Narrative:

I thought we were cleared to runway 14, when we were really cleared to runway 23. I taxied across the end of runway 23 on taxiway H on my way to runway 14, while the first officer was trying to get the headings to agree after he received the taxi instructions. This might have been avoided if we would have waited until we got to the runway run-up pad, so we both could have been watching where we were going. It would also help if the pilot doing the taxiing picks up the instructions or reads them back to the pilot that does get them (there is no side tone to hear what the other pilot reads back to ATC). This will now become part of my habit pattern. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter captain says that he didn't hear the first officer read back about taxi instructions because their aircraft, be- 1900, has very weak side tone. As to the first officer trying to get the headings to agree while they were taxiing, was because their compasses were not aligned and he was trying to align them. Thus, the first officer was distracted and didn't notice that the aircraft was taxiing to the wrong runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR CAPT MISUNDERSTOOD TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, FO WASN'T MONITORING AND ACFT WAS TAXIED ACROSS ACTIVE RWY.

Narrative: I THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED TO RWY 14, WHEN WE WERE REALLY CLRED TO RWY 23. I TAXIED ACROSS THE END OF RWY 23 ON TXWY H ON MY WAY TO RWY 14, WHILE THE FO WAS TRYING TO GET THE HDGS TO AGREE AFTER HE RECEIVED THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF WE WOULD HAVE WAITED UNTIL WE GOT TO THE RWY RUN-UP PAD, SO WE BOTH COULD HAVE BEEN WATCHING WHERE WE WERE GOING. IT WOULD ALSO HELP IF THE PLT DOING THE TAXIING PICKS UP THE INSTRUCTIONS OR READS THEM BACK TO THE PLT THAT DOES GET THEM (THERE IS NO SIDE TONE TO HEAR WHAT THE OTHER PLT READS BACK TO ATC). THIS WILL NOW BECOME PART OF MY HABIT PATTERN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR CAPT SAYS THAT HE DIDN'T HEAR THE FO READ BACK ABOUT TAXI INSTRUCTIONS BECAUSE THEIR ACFT, BE- 1900, HAS VERY WEAK SIDE TONE. AS TO THE FO TRYING TO GET THE HDGS TO AGREE WHILE THEY WERE TAXIING, WAS BECAUSE THEIR COMPASSES WERE NOT ALIGNED AND HE WAS TRYING TO ALIGN THEM. THUS, THE FO WAS DISTRACTED AND DIDN'T NOTICE THAT THE ACFT WAS TAXIING TO THE WRONG RWY.

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.