Narrative:

We had just finished our after start checklist and we were cleared to taxi to runway 24 via taxiway east and taxiway C from the FBO at bdl by ground control. I read back this clearance and the captain began to taxi as I went to work entering our routing into the FMS. The captain asked me where taxiway east was and I looked up and pointed to the taxiway out the window that was labeled echo from its sign 'east.' I then went back to the FMS. Without me realizing it, the captain found taxiway east, but taxied the wrong way on taxiway east and continued the wrong way on taxiway east crossing an active (but not in use at the time) runway, runway 33. Runway 24 was the primary runway (at least the primary runway for jets). As we were crossing runway 33, I realized, and the captain realized, something wasn't right, and then ground control called us asking us if we were going to runway 24. In other words, he was wondering what we were doing. I said yes we were going to runway 24 and that we were apparently lost. He casually told us to turn around recross runway 33, back-taxi on runway 1, join taxiway C and taxi to runway 24. That was the end of the event. We were lucky to have a patient ground controller because this was a big screw-up on our part. Also, we were lucky that runway 33 was not in use at the time. I mistakenly let myself get distraction with the FMS while at the same time I mistakenly assumed the captain was familiar with the taxi route (after acknowledging he knew where taxiway east was). The problem was neither one of us bothered to look at the airport layout which led to us taxiing the wrong way on taxiway east.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR CREW TAXIED WRONG DIRECTION AT UNFAMILIAR ARPT WHILE FO PROGRAMMED FMC. CROSSED ACTIVE RWY WITH NO TFC. REDIRECTED BY GND CTLR.

Narrative: WE HAD JUST FINISHED OUR AFTER START CHKLIST AND WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 24 VIA TXWY E AND TXWY C FROM THE FBO AT BDL BY GND CTL. I READ BACK THIS CLRNC AND THE CAPT BEGAN TO TAXI AS I WENT TO WORK ENTERING OUR ROUTING INTO THE FMS. THE CAPT ASKED ME WHERE TXWY E WAS AND I LOOKED UP AND POINTED TO THE TXWY OUT THE WINDOW THAT WAS LABELED ECHO FROM ITS SIGN 'E.' I THEN WENT BACK TO THE FMS. WITHOUT ME REALIZING IT, THE CAPT FOUND TXWY E, BUT TAXIED THE WRONG WAY ON TXWY E AND CONTINUED THE WRONG WAY ON TXWY E XING AN ACTIVE (BUT NOT IN USE AT THE TIME) RWY, RWY 33. RWY 24 WAS THE PRIMARY RWY (AT LEAST THE PRIMARY RWY FOR JETS). AS WE WERE XING RWY 33, I REALIZED, AND THE CAPT REALIZED, SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT, AND THEN GND CTL CALLED US ASKING US IF WE WERE GOING TO RWY 24. IN OTHER WORDS, HE WAS WONDERING WHAT WE WERE DOING. I SAID YES WE WERE GOING TO RWY 24 AND THAT WE WERE APPARENTLY LOST. HE CASUALLY TOLD US TO TURN AROUND RECROSS RWY 33, BACK-TAXI ON RWY 1, JOIN TXWY C AND TAXI TO RWY 24. THAT WAS THE END OF THE EVENT. WE WERE LUCKY TO HAVE A PATIENT GND CTLR BECAUSE THIS WAS A BIG SCREW-UP ON OUR PART. ALSO, WE WERE LUCKY THAT RWY 33 WAS NOT IN USE AT THE TIME. I MISTAKENLY LET MYSELF GET DISTR WITH THE FMS WHILE AT THE SAME TIME I MISTAKENLY ASSUMED THE CAPT WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE TAXI RTE (AFTER ACKNOWLEDGING HE KNEW WHERE TXWY E WAS). THE PROB WAS NEITHER ONE OF US BOTHERED TO LOOK AT THE ARPT LAYOUT WHICH LED TO US TAXIING THE WRONG WAY ON TXWY E.

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.