Narrative:

Performance data from the opc showed due to the high temperature and load that runway 26 was the preferred runway. Taxi clearance from parking in phoenix was given from ground control to taxi to runway 26 via txwys D, T, hold short of taxiway C and contact north ground on taxiway T. The taxi clearance was read back verbatim by myself to ground control and then repeated in the cockpit exactly by the captain before taxi. Upon approaching taxiway south, I checked to my right just to see if there would be any conflicts, because as addressed in ept in may by the ATC representative that the taxi flow for txwys T and south (since changed) from previous yrs was still causing problems for aircrews. No other aircraft was on the txwys T or south. The captain started to turn north on taxiway south. About the same time I looked forward and pointed and said taxiway T, but it was too late and we proceeded northbound on taxiway south and checked in with north ground control. They advised a B737-300 to hold short of taxiway south and that company was on the wrong taxiway. I apologized for our error and was given the taxi instructions to turn right on taxiway B to runway 26. No further instructions or notification to 'call us later' were given by ground or tower. My perception was that we would turn north on taxiway T since we both understood and repeated the exact taxi instructions, thus the delayed reaction on my part to correct the turn. I have flown this exact trip the week before with a different captain and the normal takeoff was runway 25R, but due to the higher temperature this day, runway 26 was planned. I believe our previous habit patterns and that taxiway south was the first one to see allowed for the error to occur. I also need to be more diligent to aid the captain's decision making process so that this will not happen again. I also suggest that the chart for standard taxi routes for north taxi on taxiway south be updated to the current taxi flow and that a note of caution be added to the company page concerning the south flow for taxiway south and north flow for taxiway T. The airport diagram was out for both of us, but could also have a note concerning the preferred taxi flow for txwys right, south, and T for other air carrier's and crews. Finally, it would be a great situational enhancement to get the electronic airport diagram displayed on a screen in the cockpit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GND TFC CONFLICT WHEN AN ACR B737 ENTERS THE WRONG TXWY DURING DEP TAXI AT PHX, AZ.

Narrative: PERFORMANCE DATA FROM THE OPC SHOWED DUE TO THE HIGH TEMP AND LOAD THAT RWY 26 WAS THE PREFERRED RWY. TAXI CLRNC FROM PARKING IN PHOENIX WAS GIVEN FROM GND CTL TO TAXI TO RWY 26 VIA TXWYS D, T, HOLD SHORT OF TXWY C AND CONTACT N GND ON TXWY T. THE TAXI CLRNC WAS READ BACK VERBATIM BY MYSELF TO GND CTL AND THEN REPEATED IN THE COCKPIT EXACTLY BY THE CAPT BEFORE TAXI. UPON APCHING TXWY S, I CHKED TO MY R JUST TO SEE IF THERE WOULD BE ANY CONFLICTS, BECAUSE AS ADDRESSED IN EPT IN MAY BY THE ATC REPRESENTATIVE THAT THE TAXI FLOW FOR TXWYS T AND S (SINCE CHANGED) FROM PREVIOUS YRS WAS STILL CAUSING PROBS FOR AIRCREWS. NO OTHER ACFT WAS ON THE TXWYS T OR S. THE CAPT STARTED TO TURN N ON TXWY S. ABOUT THE SAME TIME I LOOKED FORWARD AND POINTED AND SAID TXWY T, BUT IT WAS TOO LATE AND WE PROCEEDED NBOUND ON TXWY S AND CHKED IN WITH N GND CTL. THEY ADVISED A B737-300 TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY S AND THAT COMPANY WAS ON THE WRONG TXWY. I APOLOGIZED FOR OUR ERROR AND WAS GIVEN THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN R ON TXWY B TO RWY 26. NO FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS OR NOTIFICATION TO 'CALL US LATER' WERE GIVEN BY GND OR TWR. MY PERCEPTION WAS THAT WE WOULD TURN N ON TXWY T SINCE WE BOTH UNDERSTOOD AND REPEATED THE EXACT TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, THUS THE DELAYED REACTION ON MY PART TO CORRECT THE TURN. I HAVE FLOWN THIS EXACT TRIP THE WEEK BEFORE WITH A DIFFERENT CAPT AND THE NORMAL TKOF WAS RWY 25R, BUT DUE TO THE HIGHER TEMP THIS DAY, RWY 26 WAS PLANNED. I BELIEVE OUR PREVIOUS HABIT PATTERNS AND THAT TXWY S WAS THE FIRST ONE TO SEE ALLOWED FOR THE ERROR TO OCCUR. I ALSO NEED TO BE MORE DILIGENT TO AID THE CAPT'S DECISION MAKING PROCESS SO THAT THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. I ALSO SUGGEST THAT THE CHART FOR STANDARD TAXI ROUTES FOR N TAXI ON TXWY S BE UPDATED TO THE CURRENT TAXI FLOW AND THAT A NOTE OF CAUTION BE ADDED TO THE COMPANY PAGE CONCERNING THE S FLOW FOR TXWY S AND NORTH FLOW FOR TXWY T. THE ARPT DIAGRAM WAS OUT FOR BOTH OF US, BUT COULD ALSO HAVE A NOTE CONCERNING THE PREFERRED TAXI FLOW FOR TXWYS R, S, AND T FOR OTHER ACR'S AND CREWS. FINALLY, IT WOULD BE A GREAT SITUATIONAL ENHANCEMENT TO GET THE ELECTRONIC ARPT DIAGRAM DISPLAYED ON A SCREEN IN THE COCKPIT.

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.