Narrative:

We were given a clearance to taxi to runway 15R. As we approached the intersection of txwys a and P, we were instructed to taxi via P. As we taxied, a passenger issue came up with regard to the jumpseat rider being shown on the final weight and balance as being in the cabin. He was. I was approaching a runway at that point and asked the first officer to confirm that we were cleared all the way to runway 15R. He confirmed that we were. As I entered the runway I took another look to make sure that the runway was clear. I looked left, and right, it was then that I saw an MD11 on the runway that I was crossing. With no way to hold short, I applied a high thrust setting to hurry across the runway. I saw the MD11 reject their take off. I called ground control and told them that there was a runway incursion. I truly thought that the MD11 was in error. Only then did I realize that I had missed a turn for runway 15R and had actually crossed it. We later taxied back to the gate. Supplemental information from acn 537570: the captain asked if we had been cleared all the way to runway 15R. My attention was still diverted to the weight and balance data and verifying that I had entered it correctly (as I have not flown for sometime as a first officer, and this trip was my IOE in the right seat, I was being extra vigilant about entering the data during the entire trip), and his question did not 'raise any flags' for me. It did not become clear to me that we had in fact crossed runway 15R, until I looked at the airport chart and realized that we had missed the right hand turn onto the parallel taxiway to runway 15R. When the captain asked if we were cleared all of the way to runway 15R, it should have raised a 'red flag' for me, and I should have looked up at that time to see why he was asking. I did not, and therefore I did not provide an effective back up to the captain. On today's vastly more complex and busy airports, I believe it is time for the rule allowing aircraft to cross all runways when cleared to taxi all the way to the departure runway needs to be changed. Aircraft should be required to stop and confirm that they are cleared to cross any runway while taxiing. This type of inadvertent runway incursion keeps happening to experienced, careful pilots. Maybe it is time for a better method of assuring that an aircraft is cleared to cross a runway. Yes, we had made a wrong turn, however a better crossing protocol would more than likely have alerted us to the fact that we were about to cross an incorrect runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRITICAL GND CONFLICT OCCURS DURING A RWY INCURSION AT BWI, MD.

Narrative: WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO TAXI TO RWY 15R. AS WE APCHED THE INTERSECTION OF TXWYS A AND P, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI VIA P. AS WE TAXIED, A PAX ISSUE CAME UP WITH REGARD TO THE JUMPSEAT RIDER BEING SHOWN ON THE FINAL WEIGHT AND BALANCE AS BEING IN THE CABIN. HE WAS. I WAS APCHING A RWY AT THAT POINT AND ASKED THE FO TO CONFIRM THAT WE WERE CLRED ALL THE WAY TO RWY 15R. HE CONFIRMED THAT WE WERE. AS I ENTERED THE RWY I TOOK ANOTHER LOOK TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RWY WAS CLR. I LOOKED L, AND R, IT WAS THEN THAT I SAW AN MD11 ON THE RWY THAT I WAS CROSSING. WITH NO WAY TO HOLD SHORT, I APPLIED A HIGH THRUST SETTING TO HURRY ACROSS THE RWY. I SAW THE MD11 REJECT THEIR TAKE OFF. I CALLED GND CTL AND TOLD THEM THAT THERE WAS A RWY INCURSION. I TRULY THOUGHT THAT THE MD11 WAS IN ERROR. ONLY THEN DID I REALIZE THAT I HAD MISSED A TURN FOR RWY 15R AND HAD ACTUALLY CROSSED IT. WE LATER TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 537570: THE CAPT ASKED IF WE HAD BEEN CLRED ALL THE WAY TO RWY 15R. MY ATTENTION WAS STILL DIVERTED TO THE WEIGHT AND BALANCE DATA AND VERIFYING THAT I HAD ENTERED IT CORRECTLY (AS I HAVE NOT FLOWN FOR SOMETIME AS A FO, AND THIS TRIP WAS MY IOE IN THE RIGHT SEAT, I WAS BEING EXTRA VIGILANT ABOUT ENTERING THE DATA DURING THE ENTIRE TRIP), AND HIS QUESTION DID NOT 'RAISE ANY FLAGS' FOR ME. IT DID NOT BECOME CLR TO ME THAT WE HAD IN FACT CROSSED RWY 15R, UNTIL I LOOKED AT THE ARPT CHART AND REALIZED THAT WE HAD MISSED THE R HAND TURN ONTO THE PARALLEL TXWY TO RWY 15R. WHEN THE CAPT ASKED IF WE WERE CLRED ALL OF THE WAY TO RWY 15R, IT SHOULD HAVE RAISED A 'RED FLAG' FOR ME, AND I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED UP AT THAT TIME TO SEE WHY HE WAS ASKING. I DID NOT, AND THEREFORE I DID NOT PROVIDE AN EFFECTIVE BACK UP TO THE CAPT. ON TODAY'S VASTLY MORE COMPLEX AND BUSY ARPTS, I BELIEVE IT IS TIME FOR THE RULE ALLOWING ACFT TO CROSS ALL RWYS WHEN CLRED TO TAXI ALL THE WAY TO THE DEP RWY NEEDS TO BE CHANGED. ACFT SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO STOP AND CONFIRM THAT THEY ARE CLRED TO CROSS ANY RWY WHILE TAXIING. THIS TYPE OF INADVERTENT RWY INCURSION KEEPS HAPPENING TO EXPERIENCED, CAREFUL PLTS. MAYBE IT IS TIME FOR A BETTER METHOD OF ASSURING THAT AN ACFT IS CLRED TO CROSS A RWY. YES, WE HAD MADE A WRONG TURN, HOWEVER A BETTER CROSSING PROTOCOL WOULD MORE THAN LIKELY HAVE ALERTED US TO THE FACT THAT WE WERE ABOUT TO CROSS AN INCORRECT RWY.

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.