Narrative:

Pushed back from gate in bwi. Received taxi instructions to runway 15R, turned east (right). After receiving instructions that air carrier Y was holding for me, began to hurry. Fell into normal taxi to runway 28 via 'C' taxiway and crossed 4-22 runway, realized mistake and clarified taxi route to runway 15R. Jumpseat was occupied. We were having conversation about air carrier operations. He asked as I was taxiing out, 'aren't we using runway 15R?' as I was crossing runway 4 on taxiway 'C.' I had fairly new first officer who was busy. Lots of chatter on radio, I messed up! Fell into habit pattern to runway 28, heard what I wanted to hear -- taxi to closest runway. I did look up and down runways 4-22 very carefully, as at this time things weren't feeling right, but was too late just to stop. There was never a safety hazard and I realized I made an unintentional mistake. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: callback revealed that the taxi clearance was 'taxi to runway 15R' with no routing information provided as to taxiways to be used or direction to taxi. The jumpseat rider in the cockpit who noticed the error was locally based. He was wearing a headset and was not considered a distraction by the reporter, but an asset to the operation. The ground controller appeared to have a heavy workload and was not aware of the taxi error until notified by the crew. The other aircraft involved was only holding waiting for the reporter to vacate the gate area. There was no conflict.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CREW TAXIES ACROSS AN INACTIVE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC WHEN THEY BEGIN TAXI TO THE USUAL RATHER THAN THE ASSIGNED RWY FOR DEP.

Narrative: PUSHED BACK FROM GATE IN BWI. RECEIVED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO RWY 15R, TURNED EAST (RIGHT). AFTER RECEIVING INSTRUCTIONS THAT ACR Y WAS HOLDING FOR ME, BEGAN TO HURRY. FELL INTO NORMAL TAXI TO RWY 28 VIA 'C' TXWY AND CROSSED 4-22 RWY, REALIZED MISTAKE AND CLARIFIED TAXI ROUTE TO RWY 15R. JUMPSEAT WAS OCCUPIED. WE WERE HAVING CONVERSATION ABOUT ACR OPS. HE ASKED AS I WAS TAXIING OUT, 'AREN'T WE USING RWY 15R?' AS I WAS CROSSING RWY 4 ON TXWY 'C.' I HAD FAIRLY NEW FO WHO WAS BUSY. LOTS OF CHATTER ON RADIO, I MESSED UP! FELL INTO HABIT PATTERN TO RWY 28, HEARD WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR -- TAXI TO CLOSEST RWY. I DID LOOK UP AND DOWN RWYS 4-22 VERY CAREFULLY, AS AT THIS TIME THINGS WEREN'T FEELING RIGHT, BUT WAS TOO LATE JUST TO STOP. THERE WAS NEVER A SAFETY HAZARD AND I REALIZED I MADE AN UNINTENTIONAL MISTAKE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CALLBACK REVEALED THAT THE TAXI CLRNC WAS 'TAXI TO RWY 15R' WITH NO ROUTING INFO PROVIDED AS TO TAXIWAYS TO BE USED OR DIRECTION TO TAXI. THE JUMPSEAT RIDER IN THE COCKPIT WHO NOTICED THE ERROR WAS LOCALLY BASED. HE WAS WEARING A HEADSET AND WAS NOT CONSIDERED A DISTR BY THE RPTR, BUT AN ASSET TO THE OP. THE GND CTLR APPEARED TO HAVE A HEAVY WORKLOAD AND WAS NOT AWARE OF THE TAXI ERROR UNTIL NOTIFIED BY THE CREW. THE OTHER ACFT INVOLVED WAS ONLY HOLDING WAITING FOR THE RPTR TO VACATE THE GATE AREA. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT.

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.