Narrative:

After pushback, we were simply cleared 'taxi runway 8R.' I remembered there are 2 parallel txwys alongside the runway, one leading all the way to the approach end, the other ending in a 'T' about 1000 ft short of the end. I checked the airport diagram but misread the chart and took the wrong taxiway. Thinking I had reached the end of the runway, I made a left turn at the 'T.' holding short of the runway, the before takeoff checklist was completed and first officer called tower, 'ready at the end' (not realizing my taxi error either). ATC cleared us for takeoff, pointing out a B727 on a 6 mi final shooting a practice approach. As we crossed the hold line, however, things did not look right to me, and my first officer said something like, 'this doesn't look like the end, does it?' realizing my mistake, I stopped the aircraft past the hold line but short of the runway edge and stated our position to ATC, offering to do a turn-around on the runway and exit. Tower told us to hold our position while he 'cleared some traffic,' then pulled the B727 off their approach and cleared us to back-taxi into position, followed by a takeoff clearance. Factors: 1) darkness. 2) airport diagram is small scale, packing a lot of details into a small portion of the page. I think I associated the wrong letter on the chart with the wrong taxiway. 3) complacency: have flown into grr many times over the yrs, but maybe not as much recently. 4) first officer was naturally busy with checklists, etc, and I failed to solicit his input for a xchk at start of taxi, as I often do with less familiar airports. In the future, I'll make more use of my first officer for help with taxiing at all airports.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION BY A CRJ-2 PIC AFTER MISTAKING THE TXWY ENTRY POINT FOR RWY 8R DURING A NIGHT OP AT GRR, MI.

Narrative: AFTER PUSHBACK, WE WERE SIMPLY CLRED 'TAXI RWY 8R.' I REMEMBERED THERE ARE 2 PARALLEL TXWYS ALONGSIDE THE RWY, ONE LEADING ALL THE WAY TO THE APCH END, THE OTHER ENDING IN A 'T' ABOUT 1000 FT SHORT OF THE END. I CHKED THE ARPT DIAGRAM BUT MISREAD THE CHART AND TOOK THE WRONG TXWY. THINKING I HAD REACHED THE END OF THE RWY, I MADE A L TURN AT THE 'T.' HOLDING SHORT OF THE RWY, THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED AND FO CALLED TWR, 'READY AT THE END' (NOT REALIZING MY TAXI ERROR EITHER). ATC CLRED US FOR TKOF, POINTING OUT A B727 ON A 6 MI FINAL SHOOTING A PRACTICE APCH. AS WE CROSSED THE HOLD LINE, HOWEVER, THINGS DID NOT LOOK RIGHT TO ME, AND MY FO SAID SOMETHING LIKE, 'THIS DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THE END, DOES IT?' REALIZING MY MISTAKE, I STOPPED THE ACFT PAST THE HOLD LINE BUT SHORT OF THE RWY EDGE AND STATED OUR POS TO ATC, OFFERING TO DO A TURN-AROUND ON THE RWY AND EXIT. TWR TOLD US TO HOLD OUR POS WHILE HE 'CLRED SOME TFC,' THEN PULLED THE B727 OFF THEIR APCH AND CLRED US TO BACK-TAXI INTO POS, FOLLOWED BY A TKOF CLRNC. FACTORS: 1) DARKNESS. 2) ARPT DIAGRAM IS SMALL SCALE, PACKING A LOT OF DETAILS INTO A SMALL PORTION OF THE PAGE. I THINK I ASSOCIATED THE WRONG LETTER ON THE CHART WITH THE WRONG TXWY. 3) COMPLACENCY: HAVE FLOWN INTO GRR MANY TIMES OVER THE YRS, BUT MAYBE NOT AS MUCH RECENTLY. 4) FO WAS NATURALLY BUSY WITH CHKLISTS, ETC, AND I FAILED TO SOLICIT HIS INPUT FOR A XCHK AT START OF TAXI, AS I OFTEN DO WITH LESS FAMILIAR ARPTS. IN THE FUTURE, I'LL MAKE MORE USE OF MY FO FOR HELP WITH TAXIING AT ALL ARPTS.

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.