Narrative:

This is a situation where we ended up on the wrong runway for takeoff. I'm still not sure how it happened. The day before the event I finished a 2-DAY trip with an 8 hour reduced rest. We had several problems with the hotel, and I got less than 3 hours of sleep. Ground control gave us 'standard taxi runway 18L.' our turbo-propeller plane has no cooling air in the cockpit on the ground, so we taxi with the windows open to let in a little air and a lot of noise. The audio panel has no volume controls for the radios or intercom. Because of the noise and radio problems, it is very easy to misunderstand radio instructions. West side ground control told us to hold short of runway 18L at taxiway 18, and we did. Then ground told us to cross runway 18L and hold short of runway 18R at taxiway 21. We taxied to runway 18R and held short for at least 30 seconds. Then we were told 'position and hold!' we taxied on to runway 18R and read back 'position and hold!' at this point we were told that we were on the wrong runway and to get off quick. There was a B-727 on final for 18R. When ground control originally told us to cross runway 18L, we instinctively thought that we were going to takeoff on runway 18R as we do 40 times a month. It's a normal procedure for us. I don't know if the tower told us the wrong runway, or if we just heard what we were expecting to hear. The end result was that a very hot and tired commuter crew ended up on the wrong runway. Supplemental information from acn 273973: we were told, cross runway 18L taxi south on echo, position and hold runway 18L intersection 21. First officer read back position and hold runway 18R. I don't know why, but I was thinking runway 18R also. Perhaps a force of habit as this is normal that turbo propellers depart runway 18R. Tower was very busy. I was preoccupied with getting airborne and cooling off, and was tired of messing with the propeller RPM and ng speed to keep the oil cool.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR EMB-110 TAXIED ONTO A RWY WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: THIS IS A SIT WHERE WE ENDED UP ON THE WRONG RWY FOR TKOF. I'M STILL NOT SURE HOW IT HAPPENED. THE DAY BEFORE THE EVENT I FINISHED A 2-DAY TRIP WITH AN 8 HR REDUCED REST. WE HAD SEVERAL PROBS WITH THE HOTEL, AND I GOT LESS THAN 3 HRS OF SLEEP. GND CTL GAVE US 'STANDARD TAXI RWY 18L.' OUR TURBO-PROP PLANE HAS NO COOLING AIR IN THE COCKPIT ON THE GND, SO WE TAXI WITH THE WINDOWS OPEN TO LET IN A LITTLE AIR AND A LOT OF NOISE. THE AUDIO PANEL HAS NO VOLUME CTLS FOR THE RADIOS OR INTERCOM. BECAUSE OF THE NOISE AND RADIO PROBS, IT IS VERY EASY TO MISUNDERSTAND RADIO INSTRUCTIONS. W SIDE GND CTL TOLD US TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 18L AT TXWY 18, AND WE DID. THEN GND TOLD US TO CROSS RWY 18L AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 18R AT TXWY 21. WE TAXIED TO RWY 18R AND HELD SHORT FOR AT LEAST 30 SECONDS. THEN WE WERE TOLD 'POS AND HOLD!' WE TAXIED ON TO RWY 18R AND READ BACK 'POS AND HOLD!' AT THIS POINT WE WERE TOLD THAT WE WERE ON THE WRONG RWY AND TO GET OFF QUICK. THERE WAS A B-727 ON FINAL FOR 18R. WHEN GND CTL ORIGINALLY TOLD US TO CROSS RWY 18L, WE INSTINCTIVELY THOUGHT THAT WE WERE GOING TO TKOF ON RWY 18R AS WE DO 40 TIMES A MONTH. IT'S A NORMAL PROCEDURE FOR US. I DON'T KNOW IF THE TWR TOLD US THE WRONG RWY, OR IF WE JUST HEARD WHAT WE WERE EXPECTING TO HEAR. THE END RESULT WAS THAT A VERY HOT AND TIRED COMMUTER CREW ENDED UP ON THE WRONG RWY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 273973: WE WERE TOLD, CROSS RWY 18L TAXI S ON ECHO, POS AND HOLD RWY 18L INTXN 21. FO READ BACK POS AND HOLD RWY 18R. I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT I WAS THINKING RWY 18R ALSO. PERHAPS A FORCE OF HABIT AS THIS IS NORMAL THAT TURBO PROPS DEPART RWY 18R. TWR WAS VERY BUSY. I WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH GETTING AIRBORNE AND COOLING OFF, AND WAS TIRED OF MESSING WITH THE PROP RPM AND NG SPD TO KEEP THE OIL COOL.

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.