Narrative:

I was captain of dc-9 aircraft preparing to depart abe. An incident occurred on the ground as we taxied for takeoff. The chain of events led to a misunderstanding as to the runway in use for departure, and caused us to taxi to the wrong runway. The first officer copied the ATIS which stated that the active runway was runway 6. I immediately planned my taxi route to the active runway. The first officer reported to clearance delivery the name of the ATIS he received when asking for the ATC clearance. We requested taxi clearance from ground control. Ground control rapidly responded issuing our taxi instructions. I was concentrating on the wing clearance and initial turn out of the gate and asked the first officer to clear the right wing. We were not issued a new ATIS information code which I believe is required for a runway change. Most ground controllers will stress the change in ATIS and active runway change if crew doesn't have it. As we approached the intersection of the parallel taxiway for runway 6 and runway 13/31. I asked the first officer if we needed to hold short. He said no. So we cleared both ends of the runway, then proceeded across. As we continued on the parallel taxiway, the ground controller informed us that we were given a clearance to runway 13 and asked if we were requesting runway 6. The first officer responded by saying that we were under the impression that runway 6 was the active runway, and that we would like to use it for departure if available. We departed runway 6. Supplemental information from acn 277723: it may be prudent to have all changes in runway confign made clear by ground controllers, and acknowledged by flight crew's. If we had been informed that the ATIS had been changed and that the active runway was now 13, it may have removed the mind-sets created by the previous ATIS. When given taxi instructions which contain an abundance of information, flight crew's should always read back the assigned runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG TAXIED TO THE WRONG RWY.

Narrative: I WAS CAPT OF DC-9 ACFT PREPARING TO DEPART ABE. AN INCIDENT OCCURRED ON THE GND AS WE TAXIED FOR TKOF. THE CHAIN OF EVENTS LED TO A MISUNDERSTANDING AS TO THE RWY IN USE FOR DEP, AND CAUSED US TO TAXI TO THE WRONG RWY. THE FO COPIED THE ATIS WHICH STATED THAT THE ACTIVE RWY WAS RWY 6. I IMMEDIATELY PLANNED MY TAXI RTE TO THE ACTIVE RWY. THE FO RPTED TO CLRNC DELIVERY THE NAME OF THE ATIS HE RECEIVED WHEN ASKING FOR THE ATC CLRNC. WE REQUESTED TAXI CLRNC FROM GND CTL. GND CTL RAPIDLY RESPONDED ISSUING OUR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. I WAS CONCENTRATING ON THE WING CLRNC AND INITIAL TURN OUT OF THE GATE AND ASKED THE FO TO CLR THE R WING. WE WERE NOT ISSUED A NEW ATIS INFO CODE WHICH I BELIEVE IS REQUIRED FOR A RWY CHANGE. MOST GND CTLRS WILL STRESS THE CHANGE IN ATIS AND ACTIVE RWY CHANGE IF CREW DOESN'T HAVE IT. AS WE APCHED THE INTXN OF THE PARALLEL TXWY FOR RWY 6 AND RWY 13/31. I ASKED THE FO IF WE NEEDED TO HOLD SHORT. HE SAID NO. SO WE CLRED BOTH ENDS OF THE RWY, THEN PROCEEDED ACROSS. AS WE CONTINUED ON THE PARALLEL TXWY, THE GND CTLR INFORMED US THAT WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO RWY 13 AND ASKED IF WE WERE REQUESTING RWY 6. THE FO RESPONDED BY SAYING THAT WE WERE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT RWY 6 WAS THE ACTIVE RWY, AND THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO USE IT FOR DEP IF AVAILABLE. WE DEPARTED RWY 6. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 277723: IT MAY BE PRUDENT TO HAVE ALL CHANGES IN RWY CONFIGN MADE CLR BY GND CTLRS, AND ACKNOWLEDGED BY FLC'S. IF WE HAD BEEN INFORMED THAT THE ATIS HAD BEEN CHANGED AND THAT THE ACTIVE RWY WAS NOW 13, IT MAY HAVE REMOVED THE MIND-SETS CREATED BY THE PREVIOUS ATIS. WHEN GIVEN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WHICH CONTAIN AN ABUNDANCE OF INFO, FLC'S SHOULD ALWAYS READ BACK THE ASSIGNED RWY.

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.