DC9 crew at pvd misident runway as taxiway during taxi out for departure.

Attributes
ACN	532536
Time
Date	200112
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pvd.airport
State Reference	RI
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	ground : taxi ground : holding
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 9500 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	532536
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 275 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	532434
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Cleared to taxi from parking ramp via txwys, T, D, south to runway 5R at pvd. Captain taxiing the aircraft misidented runway 5L for taxiway T, crossing the threshold at intersection of txwys T and C before realizing the aircraft was entering the inactive runway. Controller cleared the crew to proceed, stating that the runway was inactive. However, the aircraft had encroached the runway threshold before being notified by the controller. WX was clear at the time, the error involved misidenting the runway as a taxiway in adjacent to the parking ramp. Closer attention to the airfield diagram, perhaps flashers or more distinct markings, may have precluded the event. Supplemental information from acn 532434: I (first officer) was completing my duties (heads down) while captain made initial turn and idented our location as I checked the diagram and looked up. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: first officer reporter stated their flight was pushed straight back and when released by the ground crew, the captain turned to the right and began to taxi. Seeing the wide area, which was the entrance to taxiway C, the captain taxied towards it and may have believed it was the runway 5L threshold. The first officer said at the time of the incident, he was heads down checking numbers and starting the pretkof list.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9 CREW AT PVD MISIDENT RWY AS TXWY DURING TAXI OUT FOR DEP.

Narrative: CLRED TO TAXI FROM PARKING RAMP VIA TXWYS, T, D, S TO RWY 5R AT PVD. CAPT TAXIING THE ACFT MISIDENTED RWY 5L FOR TXWY T, XING THE THRESHOLD AT INTXN OF TXWYS T AND C BEFORE REALIZING THE ACFT WAS ENTERING THE INACTIVE RWY. CTLR CLRED THE CREW TO PROCEED, STATING THAT THE RWY WAS INACTIVE. HOWEVER, THE ACFT HAD ENCROACHED THE RWY THRESHOLD BEFORE BEING NOTIFIED BY THE CTLR. WX WAS CLR AT THE TIME, THE ERROR INVOLVED MISIDENTING THE RWY AS A TXWY IN ADJACENT TO THE PARKING RAMP. CLOSER ATTN TO THE AIRFIELD DIAGRAM, PERHAPS FLASHERS OR MORE DISTINCT MARKINGS, MAY HAVE PRECLUDED THE EVENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 532434: I (FO) WAS COMPLETING MY DUTIES (HEADS DOWN) WHILE CAPT MADE INITIAL TURN AND IDENTED OUR LOCATION AS I CHKED THE DIAGRAM AND LOOKED UP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: FO RPTR STATED THEIR FLT WAS PUSHED STRAIGHT BACK AND WHEN RELEASED BY THE GND CREW, THE CAPT TURNED TO THE R AND BEGAN TO TAXI. SEEING THE WIDE AREA, WHICH WAS THE ENTRANCE TO TXWY C, THE CAPT TAXIED TOWARDS IT AND MAY HAVE BELIEVED IT WAS THE RWY 5L THRESHOLD. THE FO SAID AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, HE WAS HEADS DOWN CHKING NUMBERS AND STARTING THE PRETKOF LIST.

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.