B737-400 flight crew taxies to the wrong runway at pit.

Attributes
ACN	358816
Time
Date	199701
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pit
State Reference	PA
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	B737-400
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 : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 4500
ASRS Report	358816
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On taxi out we thought we were cleared to runway 28L from V4 but were really cleared to runway 28C. We crossed runway 28C to taxiway F without permission thinking we had been cleared to cross. There was no danger because we checked runway 28C before crossing and there was no traffic. The situation occurred because of old habit patterns. Neither the first officer nor myself had been into pit since runway 28C had reopened. For months previous, the normal flow of traffic outbound was to cross runway 28C and go to runway 28L for takeoff. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: captain stated he was mentally geared to thinking runway 28C was closed and they only depart on runway 28L. After all, runway 28C had been closed for so long, he wasn't used to using runway 28C. The taxiway and runway signs were easily visible and markings were clear. He was looking for taxiway east to take him to the runway. When he saw taxiway F, he mentally made that an 'east' thinking the bottom horizontal was covered. This taxiway F took him to the wrong runway. Pilot was disturbed that such a thing could happen to him, this was his first runway incursion.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-400 FLT CREW TAXIES TO THE WRONG RWY AT PIT.

Narrative: ON TAXI OUT WE THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED TO RWY 28L FROM V4 BUT WERE REALLY CLRED TO RWY 28C. WE CROSSED RWY 28C TO TXWY F WITHOUT PERMISSION THINKING WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO CROSS. THERE WAS NO DANGER BECAUSE WE CHKED RWY 28C BEFORE XING AND THERE WAS NO TFC. THE SIT OCCURRED BECAUSE OF OLD HABIT PATTERNS. NEITHER THE FO NOR MYSELF HAD BEEN INTO PIT SINCE RWY 28C HAD REOPENED. FOR MONTHS PREVIOUS, THE NORMAL FLOW OF TFC OUTBOUND WAS TO CROSS RWY 28C AND GO TO RWY 28L FOR TKOF. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CAPT STATED HE WAS MENTALLY GEARED TO THINKING RWY 28C WAS CLOSED AND THEY ONLY DEPART ON RWY 28L. AFTER ALL, RWY 28C HAD BEEN CLOSED FOR SO LONG, HE WASN'T USED TO USING RWY 28C. THE TXWY AND RWY SIGNS WERE EASILY VISIBLE AND MARKINGS WERE CLR. HE WAS LOOKING FOR TXWY E TO TAKE HIM TO THE RWY. WHEN HE SAW TXWY F, HE MENTALLY MADE THAT AN 'E' THINKING THE BOTTOM HORIZ WAS COVERED. THIS TXWY F TOOK HIM TO THE WRONG RWY. PLT WAS DISTURBED THAT SUCH A THING COULD HAPPEN TO HIM, THIS WAS HIS FIRST RWY INCURSION.

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.