B737 flight crew becomes confused with signage and taxied across active runway at mia.

Attributes
ACN	570309
Time
Date	200301
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mia.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 10000
ASRS Report	570309
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllerb other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Due to short taxi from ramp area to departure runway 27L cockpit was busy doing checklists and switching radio frequencys. Aircraft was cleared into position and hold onto runway 27L. Captain called for takeoff checklist which first officer proceeded to do. As captain taxied onto runway 27L, he saw directly ahead of him signs for runway 30, which was some 500 ft ahead. Captain was momentarily confused about his assigned departure runway and crossed runway 27L onto the taxiway between runways 27L and runway 30. Tower called and said we were headed for runway 30 and he could let us take off on that runway if we desired. We checked our paperwork, saw that we were ok for runway 30 departure. Tower then cleared us for takeoff on runway 30. There was no incursion on runway 30 prior to our being cleared onto that runway. The busy cockpit, and the distraction of the first officer completing the takeoff checklist, took the first officer out of the loop as the captain taxied onto the runway. The captain may have headed for runway 30 by accident, partially because of the signage, but also, he had landed on runway 30 some 30 mins earlier, so it may have been in his head. Another factor may have been the angle the aircraft was on as it came to runway 27L. It was not perpendicular, but at an angle so the centerline lights were not noticeably visible.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW BECOMES CONFUSED WITH SIGNAGE AND TAXIED ACROSS ACTIVE RWY AT MIA.

Narrative: DUE TO SHORT TAXI FROM RAMP AREA TO DEP RWY 27L COCKPIT WAS BUSY DOING CHKLISTS AND SWITCHING RADIO FREQS. ACFT WAS CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD ONTO RWY 27L. CAPT CALLED FOR TKOF CHKLIST WHICH FO PROCEEDED TO DO. AS CAPT TAXIED ONTO RWY 27L, HE SAW DIRECTLY AHEAD OF HIM SIGNS FOR RWY 30, WHICH WAS SOME 500 FT AHEAD. CAPT WAS MOMENTARILY CONFUSED ABOUT HIS ASSIGNED DEP RWY AND CROSSED RWY 27L ONTO THE TXWY BTWN RWYS 27L AND RWY 30. TWR CALLED AND SAID WE WERE HEADED FOR RWY 30 AND HE COULD LET US TAKE OFF ON THAT RWY IF WE DESIRED. WE CHKED OUR PAPERWORK, SAW THAT WE WERE OK FOR RWY 30 DEP. TWR THEN CLRED US FOR TKOF ON RWY 30. THERE WAS NO INCURSION ON RWY 30 PRIOR TO OUR BEING CLRED ONTO THAT RWY. THE BUSY COCKPIT, AND THE DISTR OF THE FO COMPLETING THE TKOF CHKLIST, TOOK THE FO OUT OF THE LOOP AS THE CAPT TAXIED ONTO THE RWY. THE CAPT MAY HAVE HEADED FOR RWY 30 BY ACCIDENT, PARTIALLY BECAUSE OF THE SIGNAGE, BUT ALSO, HE HAD LANDED ON RWY 30 SOME 30 MINS EARLIER, SO IT MAY HAVE BEEN IN HIS HEAD. ANOTHER FACTOR MAY HAVE BEEN THE ANGLE THE ACFT WAS ON AS IT CAME TO RWY 27L. IT WAS NOT PERPENDICULAR, BUT AT AN ANGLE SO THE CTRLINE LIGHTS WERE NOT NOTICEABLY VISIBLE.

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.