Captain inadvertently took the wrong taxiway during taxi for takeoff resulting in taxiing onto an ac...

Attributes
ACN	316560
Time
Date	199509
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sea
State Reference	WA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
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 : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	316560
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited adverse environment other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Runway incursion. Started taxiing from gate after cleared by ground to taxi runway 16L via taxiway B. First officer mentioned 'that would be the outer taxiway.' I looked at my airport chart and saw that taxiway B was the taxiway nearest the runway and stated so to the first officer. I had a problem referring to it as the outer taxiway. It did not register with me at that point that taxiway a did not start until just south of taxiway J, way north of our position. We had just joined taxiway B from the ramp and then started the left turn at taxiway left to turn onto what we thought would be taxiway B. We both realized the error just as an aircraft was either taking off or landing and I instructed the first officer to notify ground of our position. The frequency was busy for about 15 seconds and before we could transmit, ground said 'air carrier are you still with us?' we said we were and stated where we were. Ground said continue and exit at taxiway J to rejoin taxiway B.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT INADVERTENTLY TOOK THE WRONG TXWY DURING TAXI FOR TKOF RESULTING IN TAXIING ONTO AN ACTIVE RWY CAUSING ATC INTERVENTION.

Narrative: RWY INCURSION. STARTED TAXIING FROM GATE AFTER CLRED BY GND TO TAXI RWY 16L VIA TXWY B. FO MENTIONED 'THAT WOULD BE THE OUTER TXWY.' I LOOKED AT MY ARPT CHART AND SAW THAT TXWY B WAS THE TXWY NEAREST THE RWY AND STATED SO TO THE FO. I HAD A PROB REFERRING TO IT AS THE OUTER TXWY. IT DID NOT REGISTER WITH ME AT THAT POINT THAT TXWY A DID NOT START UNTIL JUST S OF TXWY J, WAY N OF OUR POS. WE HAD JUST JOINED TXWY B FROM THE RAMP AND THEN STARTED THE L TURN AT TXWY L TO TURN ONTO WHAT WE THOUGHT WOULD BE TXWY B. WE BOTH REALIZED THE ERROR JUST AS AN ACFT WAS EITHER TAKING OFF OR LNDG AND I INSTRUCTED THE FO TO NOTIFY GND OF OUR POS. THE FREQ WAS BUSY FOR ABOUT 15 SECONDS AND BEFORE WE COULD XMIT, GND SAID 'ACR ARE YOU STILL WITH US?' WE SAID WE WERE AND STATED WHERE WE WERE. GND SAID CONTINUE AND EXIT AT TXWY J TO REJOIN TXWY B.

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.

Captain inadvertently took the wrong taxiway during taxi for takeoff resulting in taxiing onto an active runway causing ATC intervention.