AROUND FURTHER, LOOKED AT MY COMPASS/HSI FOR ORIENTATION, AND BEGAN TO LOOK AT THE ARPT DIAGRAM TO DETERMINE OUR LOCATION. NOT 1 MIN LATER, GND SAID THAT WE MUST HAVE TAKEN A WRONG TURN, THAT WE WERE NOW AT RWY 7 AND WE CAN BACK TAXI RWY 7 TO RWY 32 AND INFORM WHEN IN POS. WHEN I SAW THE 'HOLD 14-32 C DIRECTION ARROW SIGN, I HESITATED SPEAKING UP BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT I MUST BE DISORIENTED. NOT ONLY WAS IT IN MY MIND THAT WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS RWY 35 (WHICH IN ACTUALITY SHOULD HAVE BEEN RWY 25, GND NEVER CORRECTED MY READBACK) AND MY HSI DIRECTION WAS SO CLOSE (RWY 32 AND 35 BEING ONLY 30 DEGS DIFFERENT), IT WAS STILL NIGHT TIME CONDITIONS AND SNOW COVERED ENVIRONMENT. IN ADDITION, FROM THE TIME I RECEIVED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, CAPT MADE NO QUERY OR GAVE ANY INDICATION WHATSOEVER THAT HE WAS UNSURE OF CLRNC, HIS LOCATION ON THE FIELD OR DIRECTION OF TRAVEL. SO WHEN I LOOKED OUT OF THE COCKPIT AFTER PUTTING IN WT AND BAL NUMBERS, MY FIRST REACTION WAS THAT I MUST BE READING THE SIGN INCORRECTLY WHEN I SAW '...DIRECTION ARROW' I THOUGHT 'HOLD 14/32 C' MUST BE AHEAD (DIRECTION ARROW) AND THAT WE WERE INDEED XING RWY 35 (I HAD MISSED THAT SIGN). IT IS MY FAULT THAT WHEN I LOOKED UP AND FELT CONFUSED I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING TO THE CAPT. BUT IT'S ALSO TRUE THAT WITH 'CROSS 35' IN MY MIND, NO UNCOMFORTABLENESS FROM THE CAPT, THE CLOSE HDG OF 32 AND 35, THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS, UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE ARPT (I HADN'T BEEN THERE FOR ABOUT 1 YR), AND THE FACT THAT I HAD A 'HEADS DOWN' DUTY TO PERFORM, I DON'T THINK I WOULD HAVE HANDLED IT ANY DIFFERENTLY. MY ONLY SOLUTION IS THAT EVEN THOUGH MY FELLOW PLT GIVES ME NO REASON TO DOUBT HIS/HER FAMILIARITY WITH AN ARPT, CLRNC, ETC, I NEED TO BE MORE VIGILANT, MORE AWARE OF OUR DIRECTION OF TRAVEL, AND MORE CONFIDENT OF MY OWN 'DISCOMFORT.'

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.