Narrative:

We were cleared to taxi to runway 15 from the ramp. We inadvertently taxied past 'O' taxiway and runway 15 and were in fact headed towards runway 10 (also active). After crossing runway 15 we realized that we had not only missed our turn but had also crossed runway 15, (we did clear ourselves both ways before crossing the runway). It was very dark and neither of us saw lights or signs depicting 'O' taxiway. A sign or lights would have been our clue to turn. They were either off or inoperative. Once we realized our mistake(immediately after crossing runway 15) we called ground control to report our mistake. Ground had never questioned our movement past the taxiway or runway 15. Ground then instructed us to continue to runway 10 for departure. The flight continued without incident. At the first possible chance, the captain called the tower supervisor to discuss the incident. The tower supervisor admitted to problems with the lighting and that the blame was not entirely ours. The situation was considered 'dropped.' a contributing factor was that the first officer's map light was inoperative and had been 'deferred' by maintenance. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter called back with the following information: the flight crew was not very familiar with the airport, having been in there only 3 times in the past yr and only during the day. They are based elsewhere. The first officer had just completed the PA announcement to the passenger and was getting the performance data card out for 'the numbers.' he saw the runway out of the corner of his eye, having had his head down, and said to the PIC, 'clear right.' immediately he thought, 'something isn't right here, we shouldn't be crossing any runway.' when the crew did call the tower supervisor back he said that there was a problem with the lights in the taxiway identify sign, they were burned out and the city wasn't willing to spend the money to replace them. Reporter stated that the supervisor's explanation was very short and said, 'it's not going any further, just forget about it.' the captain filled out a report for the chief pilot on the event. Reporter has not been back to bwi since.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH RWY ENTRY XING OP.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 15 FROM THE RAMP. WE INADVERTENTLY TAXIED PAST 'O' TXWY AND RWY 15 AND WERE IN FACT HEADED TOWARDS RWY 10 (ALSO ACTIVE). AFTER XING RWY 15 WE REALIZED THAT WE HAD NOT ONLY MISSED OUR TURN BUT HAD ALSO CROSSED RWY 15, (WE DID CLR OURSELVES BOTH WAYS BEFORE XING THE RWY). IT WAS VERY DARK AND NEITHER OF US SAW LIGHTS OR SIGNS DEPICTING 'O' TXWY. A SIGN OR LIGHTS WOULD HAVE BEEN OUR CLUE TO TURN. THEY WERE EITHER OFF OR INOP. ONCE WE REALIZED OUR MISTAKE(IMMEDIATELY AFTER XING RWY 15) WE CALLED GND CTL TO RPT OUR MISTAKE. GND HAD NEVER QUESTIONED OUR MOVEMENT PAST THE TXWY OR RWY 15. GND THEN INSTRUCTED US TO CONTINUE TO RWY 10 FOR DEP. THE FLT CONTINUED WITHOUT INCIDENT. AT THE FIRST POSSIBLE CHANCE, THE CAPT CALLED THE TWR SUPVR TO DISCUSS THE INCIDENT. THE TWR SUPVR ADMITTED TO PROBS WITH THE LIGHTING AND THAT THE BLAME WAS NOT ENTIRELY OURS. THE SIT WAS CONSIDERED 'DROPPED.' A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THAT THE FO'S MAP LIGHT WAS INOP AND HAD BEEN 'DEFERRED' BY MAINT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR CALLED BACK WITH THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE FLC WAS NOT VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT, HAVING BEEN IN THERE ONLY 3 TIMES IN THE PAST YR AND ONLY DURING THE DAY. THEY ARE BASED ELSEWHERE. THE FO HAD JUST COMPLETED THE PA ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PAX AND WAS GETTING THE PERFORMANCE DATA CARD OUT FOR 'THE NUMBERS.' HE SAW THE RWY OUT OF THE CORNER OF HIS EYE, HAVING HAD HIS HEAD DOWN, AND SAID TO THE PIC, 'CLR R.' IMMEDIATELY HE THOUGHT, 'SOMETHING ISN'T RIGHT HERE, WE SHOULDN'T BE XING ANY RWY.' WHEN THE CREW DID CALL THE TWR SUPVR BACK HE SAID THAT THERE WAS A PROB WITH THE LIGHTS IN THE TXWY IDENT SIGN, THEY WERE BURNED OUT AND THE CITY WASN'T WILLING TO SPEND THE MONEY TO REPLACE THEM. RPTR STATED THAT THE SUPVR'S EXPLANATION WAS VERY SHORT AND SAID, 'IT'S NOT GOING ANY FURTHER, JUST FORGET ABOUT IT.' THE CAPT FILLED OUT A RPT FOR THE CHIEF PLT ON THE EVENT. RPTR HAS NOT BEEN BACK TO BWI SINCE.

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.