Narrative:

We were taxiing on taxiway east approaching spot 7 where I changed over from ramp control frequency to salt lake city ground control. Ground instructed us to taxi to runway 34 (via parallel taxiway H). At this point the captain calls for flaps 20 degrees, taxi checklist. So my attention is now diverted inside the aircraft as per company SOP. My taxi flow is to select flaps 20 degrees on the flap lever and watch flaps tracking to 20 degrees on the primary EICAS. Next, on the EICAS control panel located on the center pedestal, I selected the flight control synoptic page to be displayed on the secondary EICAS. Now referencing the flight control display on the secondary EICAS, I checked full unrestr deflection left and right of the ailerons (and spoilerons) and full unrestr deflection forward and aft of the elevators. When the control check was completed I returned the display on the secondary EICAS to status page, ready to run checklist. Note!! Spot 7 is approximately 300 ft from taxiway H, so the crossing of our intended parallel taxiway H en route to the active runway 34 via taxiway H8 was unnoticed to me due to my pre-occupation with copilot flow duties and checklist as mentioned above (in addition to operating in night conditions). The crossing of taxiway H happened seconds after leaving spot 7 where the captain called for flaps 20 degrees, taxi checklist. After I completed my taxi flow, I repositioned the copilot's utility light on to the taxi checklist on the copilot's checklist holder. I briefly glanced outside. However, because we were taxiing at night I was not looking outside long enough to digest and comprehend the situation. At no time did the captain indicate he was having problems taxiing, verbally or physically. We completed the first 2 items on the challenge and response checklist when I heard on ground frequency. An air carrier aircraft stating that 'ground, I think the aircraft you want us to follow is going the wrong way.' at that instance the captain said 'oh shit' and aggressively put the aircraft into a tight right turn. At this time I diverted my full attention to outside the aircraft. Since it was night conditions and the aircraft was in an aggressive right turn when I lifted my head, it took me about 5-6 seconds to gather my faculties. Also I believe ground told us to turn right at that time. I was confused and did not respond back to ground. About 8-10 seconds after I diverted my full attention outside the aircraft I noticed we were on taxiway H8 pointed to the west. I never positively idented being on runway 34, however, based on the rate and direction that we turned I have to say we were partly on runway 34 at some time. We then continued wbound on taxiway H8 to taxiway H for runway 34. While on taxiway H I asked ground for our takeoff sequence. They put us behind a jet that was clearing runway 34 who had their takeoff clearance canceled due to us.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY TRANSGRESSION ON TAXI. CAUSES ACFT TO ABORT TKOF.

Narrative: WE WERE TAXIING ON TXWY E APCHING SPOT 7 WHERE I CHANGED OVER FROM RAMP CTL FREQ TO SALT LAKE CITY GND CTL. GND INSTRUCTED US TO TAXI TO RWY 34 (VIA PARALLEL TXWY H). AT THIS POINT THE CAPT CALLS FOR FLAPS 20 DEGS, TAXI CHKLIST. SO MY ATTN IS NOW DIVERTED INSIDE THE ACFT AS PER COMPANY SOP. MY TAXI FLOW IS TO SELECT FLAPS 20 DEGS ON THE FLAP LEVER AND WATCH FLAPS TRACKING TO 20 DEGS ON THE PRIMARY EICAS. NEXT, ON THE EICAS CTL PANEL LOCATED ON THE CTR PEDESTAL, I SELECTED THE FLT CTL SYNOPTIC PAGE TO BE DISPLAYED ON THE SECONDARY EICAS. NOW REFING THE FLT CTL DISPLAY ON THE SECONDARY EICAS, I CHKED FULL UNRESTR DEFLECTION L AND R OF THE AILERONS (AND SPOILERONS) AND FULL UNRESTR DEFLECTION FORWARD AND AFT OF THE ELEVATORS. WHEN THE CTL CHK WAS COMPLETED I RETURNED THE DISPLAY ON THE SECONDARY EICAS TO STATUS PAGE, READY TO RUN CHKLIST. NOTE!! SPOT 7 IS APPROX 300 FT FROM TXWY H, SO THE XING OF OUR INTENDED PARALLEL TXWY H ENRTE TO THE ACTIVE RWY 34 VIA TXWY H8 WAS UNNOTICED TO ME DUE TO MY PRE-OCCUPATION WITH COPLT FLOW DUTIES AND CHKLIST AS MENTIONED ABOVE (IN ADDITION TO OPERATING IN NIGHT CONDITIONS). THE XING OF TXWY H HAPPENED SECONDS AFTER LEAVING SPOT 7 WHERE THE CAPT CALLED FOR FLAPS 20 DEGS, TAXI CHKLIST. AFTER I COMPLETED MY TAXI FLOW, I REPOSITIONED THE COPLT'S UTILITY LIGHT ON TO THE TAXI CHKLIST ON THE COPLT'S CHKLIST HOLDER. I BRIEFLY GLANCED OUTSIDE. HOWEVER, BECAUSE WE WERE TAXIING AT NIGHT I WAS NOT LOOKING OUTSIDE LONG ENOUGH TO DIGEST AND COMPREHEND THE SIT. AT NO TIME DID THE CAPT INDICATE HE WAS HAVING PROBS TAXIING, VERBALLY OR PHYSICALLY. WE COMPLETED THE FIRST 2 ITEMS ON THE CHALLENGE AND RESPONSE CHKLIST WHEN I HEARD ON GND FREQ. AN ACR ACFT STATING THAT 'GND, I THINK THE ACFT YOU WANT US TO FOLLOW IS GOING THE WRONG WAY.' AT THAT INSTANCE THE CAPT SAID 'OH SHIT' AND AGGRESSIVELY PUT THE ACFT INTO A TIGHT R TURN. AT THIS TIME I DIVERTED MY FULL ATTN TO OUTSIDE THE ACFT. SINCE IT WAS NIGHT CONDITIONS AND THE ACFT WAS IN AN AGGRESSIVE R TURN WHEN I LIFTED MY HEAD, IT TOOK ME ABOUT 5-6 SECONDS TO GATHER MY FACULTIES. ALSO I BELIEVE GND TOLD US TO TURN R AT THAT TIME. I WAS CONFUSED AND DID NOT RESPOND BACK TO GND. ABOUT 8-10 SECONDS AFTER I DIVERTED MY FULL ATTN OUTSIDE THE ACFT I NOTICED WE WERE ON TXWY H8 POINTED TO THE W. I NEVER POSITIVELY IDENTED BEING ON RWY 34, HOWEVER, BASED ON THE RATE AND DIRECTION THAT WE TURNED I HAVE TO SAY WE WERE PARTLY ON RWY 34 AT SOME TIME. WE THEN CONTINUED WBOUND ON TXWY H8 TO TXWY H FOR RWY 34. WHILE ON TXWY H I ASKED GND FOR OUR TKOF SEQUENCE. THEY PUT US BEHIND A JET THAT WAS CLRING RWY 34 WHO HAD THEIR TKOF CLRNC CANCELED DUE TO US.

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.