Narrative:

We were cleared to taxi to runway 27R after pushing back from the gate. I had been to this airport infrequently in the recent past and had remembered using runway 9L almost exclusively when I had been there before. From our position after pushback, we had a clear view of the approach end of runway 9L but the end of runway 27R was not visible from this side of the terminal -- I began taxiing to runway 9L. Knowing that I did not need clearance to cross the intersecting runway, runway 14/32, I began to cross it before realizing that we should have been proceeding to the other end of the airport. The correct taxi direction would not have involved crossing runway 14/32. There were no aircraft on approach for runway 14/32 at the time and we did not cause any sort of potential conflict. Just as we reached the approximately center of runway 14/32 and slowed to begin a turn to exit the runway on a sbound taxiway and started to inform ground control of our unexpected excursion, the controller called us and told us to merely continue taxiing down runway 14/32 to join the eastbound taxiway and continue to the approach end of runway 27R. This is a great example of how it pays to pay attention and have 2 heads thinking about every instruction from ATC. While I am generally quite careful and self-reliant concerning the taxi route (many first officer's pay very little attention to this aspect of the operation, or allow themselves to become absorbed in their own ground duties while taxiing), it is always possible to fall victim to complacency. Even though I always have my airport chart out on the window clip and set my HSI heading bug on the runway heading for the departure prior to pushing back, it seems that I need to work harder on mentally mapping out the entire taxi route from the gate to the departure point. This is something I accomplished as a new captain as a second nature, and consequently never had a problem. But after a few yrs as captain under my belt, it is easy to get too comfortable, especially in an airport with which I felt a high comfort level and which might be considered a 'no-brainer' -- i.e., a major east/west runway and no unusual taxiway structure. If you leave your 'situational awareness in the map case', you can get in trouble under the most auspicious of circumstances.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT TAXIES TO WRONG RWY AT PBI, CROSSES INTERSECTING RWY IN PROCESS.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 27R AFTER PUSHING BACK FROM THE GATE. I HAD BEEN TO THIS ARPT INFREQUENTLY IN THE RECENT PAST AND HAD REMEMBERED USING RWY 9L ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY WHEN I HAD BEEN THERE BEFORE. FROM OUR POS AFTER PUSHBACK, WE HAD A CLR VIEW OF THE APCH END OF RWY 9L BUT THE END OF RWY 27R WAS NOT VISIBLE FROM THIS SIDE OF THE TERMINAL -- I BEGAN TAXIING TO RWY 9L. KNOWING THAT I DID NOT NEED CLRNC TO CROSS THE INTERSECTING RWY, RWY 14/32, I BEGAN TO CROSS IT BEFORE REALIZING THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROCEEDING TO THE OTHER END OF THE ARPT. THE CORRECT TAXI DIRECTION WOULD NOT HAVE INVOLVED XING RWY 14/32. THERE WERE NO ACFT ON APCH FOR RWY 14/32 AT THE TIME AND WE DID NOT CAUSE ANY SORT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT. JUST AS WE REACHED THE APPROX CTR OF RWY 14/32 AND SLOWED TO BEGIN A TURN TO EXIT THE RWY ON A SBOUND TXWY AND STARTED TO INFORM GND CTL OF OUR UNEXPECTED EXCURSION, THE CTLR CALLED US AND TOLD US TO MERELY CONTINUE TAXIING DOWN RWY 14/32 TO JOIN THE EBOUND TXWY AND CONTINUE TO THE APCH END OF RWY 27R. THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW IT PAYS TO PAY ATTN AND HAVE 2 HEADS THINKING ABOUT EVERY INSTRUCTION FROM ATC. WHILE I AM GENERALLY QUITE CAREFUL AND SELF-RELIANT CONCERNING THE TAXI RTE (MANY FO'S PAY VERY LITTLE ATTN TO THIS ASPECT OF THE OP, OR ALLOW THEMSELVES TO BECOME ABSORBED IN THEIR OWN GND DUTIES WHILE TAXIING), IT IS ALWAYS POSSIBLE TO FALL VICTIM TO COMPLACENCY. EVEN THOUGH I ALWAYS HAVE MY ARPT CHART OUT ON THE WINDOW CLIP AND SET MY HSI HDG BUG ON THE RWY HDG FOR THE DEP PRIOR TO PUSHING BACK, IT SEEMS THAT I NEED TO WORK HARDER ON MENTALLY MAPPING OUT THE ENTIRE TAXI RTE FROM THE GATE TO THE DEP POINT. THIS IS SOMETHING I ACCOMPLISHED AS A NEW CAPT AS A SECOND NATURE, AND CONSEQUENTLY NEVER HAD A PROB. BUT AFTER A FEW YRS AS CAPT UNDER MY BELT, IT IS EASY TO GET TOO COMFORTABLE, ESPECIALLY IN AN ARPT WITH WHICH I FELT A HIGH COMFORT LEVEL AND WHICH MIGHT BE CONSIDERED A 'NO-BRAINER' -- I.E., A MAJOR E/W RWY AND NO UNUSUAL TXWY STRUCTURE. IF YOU LEAVE YOUR 'SITUATIONAL AWARENESS IN THE MAP CASE', YOU CAN GET IN TROUBLE UNDER THE MOST AUSPICIOUS OF CIRCUMSTANCES.

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.