Narrative:

Leaving gate X at hou, ground control told us to taxi to runway 12R, even though at pushback we were told to expect runway 4. He evidently told us to proceed via txwys Y, H, and M. I missed these instructions. I was distraction by the thick fog (800 ft RVR) and the change to runway 12R, I was caught up in reviewing the takeoff minimums for runway 12R versus runway 4. As I started around the terminal to join taxiway Y, ground advised us to watch for a cessna conquest coming the opposite direction on taxiway B off of runway 4. The conquest came into sight in the fog and the controller told him to follow us on taxiway Y. Passing the conquest, I again became focused on the fog, runway 12R takeoff minimums and the change of runways. I continued on taxiway Y instead of turning on taxiway H. During this whole time tower could see no one on the ground due to fog. Evidently, taxiway Y was notamed closed due to construction on either side of it near gate. There were no cones, lights, barricades, markings of any kind indicating it was closed. As I taxied between the work areas, I could clearly see the construction barricades and flags marking the work area well clear of our position and cautiously proceeded through, following taxiway Y to hold short of runway 12L. When we told ground we were holding short of runway 12L, he told us to cross and turn right on taxiway M to hold short of runway 12R at the end, which can't be done from where we were. We told him we were already holding short of runway 12L at taxiway east not taxiway H. He seemed surprised, but said 'oh, ok, contact tower.' tower cleared us to runway 12R -- we departed. Airborne, started thinking about the surprise in his voice and where he thought we should have been instead of where we ended up. Digging deep in the NOTAMS, I later found that section of taxiway Y to be notamed closed. Taxiing, both of us were looking for the other airplane. With all the fog, tower could not see any aircraft on the airfield to monitor movement. Though notamed closed, there is no marking/barrier to indicate such. The main thing is I just never heard the controller's full instructions, I suppose my 'head was in the fog,' so to speak. Also, on the previous leg I was displaced by a commuting pilot from sat so he could fly the HUD approach into hou, as I am not yet HUD qualified. That probably added a bit to my not being totally up to speed when we were leaving the gate. Bottom line: don't let something like a runway change in adverse WX distraction you from the basics -- like getting the full taxi clearance. Supplemental information from acn 532345: the construction on both sides of the taxiway adjacent to where concourse used to be and it still being shown on the airport diagram added to this confusion. Taxiway Y was notamed as closed between taxiway C and gate. We missed the turn onto taxiway H and continued taxiing on the closed portion of taxiway Y to hold short of runway 12L at taxiway east. There were no barricades, lights, or cones marking the closed section of taxiway Y and to clearance (wing) issues with the construction. It was only after departure and relistening to ATIS that we realized our mistake. The contributing factors were 800 ft RVR in fog, the construction on the ramp and the change in terminal confign from that depicted, distraction of last min runway change, other traffic, and being behind schedule.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B733 CREW, TAXIING FOR TKOF AT HOU, MISSED TURNING AT ASSIGNED TXWY AND TAXIED THROUGH A CLOSED PORTION OF THE RAMP.

