Narrative:

Taxiing from gate area taxiway and in line of aircraft taxiing for departures from runways 12R/12L. Passing taxiway C I received a ground call which I thought was 'cleared runway 6, alpha (?), follow MD80' the MD80 in front of me was turning onto runway 6 and crossing runway 12R, the active runway. As I made the turn onto runway 6 heading northeast I realized I was heading in the wrong direction but I was too close to the active to stop because of the traffic on final approach. I applied power and crossed runway 12 right as fast as possible. An MD80 on final made a go around to avoid a potentially dangerous situation. In later conversation with the tower personnel, they said the instructions were to turn left on runway 6, alpha south and follow on md 80 that was already on alpha south taxiway. I did not hear the 'turn left' instructions and combined with the volume of radio traffic and my unfamiliarity with the field (my first time into stl) led me to put the aircraft into a potentially dangerous position. The only recommendation I would have for taxi instructions would be to drop the reference to 'runway 6' as I believe that's what led me to turn right when I should have turned left. I'll also be a lot more careful listening to taxi instructions.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLTDEV BTWN ACR X AND ACR Y.

Narrative: TAXIING FROM GATE AREA TXWY AND IN LINE OF ACFT TAXIING FOR DEPS FROM RWYS 12R/12L. PASSING TXWY C I RECEIVED A GND CALL WHICH I THOUGHT WAS 'CLRED RWY 6, ALPHA (?), FOLLOW MD80' THE MD80 IN FRONT OF ME WAS TURNING ONTO RWY 6 AND XING RWY 12R, THE ACTIVE RWY. AS I MADE THE TURN ONTO RWY 6 HDG NE I REALIZED I WAS HDG IN THE WRONG DIRECTION BUT I WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE ACTIVE TO STOP BECAUSE OF THE TFC ON FINAL APCH. I APPLIED PWR AND CROSSED RWY 12 R AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. AN MD80 ON FINAL MADE A GAR TO AVOID A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SIT. IN LATER CONVERSATION WITH THE TWR PERSONNEL, THEY SAID THE INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO TURN L ON RWY 6, ALPHA S AND FOLLOW ON MD 80 THAT WAS ALREADY ON ALPHA S TXWY. I DID NOT HEAR THE 'TURN L' INSTRUCTIONS AND COMBINED WITH THE VOLUME OF RADIO TFC AND MY UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE FIELD (MY FIRST TIME INTO STL) LED ME TO PUT THE ACFT INTO A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS POS. THE ONLY RECOMMENDATION I WOULD HAVE FOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WOULD BE TO DROP THE REF TO 'RWY 6' AS I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT LED ME TO TURN R WHEN I SHOULD HAVE TURNED L. I'LL ALSO BE A LOT MORE CAREFUL LISTENING TO 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.