Narrative:

The events described below occurred during the night hours at approximately runway 30L. I was the first officer on what was the beginning of a sequence of trips, with a newly paired crew, out of our new base assignment san diego. After receiving the route clearance we continued with the routine items of the weight and balance and started all 3 engines while monitoring ATC ground control. Our position on the ramp, south of B4 to the assigned runway 27, involved turning right (east). One obstacle was not being able to see around 3 parked 'heavy aircraft' on the same ramp area to our left (also near B4) and staying clear of numerous pieces of ground support equipment. I called ATC ground control and advised that we were 'ready to taxi, cargo B4.' the controller cleared us to taxi to runway 27. The captain advanced the power, under a marhsaller's direction, and continued toward the very short distance to the taxiway intersection. Continuing we strained to see around the parked aircraft to our left. We then began the checklist when the ground controller called and assigned us a new departure frequency. I acknowledged him and wrote down the frequency on my clipboard (attached to the sliding window assembly). This change became a turning point of diversion in combination with the crowded ramp at night. This particular aircraft had only 2 communication VHF radios available and our company procedure delegates the #2 radio to the flight engineer, which causes us to write down any additional frequencys. At this time we must have inadvertently taxied past our turn, but still thinking our intersection was simply a right turn ahead out of parking. When I looked up it took only part of a second to recognize the white runway markings/lights and another fraction to mentally deny that this could be happening. The captain took immediate evasive action to turn back onto the taxiway and I acknowledged ground control's request to turn and rejoin the taxiway. We were cleared for takeoff and continued on course. Supplemental information from acn 266126: just before we got to the south taxiway, the ground controller changed our departure frequency. Since I was going to be the PNF on this leg of our flight, I had to look down and write the new frequency down. The first officer also looked down and changed the frequency. As I did this, I missed the hold line and did not realize I was taxiing past it. As I taxied onto what I perceived as the south taxiway, I realized I was on the runway 27 (active runway). I performed a right 180 degree turn and taxied clear of the runway. As I did this the ground controller told us that the 'aircraft on final was going around.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN LGT ACR ACFT INADVERTENTLY TAXIED PAST THE ACTIVE RWY HOLD SHORT LINE CAUSING ANOTHER ACFT TO GAR.

Narrative: THE EVENTS DESCRIBED BELOW OCCURRED DURING THE NIGHT HRS AT APPROX RWY 30L. I WAS THE FO ON WHAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF A SEQUENCE OF TRIPS, WITH A NEWLY PAIRED CREW, OUT OF OUR NEW BASE ASSIGNMENT SAN DIEGO. AFTER RECEIVING THE RTE CLRNC WE CONTINUED WITH THE ROUTINE ITEMS OF THE WT AND BAL AND STARTED ALL 3 ENGS WHILE MONITORING ATC GND CTL. OUR POS ON THE RAMP, S OF B4 TO THE ASSIGNED RWY 27, INVOLVED TURNING R (E). ONE OBSTACLE WAS NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE AROUND 3 PARKED 'HVY ACFT' ON THE SAME RAMP AREA TO OUR L (ALSO NEAR B4) AND STAYING CLR OF NUMEROUS PIECES OF GND SUPPORT EQUIP. I CALLED ATC GND CTL AND ADVISED THAT WE WERE 'READY TO TAXI, CARGO B4.' THE CTLR CLRED US TO TAXI TO RWY 27. THE CAPT ADVANCED THE PWR, UNDER A MARHSALLER'S DIRECTION, AND CONTINUED TOWARD THE VERY SHORT DISTANCE TO THE TXWY INTXN. CONTINUING WE STRAINED TO SEE AROUND THE PARKED ACFT TO OUR L. WE THEN BEGAN THE CHKLIST WHEN THE GND CTLR CALLED AND ASSIGNED US A NEW DEP FREQ. I ACKNOWLEDGED HIM AND WROTE DOWN THE FREQ ON MY CLIPBOARD (ATTACHED TO THE SLIDING WINDOW ASSEMBLY). THIS CHANGE BECAME A TURNING POINT OF DIVERSION IN COMBINATION WITH THE CROWDED RAMP AT NIGHT. THIS PARTICULAR ACFT HAD ONLY 2 COM VHF RADIOS AVAILABLE AND OUR COMPANY PROC DELEGATES THE #2 RADIO TO THE FE, WHICH CAUSES US TO WRITE DOWN ANY ADDITIONAL FREQS. AT THIS TIME WE MUST HAVE INADVERTENTLY TAXIED PAST OUR TURN, BUT STILL THINKING OUR INTXN WAS SIMPLY A R TURN AHEAD OUT OF PARKING. WHEN I LOOKED UP IT TOOK ONLY PART OF A SECOND TO RECOGNIZE THE WHITE RWY MARKINGS/LIGHTS AND ANOTHER FRACTION TO MENTALLY DENY THAT THIS COULD BE HAPPENING. THE CAPT TOOK IMMEDIATE EVASIVE ACTION TO TURN BACK ONTO THE TXWY AND I ACKNOWLEDGED GND CTL'S REQUEST TO TURN AND REJOIN THE TXWY. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF AND CONTINUED ON COURSE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 266126: JUST BEFORE WE GOT TO THE SOUTH TXWY, THE GND CTLR CHANGED OUR DEP FREQ. SINCE I WAS GOING TO BE THE PNF ON THIS LEG OF OUR FLT, I HAD TO LOOK DOWN AND WRITE THE NEW FREQ DOWN. THE FO ALSO LOOKED DOWN AND CHANGED THE FREQ. AS I DID THIS, I MISSED THE HOLD LINE AND DID NOT REALIZE I WAS TAXIING PAST IT. AS I TAXIED ONTO WHAT I PERCEIVED AS THE SOUTH TXWY, I REALIZED I WAS ON THE RWY 27 (ACTIVE RWY). I PERFORMED A R 180 DEG TURN AND TAXIED CLR OF THE RWY. AS I DID THIS THE GND CTLR TOLD US THAT THE 'ACFT ON FINAL WAS GOING AROUND.'

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.