Air carrier enters runway believing it to be taxiway.

Attributes
ACN	241029
Time
Date	199305
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bwi
State Reference	MD
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, 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 : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 70
ASRS Report	241029
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Captain was taxiing to runway 15R from gate and was instructed to use the outer. However, due to width of pavement, he assumed that runway 4 was the outer. He was familiar with bwi and said he just thought the taxiway looked like a service rd. Controller advised us of the error as the nosewheel entered runway 4, and that there was no conflict. I was entering the ACARS weight and balance data into the FMC at the time. Solution to the problem would be to enter data on a taxi area where no turns are possible even if the crew is familiar with the airport.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ENTERS RWY BELIEVING IT TO BE TXWY.

Narrative: CAPT WAS TAXIING TO RWY 15R FROM GATE AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO USE THE OUTER. HOWEVER, DUE TO WIDTH OF PAVEMENT, HE ASSUMED THAT RWY 4 WAS THE OUTER. HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH BWI AND SAID HE JUST THOUGHT THE TXWY LOOKED LIKE A SVC RD. CTLR ADVISED US OF THE ERROR AS THE NOSEWHEEL ENTERED RWY 4, AND THAT THERE WAS NO CONFLICT. I WAS ENTERING THE ACARS WT AND BAL DATA INTO THE FMC AT THE TIME. SOLUTION TO THE PROB WOULD BE TO ENTER DATA ON A TAXI AREA WHERE NO TURNS ARE POSSIBLE EVEN IF THE CREW IS FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT.

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.