Widebody transport taxies onto wrong taxiway.

Attributes
ACN	306950
Time
Date	199506
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mem
State Reference	TN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 4300 flight time type : 310
ASRS Report	306950
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On taxi out of spot xx, ground control gave us taxi instructions of 'taxi via Q, C, to runway 18L.' I read back those instructions verbatim, and since this was a change of runway from what we expected, I began making changes to the FMS, etc. The captain called to configure the aircraft and run the checklist and finish making the changes required for the runway change. While I was making these changes the captain turned onto taxiway Z which was not part of our taxi instructions. Immediately after the turn I noticed this and said to the captain that we were cleared via taxiway Q, not taxiway Z. Immediately after I said this, ground control called to say that they had wanted us to taxi on taxiway Q. The captain then responded to ground control that he had not understood the taxi instructions and could they speak more clearly next time. This was the first that I learned that the captain had not understood the taxi instructions. Ground control's instructions had been clear to me, and if the captain was not sure, then he could have asked me or requested that ground repeat the instructions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB TAXIES ONTO WRONG TXWY.

Narrative: ON TAXI OUT OF SPOT XX, GND CTL GAVE US TAXI INSTRUCTIONS OF 'TAXI VIA Q, C, TO RWY 18L.' I READ BACK THOSE INSTRUCTIONS VERBATIM, AND SINCE THIS WAS A CHANGE OF RWY FROM WHAT WE EXPECTED, I BEGAN MAKING CHANGES TO THE FMS, ETC. THE CAPT CALLED TO CONFIGURE THE ACFT AND RUN THE CHKLIST AND FINISH MAKING THE CHANGES REQUIRED FOR THE RWY CHANGE. WHILE I WAS MAKING THESE CHANGES THE CAPT TURNED ONTO TXWY Z WHICH WAS NOT PART OF OUR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TURN I NOTICED THIS AND SAID TO THE CAPT THAT WE WERE CLRED VIA TXWY Q, NOT TXWY Z. IMMEDIATELY AFTER I SAID THIS, GND CTL CALLED TO SAY THAT THEY HAD WANTED US TO TAXI ON TXWY Q. THE CAPT THEN RESPONDED TO GND CTL THAT HE HAD NOT UNDERSTOOD THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND COULD THEY SPEAK MORE CLRLY NEXT TIME. THIS WAS THE FIRST THAT I LEARNED THAT THE CAPT HAD NOT UNDERSTOOD THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. GND CTL'S INSTRUCTIONS HAD BEEN CLR TO ME, AND IF THE CAPT WAS NOT SURE, THEN HE COULD HAVE ASKED ME OR REQUESTED THAT GND REPEAT THE 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.