Narrative:

After we were cleared to ground control (from metering), our taxi instructions were 'right on taxiway B, taxiway J, taxiway west to runway 4.' we didn't have the data for runway 4L and we acquired new data from our operations. We taxied on taxiway B and taxiway J behind an air carrier B737 (aircraft Y), but we never made the turn on taxiway west. Ground told us to contact tower. On tower frequency we heard that air carrier Y B737 had been cleared for takeoff on runway 9L and shortly after that we were cleared into the position and hold on runway 9L. I realized later that we never had made the right turn on taxiway west (for runway 4L) and was disoriented at that time. Tower probably saw us lined up for runway 9L and didn't think anything of it, but things should have been clarified between us. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: in that the controller explicitly cleared the reporter's aircraft into position and hold for runway 9L, then subsequently for takeoff runway 9L, this is not a runway incursion event. The reporter stated that the primary contributor to this event was the breakdown in CRM in the cockpit due to split communications duties. Reporter also noted that this was the first flight with this captain.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF ACR ACFT TAXI TO THE WRONG RWY AT ORD. THE CTLR, WHETHER OR NOT HE OR SHE RECOGNIZED THE MISTAKE, SPECIFICALLY CLRED THE ACFT ONTO RWY 9L WHEN GND CTLR HAD ASSIGNED RWY 4L.

Narrative: AFTER WE WERE CLRED TO GND CTL (FROM METERING), OUR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WERE 'R ON TXWY B, TXWY J, TXWY W TO RWY 4.' WE DIDN'T HAVE THE DATA FOR RWY 4L AND WE ACQUIRED NEW DATA FROM OUR OPS. WE TAXIED ON TXWY B AND TXWY J BEHIND AN ACR B737 (ACFT Y), BUT WE NEVER MADE THE TURN ON TXWY W. GND TOLD US TO CONTACT TWR. ON TWR FREQ WE HEARD THAT ACR Y B737 HAD BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 9L AND SHORTLY AFTER THAT WE WERE CLRED INTO THE POS AND HOLD ON RWY 9L. I REALIZED LATER THAT WE NEVER HAD MADE THE R TURN ON TXWY W (FOR RWY 4L) AND WAS DISORIENTED AT THAT TIME. TWR PROBABLY SAW US LINED UP FOR RWY 9L AND DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT, BUT THINGS SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLARIFIED BTWN US. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: IN THAT THE CTLR EXPLICITLY CLRED THE RPTR'S ACFT INTO POS AND HOLD FOR RWY 9L, THEN SUBSEQUENTLY FOR TKOF RWY 9L, THIS IS NOT A RWY INCURSION EVENT. THE RPTR STATED THAT THE PRIMARY CONTRIBUTOR TO THIS EVENT WAS THE BREAKDOWN IN CRM IN THE COCKPIT DUE TO SPLIT COMS DUTIES. RPTR ALSO NOTED THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST FLT WITH THIS CAPT.

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.