Narrative:

At approximately XA20 local on apr/tue/03, abq ground control cleared us to taxi from the cargo ramp to runway 26 via taxiway F and taxiway C, hold short of runway 30. We had briefed the expected taxi route, and both the captain and I had our airport diagrams out. As we began to taxi northeast on taxiway F, ground control issued further taxi instructions to cross runway 30 and taxi to runway 26 via taxiway C and taxiway east. Approaching the intersection of taxiway C and taxiway F, and runway 3, the directional sign for taxiway C appeared to indicate a right turn approaching from the south on taxiway F. As we started a right turn onto what we thought was taxiway to C and to cross what we believed was runway 30, we realized that we should have made a slight left turn onto C vice follow what the directional sign appeared to indicate. The aircraft had now inadvertently moved onto the off duty runway 3 (active runways were runway 26 and runway 30). Ground control noted the turn and cleared us to taxi via runway 3 to taxiway east for runway 26. Contributing factors: directional signage for taxiway C contributed to a momentary loss of situational awareness during the night taxi, which was enough time to make the right turn, placing us on runway 3 before realizing our error. My failure to immediately call for the captain to stop the aircraft prior to rechking my airport diagram as soon as I realized we should have been making a slight left turn to taxiway C from taxiway F. Large 'apron like' shape of the intersection, poor lighting at the intersection, and the close proximity of runway 3. Expectation of crossing runway 30 shortly after joining taxiway C. Supplemental 579340: on taxiway F, captain called for 'cleared to configure.' after my flow and readying checklist to read with light, I moved my chair up front and noticed we were in a right turn and on runway 3. We all 3 recognized the error and ATC then cleared us to continue down runway 3 to taxiway east, then to runway 26.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TXWY RWY INCURSION WHEN A B727-200 CARGO PIC TURNS ONTO THE WRONG TXWY AND ENTERS RWY 3 AT ABQ, NM.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA20 LCL ON APR/TUE/03, ABQ GND CTL CLRED US TO TAXI FROM THE CARGO RAMP TO RWY 26 VIA TXWY F AND TXWY C, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 30. WE HAD BRIEFED THE EXPECTED TAXI RTE, AND BOTH THE CAPT AND I HAD OUR ARPT DIAGRAMS OUT. AS WE BEGAN TO TAXI NE ON TXWY F, GND CTL ISSUED FURTHER TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO CROSS RWY 30 AND TAXI TO RWY 26 VIA TXWY C AND TXWY E. APCHING THE INTXN OF TXWY C AND TXWY F, AND RWY 3, THE DIRECTIONAL SIGN FOR TXWY C APPEARED TO INDICATE A R TURN APCHING FROM THE S ON TXWY F. AS WE STARTED A R TURN ONTO WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS TXWY TO C AND TO CROSS WHAT WE BELIEVED WAS RWY 30, WE REALIZED THAT WE SHOULD HAVE MADE A SLIGHT L TURN ONTO C VICE FOLLOW WHAT THE DIRECTIONAL SIGN APPEARED TO INDICATE. THE ACFT HAD NOW INADVERTENTLY MOVED ONTO THE OFF DUTY RWY 3 (ACTIVE RWYS WERE RWY 26 AND RWY 30). GND CTL NOTED THE TURN AND CLRED US TO TAXI VIA RWY 3 TO TXWY E FOR RWY 26. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: DIRECTIONAL SIGNAGE FOR TXWY C CONTRIBUTED TO A MOMENTARY LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS DURING THE NIGHT TAXI, WHICH WAS ENOUGH TIME TO MAKE THE R TURN, PLACING US ON RWY 3 BEFORE REALIZING OUR ERROR. MY FAILURE TO IMMEDIATELY CALL FOR THE CAPT TO STOP THE ACFT PRIOR TO RECHKING MY ARPT DIAGRAM AS SOON AS I REALIZED WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MAKING A SLIGHT L TURN TO TXWY C FROM TXWY F. LARGE 'APRON LIKE' SHAPE OF THE INTXN, POOR LIGHTING AT THE INTXN, AND THE CLOSE PROX OF RWY 3. EXPECTATION OF XING RWY 30 SHORTLY AFTER JOINING TXWY C. SUPPLEMENTAL 579340: ON TXWY F, CAPT CALLED FOR 'CLRED TO CONFIGURE.' AFTER MY FLOW AND READYING CHKLIST TO READ WITH LIGHT, I MOVED MY CHAIR UP FRONT AND NOTICED WE WERE IN A R TURN AND ON RWY 3. WE ALL 3 RECOGNIZED THE ERROR AND ATC THEN CLRED US TO CONTINUE DOWN RWY 3 TO TXWY E, THEN TO RWY 26.

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.