Narrative:

Arrived at aircraft was loaded and pushed back approximately 35 mins late. This launch involves approximately 125 aircraft in a 90 min window. There is ramp control frequency, a flight control frequency, and split ground controllers for airport. When we contacted the first ground controller I understood to expect runway 36R and taxi via quebec and charlie, hold short of runway 27. (Of course, the frequency is congested with nonstop xmissions due to extremely heavy traffic). All of this is normal for our operation. Upon entering taxiway quebec the ground controller asked if we were on quebec. I noticed the first officer looking at his airport diagram (we both had the 10-9 page out on our clipboards) and I told him we were on quebec. He answered ground control that yes we were on quebec. Ground control then said they had instructed us to use zulu and charlie. I asked the first officer and he said yes, that was what he had understood and readback, but when we taxied past zulu and turned onto quebec he thought he must have been confused. Controller stated we were underlying the departure path of runway 36R. We asked what he wanted us to do and he said just continue holding short of runway 27 on quebec. During this time a steady stream of aircraft were taxiing west of runway 27 between us and runway 36R. After 3 or 4 aircraft passed we were given clearance to cross runway 27 and taxi to 36R. I have 2 things to say about this: first, in accordance with our standard operations when we first contacted ground control and received taxi instructions I only repeated the 'hold short of runway 27' portion after the first officer had responded to the controller. Maybe we should repeat the entire clearance. That was the first mistake. We both knew to hold short of runway 27 but what taxiway to use was misunderstood. Second, when I did not make the turn onto zulu (which is where the first officer thought we were to go) he should have questioned me of my intentions and we could have verified the correct routing with ground control. Long nights, broken aircraft, reroutes, tailswaps, behind schedule, lousy WX, and extremely high traffic congestion all adds up to 1 thing: go slow, take your time, and question anything you don't understand or agree with immediately!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN LGT USED THE WRONG TXWY DURING TAXI FOR TKOF CAUSING THE ACFT TO HOLD UNDER THE ACTIVE RWY OVER-FLY ZONE.

Narrative: ARRIVED AT ACFT WAS LOADED AND PUSHED BACK APPROX 35 MINS LATE. THIS LAUNCH INVOLVES APPROX 125 ACFT IN A 90 MIN WINDOW. THERE IS RAMP CTL FREQ, A FLT CTL FREQ, AND SPLIT GND CTLRS FOR ARPT. WHEN WE CONTACTED THE FIRST GND CTLR I UNDERSTOOD TO EXPECT RWY 36R AND TAXI VIA QUEBEC AND CHARLIE, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 27. (OF COURSE, THE FREQ IS CONGESTED WITH NONSTOP XMISSIONS DUE TO EXTREMELY HEAVY TFC). ALL OF THIS IS NORMAL FOR OUR OP. UPON ENTERING TXWY QUEBEC THE GND CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE ON QUEBEC. I NOTICED THE FO LOOKING AT HIS ARPT DIAGRAM (WE BOTH HAD THE 10-9 PAGE OUT ON OUR CLIPBOARDS) AND I TOLD HIM WE WERE ON QUEBEC. HE ANSWERED GND CTL THAT YES WE WERE ON QUEBEC. GND CTL THEN SAID THEY HAD INSTRUCTED US TO USE ZULU AND CHARLIE. I ASKED THE FO AND HE SAID YES, THAT WAS WHAT HE HAD UNDERSTOOD AND READBACK, BUT WHEN WE TAXIED PAST ZULU AND TURNED ONTO QUEBEC HE THOUGHT HE MUST HAVE BEEN CONFUSED. CTLR STATED WE WERE UNDERLYING THE DEP PATH OF RWY 36R. WE ASKED WHAT HE WANTED US TO DO AND HE SAID JUST CONTINUE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 27 ON QUEBEC. DURING THIS TIME A STEADY STREAM OF ACFT WERE TAXIING W OF RWY 27 BTWN US AND RWY 36R. AFTER 3 OR 4 ACFT PASSED WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 27 AND TAXI TO 36R. I HAVE 2 THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THIS: FIRST, IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR STANDARD OPS WHEN WE FIRST CONTACTED GND CTL AND RECEIVED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS I ONLY REPEATED THE 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 27' PORTION AFTER THE FO HAD RESPONDED TO THE CTLR. MAYBE WE SHOULD REPEAT THE ENTIRE CLRNC. THAT WAS THE FIRST MISTAKE. WE BOTH KNEW TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 27 BUT WHAT TXWY TO USE WAS MISUNDERSTOOD. SECOND, WHEN I DID NOT MAKE THE TURN ONTO ZULU (WHICH IS WHERE THE FO THOUGHT WE WERE TO GO) HE SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED ME OF MY INTENTIONS AND WE COULD HAVE VERIFIED THE CORRECT RTING WITH GND CTL. LONG NIGHTS, BROKEN ACFT, REROUTES, TAILSWAPS, BEHIND SCHEDULE, LOUSY WX, AND EXTREMELY HIGH TFC CONGESTION ALL ADDS UP TO 1 THING: GO SLOW, TAKE YOUR TIME, AND QUESTION ANYTHING YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND OR AGREE WITH IMMEDIATELY!

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.