An MD11 cargo flight crew uses the wrong taxiway during a low visibility night operation taxi out at...

Attributes
ACN	493310
Time
Date	200011
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Fog
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-11
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	493310
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	incursion : taxiway non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Good preflight planning. Good brief. I was flying with a captain I know and like and respect a lot. When pushing back in night/low visibility, we were issued a clearance to hold short runway 25L at taxiway G, to watch for another carrier pushing at same time. Captain briefed our normal (habit) route of taxi and we saw what we believed was our traffic to follow and captain acted like he knew route, but our normal taxi route was the wrong way, not our cleared route. I failed to back him up because while looking at page 10-9, I did not verify that route cleared. We turned onto (wrong) taxiway and ground control noticed that right away. We had gone our normal/expected route, but not our cleared route. Expectations bias human factors. Xcockpit authority/authorized bias human factors. After incident, captain did a good job of debriefing and not allowing subsequent failure mode due to fixation. We had position until we could cross to our newly cleared route. I believe pilots should question every clearance. What is needed is ground surveillance with precision ground radar, plus a lighted tracking system like I've seen in an aviation magazine.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD11 CARGO FLC USES THE WRONG TXWY DURING A LOW VISIBILITY NIGHT OP TAXI OUT AT LAX, CA.

Narrative: GOOD PREFLT PLANNING. GOOD BRIEF. I WAS FLYING WITH A CAPT I KNOW AND LIKE AND RESPECT A LOT. WHEN PUSHING BACK IN NIGHT/LOW VISIBILITY, WE WERE ISSUED A CLRNC TO HOLD SHORT RWY 25L AT TXWY G, TO WATCH FOR ANOTHER CARRIER PUSHING AT SAME TIME. CAPT BRIEFED OUR NORMAL (HABIT) RTE OF TAXI AND WE SAW WHAT WE BELIEVED WAS OUR TFC TO FOLLOW AND CAPT ACTED LIKE HE KNEW RTE, BUT OUR NORMAL TAXI RTE WAS THE WRONG WAY, NOT OUR CLRED RTE. I FAILED TO BACK HIM UP BECAUSE WHILE LOOKING AT PAGE 10-9, I DID NOT VERIFY THAT RTE CLRED. WE TURNED ONTO (WRONG) TXWY AND GND CTL NOTICED THAT RIGHT AWAY. WE HAD GONE OUR NORMAL/EXPECTED RTE, BUT NOT OUR CLRED RTE. EXPECTATIONS BIAS HUMAN FACTORS. XCOCKPIT AUTH BIAS HUMAN FACTORS. AFTER INCIDENT, CAPT DID A GOOD JOB OF DEBRIEFING AND NOT ALLOWING SUBSEQUENT FAILURE MODE DUE TO FIXATION. WE HAD POS UNTIL WE COULD CROSS TO OUR NEWLY CLRED RTE. I BELIEVE PLTS SHOULD QUESTION EVERY CLRNC. WHAT IS NEEDED IS GND SURVEILLANCE WITH PRECISION GND RADAR, PLUS A LIGHTED TRACKING SYS LIKE I'VE SEEN IN AN AVIATION MAGAZINE.

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.

An MD11 cargo flight crew uses the wrong taxiway during a low visibility night operation taxi out at lax, ca.