Narrative:

Taxiing out for departure ground said 'taxi out bravo, left on the outer, hold short november.' both the first officer and I were expecting runway 13L for departure and could not find november. During this time I was still taxiing at a slow speed while diverting attention inside and outside the aircraft. First officer asked ground to confirm our departure runway. They said 'runway 13R via outer hold short november.' I then located november and we were all set. I thought I had just passed the inner on bravo when in fact I had passed the outer. My first officer and I realized this as the hold short line for runway 13L began to pass under the nose. I immediately stopped the aircraft and ground asked us if we had passed the hold short line. We replied that we were even with the line. He advised a 180 degree turn back to the outer and as previously cleared. We complied and the rest of the taxi and flight was uneventful. Errors: me -- for not stopping the aircraft when the confusion arose. Ground - - could have said in the initial communications 'taxi out bravo, left on outer, hold short november for runway 13R.' that would have solved everything. Contributing factors: first officer's first time to jfk. I hadn't been there for several months. Night. 6TH leg of a 6 leg, 12 hour duty day. Expecting a runway other than the one we were assigned. Conclusions: whenever there is any doubt as to the route of taxi, stop the airplane. Figure it out and/or ask ground to help. Always, know the runway of departure when receiving taxi instructions. Controllers always tell the aircraft what runway to expect when sending taxi instructions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT TAXIES TO WRONG RWY, MUST DO A 180 TO REORIENT POS.

Narrative: TAXIING OUT FOR DEP GND SAID 'TAXI OUT BRAVO, L ON THE OUTER, HOLD SHORT NOVEMBER.' BOTH THE FO AND I WERE EXPECTING RWY 13L FOR DEP AND COULD NOT FIND NOVEMBER. DURING THIS TIME I WAS STILL TAXIING AT A SLOW SPD WHILE DIVERTING ATTN INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE ACFT. FO ASKED GND TO CONFIRM OUR DEP RWY. THEY SAID 'RWY 13R VIA OUTER HOLD SHORT NOVEMBER.' I THEN LOCATED NOVEMBER AND WE WERE ALL SET. I THOUGHT I HAD JUST PASSED THE INNER ON BRAVO WHEN IN FACT I HAD PASSED THE OUTER. MY FO AND I REALIZED THIS AS THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 13L BEGAN TO PASS UNDER THE NOSE. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE ACFT AND GND ASKED US IF WE HAD PASSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE. WE REPLIED THAT WE WERE EVEN WITH THE LINE. HE ADVISED A 180 DEG TURN BACK TO THE OUTER AND AS PREVIOUSLY CLRED. WE COMPLIED AND THE REST OF THE TAXI AND FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. ERRORS: ME -- FOR NOT STOPPING THE ACFT WHEN THE CONFUSION AROSE. GND - - COULD HAVE SAID IN THE INITIAL COMS 'TAXI OUT BRAVO, L ON OUTER, HOLD SHORT NOVEMBER FOR RWY 13R.' THAT WOULD HAVE SOLVED EVERYTHING. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: FO'S FIRST TIME TO JFK. I HADN'T BEEN THERE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. NIGHT. 6TH LEG OF A 6 LEG, 12 HR DUTY DAY. EXPECTING A RWY OTHER THAN THE ONE WE WERE ASSIGNED. CONCLUSIONS: WHENEVER THERE IS ANY DOUBT AS TO THE RTE OF TAXI, STOP THE AIRPLANE. FIGURE IT OUT AND/OR ASK GND TO HELP. ALWAYS, KNOW THE RWY OF DEP WHEN RECEIVING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. CTLRS ALWAYS TELL THE ACFT WHAT RWY TO EXPECT WHEN SENDING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS.

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.