Narrative: LEAVING GATE X AT HOU, GND CTL TOLD US TO TAXI TO RWY 12R, EVEN THOUGH AT PUSHBACK WE WERE TOLD TO EXPECT RWY 4. HE EVIDENTLY TOLD US TO PROCEED VIA TXWYS Y, H, AND M. I MISSED THESE INSTRUCTIONS. I WAS DISTR BY THE THICK FOG (800 FT RVR) AND THE CHANGE TO RWY 12R, I WAS CAUGHT UP IN REVIEWING THE TKOF MINIMUMS FOR RWY 12R VERSUS RWY 4. AS I STARTED AROUND THE TERMINAL TO JOIN TXWY Y, GND ADVISED US TO WATCH FOR A CESSNA CONQUEST COMING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION ON TXWY B OFF OF RWY 4. THE CONQUEST CAME INTO SIGHT IN THE FOG AND THE CTLR TOLD HIM TO FOLLOW US ON TXWY Y. PASSING THE CONQUEST, I AGAIN BECAME FOCUSED ON THE FOG, RWY 12R TKOF MINIMUMS AND THE CHANGE OF RWYS. I CONTINUED ON TXWY Y INSTEAD OF TURNING ON TXWY H. DURING THIS WHOLE TIME TWR COULD SEE NO ONE ON THE GND DUE TO FOG. EVIDENTLY, TXWY Y WAS NOTAMED CLOSED DUE TO CONSTRUCTION ON EITHER SIDE OF IT NEAR GATE. THERE WERE NO CONES, LIGHTS, BARRICADES, MARKINGS OF ANY KIND INDICATING IT WAS CLOSED. AS I TAXIED BTWN THE WORK AREAS, I COULD CLRLY SEE THE CONSTRUCTION BARRICADES AND FLAGS MARKING THE WORK AREA WELL CLR OF OUR POS AND CAUTIOUSLY PROCEEDED THROUGH, FOLLOWING TXWY Y TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 12L. WHEN WE TOLD GND WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 12L, HE TOLD US TO CROSS AND TURN R ON TXWY M TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 12R AT THE END, WHICH CAN'T BE DONE FROM WHERE WE WERE. WE TOLD HIM WE WERE ALREADY HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 12L AT TXWY E NOT TXWY H. HE SEEMED SURPRISED, BUT SAID 'OH, OK, CONTACT TWR.' TWR CLRED US TO RWY 12R -- WE DEPARTED. AIRBORNE, STARTED THINKING ABOUT THE SURPRISE IN HIS VOICE AND WHERE HE THOUGHT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN INSTEAD OF WHERE WE ENDED UP. DIGGING DEEP IN THE NOTAMS, I LATER FOUND THAT SECTION OF TXWY Y TO BE NOTAMED CLOSED. TAXIING, BOTH OF US WERE LOOKING FOR THE OTHER AIRPLANE. WITH ALL THE FOG, TWR COULD NOT SEE ANY ACFT ON THE AIRFIELD TO MONITOR MOVEMENT. THOUGH NOTAMED CLOSED, THERE IS NO MARKING/BARRIER TO INDICATE SUCH. THE MAIN THING IS I JUST NEVER HEARD THE CTLR'S FULL INSTRUCTIONS, I SUPPOSE MY 'HEAD WAS IN THE FOG,' SO TO SPEAK. ALSO, ON THE PREVIOUS LEG I WAS DISPLACED BY A COMMUTING PLT FROM SAT SO HE COULD FLY THE HUD APCH INTO HOU, AS I AM NOT YET HUD QUALIFIED. THAT PROBABLY ADDED A BIT TO MY NOT BEING TOTALLY UP TO SPD WHEN WE WERE LEAVING THE GATE. BOTTOM LINE: DON'T LET SOMETHING LIKE A RWY CHANGE IN ADVERSE WX DISTR YOU FROM THE BASICS -- LIKE GETTING THE FULL TAXI CLRNC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 532345: THE CONSTRUCTION ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TXWY ADJACENT TO WHERE CONCOURSE USED TO BE AND IT STILL BEING SHOWN ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM ADDED TO THIS CONFUSION. TXWY Y WAS NOTAMED AS CLOSED BTWN TXWY C AND GATE. WE MISSED THE TURN ONTO TXWY H AND CONTINUED TAXIING ON THE CLOSED PORTION OF TXWY Y TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 12L AT TXWY E. THERE WERE NO BARRICADES, LIGHTS, OR CONES MARKING THE CLOSED SECTION OF TXWY Y AND TO CLRNC (WING) ISSUES WITH THE CONSTRUCTION. IT WAS ONLY AFTER DEP AND RELISTENING TO ATIS THAT WE REALIZED OUR MISTAKE. THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE 800 FT RVR IN FOG, THE CONSTRUCTION ON THE RAMP AND THE CHANGE IN TERMINAL CONFIGN FROM THAT DEPICTED, DISTR OF LAST MIN RWY CHANGE, OTHER TFC, AND BEING BEHIND SCHEDULE.

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.