Narrative:

We pushed back at the southwest cargo area and started engines. A dc-8 'heavy' had already pushed out in front of us and was starting his engines. After waiting awhile for him to taxi out, we heard ground control clear him to runway 27L via txwys T-12, T and south. Ground control cleared us to the same runway via txwys T-12, F and M. We weighed 160000 pounds on blockout and figured that since the ground controllers clearance was 'taxi to runway 27L via T-12, fox and microphone, '#1,' we hurried to be #1 for takeoff. The thought of taking off behind a dc-8 'heavy' at 160000 pounds made us rush during the taxi phase. In our rush, we passed up the entrance to runway 27L and accidently pulled into position on runway 22L. The tower cleared us for takeoff and just as we were advancing the throttles, the tower canceled our takeoff clearance and advised us that we were on the wrong runway. They told us to taxi forward, take the reverse high speed taxiway and taxi to runway 27L. At the time ord was using runway 27L for takeoff and runway 14R for lndgs. There was no conflict in traffic and no evasive actions were necessary. In my opinion, 2 things contributed to this runway excursion. The first was rushing to beat the dc-8 'heavy' to the runway. A delay on takeoff would have sufficed to avoid wake turbulence. Second, company practices of having the PF set his heading bug on runway heading in case of engine failure was not followed. Instead both pilots put 290 degrees on their heading bugs since that was the initial heading assigned by ATC after departure. This was not intentional and will remind me the next time I think that I should rush. Company procedures will be followed to the letter from now on and there will be no rushing in my cockpit.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT LINES UP WITH WRONG RWY, TWR CANCELS TKOF CLRNC.

Narrative: WE PUSHED BACK AT THE SW CARGO AREA AND STARTED ENGS. A DC-8 'HEAVY' HAD ALREADY PUSHED OUT IN FRONT OF US AND WAS STARTING HIS ENGS. AFTER WAITING AWHILE FOR HIM TO TAXI OUT, WE HEARD GND CTL CLR HIM TO RWY 27L VIA TXWYS T-12, T AND S. GND CTL CLRED US TO THE SAME RWY VIA TXWYS T-12, F AND M. WE WEIGHED 160000 LBS ON BLOCKOUT AND FIGURED THAT SINCE THE GND CTLRS CLRNC WAS 'TAXI TO RWY 27L VIA T-12, FOX AND MIKE, '#1,' WE HURRIED TO BE #1 FOR TKOF. THE THOUGHT OF TAKING OFF BEHIND A DC-8 'HEAVY' AT 160000 LBS MADE US RUSH DURING THE TAXI PHASE. IN OUR RUSH, WE PASSED UP THE ENTRANCE TO RWY 27L AND ACCIDENTLY PULLED INTO POS ON RWY 22L. THE TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF AND JUST AS WE WERE ADVANCING THE THROTTLES, THE TWR CANCELED OUR TKOF CLRNC AND ADVISED US THAT WE WERE ON THE WRONG RWY. THEY TOLD US TO TAXI FORWARD, TAKE THE REVERSE HIGH SPD TXWY AND TAXI TO RWY 27L. AT THE TIME ORD WAS USING RWY 27L FOR TKOF AND RWY 14R FOR LNDGS. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT IN TFC AND NO EVASIVE ACTIONS WERE NECESSARY. IN MY OPINION, 2 THINGS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS RWY EXCURSION. THE FIRST WAS RUSHING TO BEAT THE DC-8 'HEAVY' TO THE RWY. A DELAY ON TKOF WOULD HAVE SUFFICED TO AVOID WAKE TURB. SECOND, COMPANY PRACTICES OF HAVING THE PF SET HIS HDG BUG ON RWY HDG IN CASE OF ENG FAILURE WAS NOT FOLLOWED. INSTEAD BOTH PLTS PUT 290 DEGS ON THEIR HDG BUGS SINCE THAT WAS THE INITIAL HDG ASSIGNED BY ATC AFTER DEP. THIS WAS NOT INTENTIONAL AND WILL REMIND ME THE NEXT TIME I THINK THAT I SHOULD RUSH. COMPANY PROCS WILL BE FOLLOWED TO THE LETTER FROM NOW ON AND THERE WILL BE NO RUSHING IN MY COCKPIT.

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.