Narrative:

We departed concourse at ord with taxi clearance A-A6-J-west runway 4L. After approximately 10 min taxi, we were monitoring tower proceeding on taxiway J short of taxiway west when instructed 'position and hold.' no runway was specified, nor did I respond with specific runway as our original taxi clearance specified runway 4L. The captain, upon receipt of position and hold clearance, asked me for the before takeoff checks. As I was looking down at the panel running the before takeoff items, I did not notice, nor correct, the captain as he continued straight ahead to position and hold on runway 9L, rather than right on taxiway west to position and hold on runway 4L. I realized our error when tower instructed us to continue across runway 9L and another aircraft on final (a king air) to go around. We immediately cleared runway 9L and were issued taxi instructions to resequence for runway 4L. Contributing factors to this event were: lengthy taxi with numerous duties prior to position and hold clearance. Close proximity of runways 4L/9L departure ends, both of which are typically accessed via taxiway J (runway 9L) taxiway jw (runway 4L). Combination of controller issuing generic 'position and hold' clearance without specifying runway -- example: 'position and hold runway 4L' with pilot's generic readback of 'position and hold' rather than 'position and hold runway 4L.' pilot's complacency in executing clearance which is very familiar and oft-repeated at home airport. Corrective actions: improved crew vigilance. Specific clearance to be answered specifically. This scenario is a reminder that mistakes are possible when trying to maintain a tight schedule in a task saturated environment, combined with complacency brought on by many repetitions of very similar clrncs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AT42 WAS CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 4L. ACKNOWLEDGED CLRNC BUT DID NOT REPEAT RWY AND MOVED ONTO RWY 9L. KING AIR ON APCH MADE A GAR. TWR INTERVENED AND CLRED TFC TO VACATE RWY 9L AND RESEQUENCE TO RWY 4L.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED CONCOURSE AT ORD WITH TAXI CLRNC A-A6-J-W RWY 4L. AFTER APPROX 10 MIN TAXI, WE WERE MONITORING TWR PROCEEDING ON TXWY J SHORT OF TXWY W WHEN INSTRUCTED 'POS AND HOLD.' NO RWY WAS SPECIFIED, NOR DID I RESPOND WITH SPECIFIC RWY AS OUR ORIGINAL TAXI CLRNC SPECIFIED RWY 4L. THE CAPT, UPON RECEIPT OF POS AND HOLD CLRNC, ASKED ME FOR THE BEFORE TKOF CHKS. AS I WAS LOOKING DOWN AT THE PANEL RUNNING THE BEFORE TKOF ITEMS, I DID NOT NOTICE, NOR CORRECT, THE CAPT AS HE CONTINUED STRAIGHT AHEAD TO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 9L, RATHER THAN R ON TXWY W TO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 4L. I REALIZED OUR ERROR WHEN TWR INSTRUCTED US TO CONTINUE ACROSS RWY 9L AND ANOTHER ACFT ON FINAL (A KING AIR) TO GAR. WE IMMEDIATELY CLRED RWY 9L AND WERE ISSUED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO RESEQUENCE FOR RWY 4L. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS EVENT WERE: LENGTHY TAXI WITH NUMEROUS DUTIES PRIOR TO POS AND HOLD CLRNC. CLOSE PROX OF RWYS 4L/9L DEP ENDS, BOTH OF WHICH ARE TYPICALLY ACCESSED VIA TXWY J (RWY 9L) TXWY JW (RWY 4L). COMBINATION OF CTLR ISSUING GENERIC 'POS AND HOLD' CLRNC WITHOUT SPECIFYING RWY -- EXAMPLE: 'POS AND HOLD RWY 4L' WITH PLT'S GENERIC READBACK OF 'POS AND HOLD' RATHER THAN 'POS AND HOLD RWY 4L.' PLT'S COMPLACENCY IN EXECUTING CLRNC WHICH IS VERY FAMILIAR AND OFT-REPEATED AT HOME ARPT. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: IMPROVED CREW VIGILANCE. SPECIFIC CLRNC TO BE ANSWERED SPECIFICALLY. THIS SCENARIO IS A REMINDER THAT MISTAKES ARE POSSIBLE WHEN TRYING TO MAINTAIN A TIGHT SCHEDULE IN A TASK SATURATED ENVIRONMENT, COMBINED WITH COMPLACENCY BROUGHT ON BY MANY REPETITIONS OF VERY SIMILAR CLRNCS.

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.