Narrative:

After our push back from the gate, there was considerable congestion in the ramp area during the beginning of our taxi which required both of us to be heads outside the cockpit to maneuver around the other ramp traffic. This prevented me from completing some of the pre-takeoff preparations (weight and balance close-out and some of the taxi checklist). After clearing the ramp traffic, it was a very short taxi to the top of the ramp where I was required to contact ground control for taxi instructions. The taxi distance from the top of the ramp to runway 8R is very short. At this point it was obvious that things were beginning to become rushed. The captain however did not compensate by slowing down the taxi speed. At the top of the ramp I contacted ground control for taxi clearance. We were told to taxi via taxiway east to runway 8R. I believed the captain understood where he was and which taxiway we were to taxi onto, since he verbally affirmed taxiway east to runway 8R. I then looked down into the cockpit to retrieve the weight and balance close-out. When I looked back up, we were rapidly taxiing down taxiway F. I immediately said to the captain that we were on taxiway F. He said no we're on taxiway east. Ground control then called us and said that we had turned on taxiway F. Luckily, an inbound taxiing B767 on taxiway F stopped short of taxiway H so we still had access to runway 8R. Otherwise we probably would have had to call for a tug to back us off of the taxiway. This event illustrated the effects of rushing as well as performing required tasks for takeoff (retrieving ACARS printouts, setting cg, setting ZFW, etc) during taxi that prevent both pilots from effectively monitoring the taxi. However, if the required tasks were completed at the gate prior to push back that would delay the departure and would impact the DOT ratings. Thus, it is unlikely that the procedures will change and will continue to be accomplished during taxi out. This will continue to contribute to cockpit distractions during taxi and may even be contributory to some runway incursion incidents.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD82 FO RPTS HE FELT RUSHED DURING TAXI OUT AT ATL. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CATCH UP, THE CAPT TAXIED VIA FOX VERSUS ECHO TXWY.

Narrative: AFTER OUR PUSH BACK FROM THE GATE, THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE CONGESTION IN THE RAMP AREA DURING THE BEGINNING OF OUR TAXI WHICH REQUIRED BOTH OF US TO BE HEADS OUTSIDE THE COCKPIT TO MANEUVER AROUND THE OTHER RAMP TFC. THIS PREVENTED ME FROM COMPLETING SOME OF THE PRE-TKOF PREPARATIONS (WT AND BALANCE CLOSE-OUT AND SOME OF THE TAXI CHKLIST). AFTER CLRING THE RAMP TFC, IT WAS A VERY SHORT TAXI TO THE TOP OF THE RAMP WHERE I WAS REQUIRED TO CONTACT GND CTL FOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. THE TAXI DISTANCE FROM THE TOP OF THE RAMP TO RWY 8R IS VERY SHORT. AT THIS POINT IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THINGS WERE BEGINNING TO BECOME RUSHED. THE CAPT HOWEVER DID NOT COMPENSATE BY SLOWING DOWN THE TAXI SPD. AT THE TOP OF THE RAMP I CONTACTED GND CTL FOR TAXI CLRNC. WE WERE TOLD TO TAXI VIA TXWY E TO RWY 8R. I BELIEVED THE CAPT UNDERSTOOD WHERE HE WAS AND WHICH TXWY WE WERE TO TAXI ONTO, SINCE HE VERBALLY AFFIRMED TXWY E TO RWY 8R. I THEN LOOKED DOWN INTO THE COCKPIT TO RETRIEVE THE WT AND BALANCE CLOSE-OUT. WHEN I LOOKED BACK UP, WE WERE RAPIDLY TAXIING DOWN TXWY F. I IMMEDIATELY SAID TO THE CAPT THAT WE WERE ON TXWY F. HE SAID NO WE'RE ON TXWY E. GND CTL THEN CALLED US AND SAID THAT WE HAD TURNED ON TXWY F. LUCKILY, AN INBND TAXIING B767 ON TXWY F STOPPED SHORT OF TXWY H SO WE STILL HAD ACCESS TO RWY 8R. OTHERWISE WE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE HAD TO CALL FOR A TUG TO BACK US OFF OF THE TXWY. THIS EVENT ILLUSTRATED THE EFFECTS OF RUSHING AS WELL AS PERFORMING REQUIRED TASKS FOR TKOF (RETRIEVING ACARS PRINTOUTS, SETTING CG, SETTING ZFW, ETC) DURING TAXI THAT PREVENT BOTH PLTS FROM EFFECTIVELY MONITORING THE TAXI. HOWEVER, IF THE REQUIRED TASKS WERE COMPLETED AT THE GATE PRIOR TO PUSH BACK THAT WOULD DELAY THE DEP AND WOULD IMPACT THE DOT RATINGS. THUS, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT THE PROCS WILL CHANGE AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE ACCOMPLISHED DURING TAXI OUT. THIS WILL CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE TO COCKPIT DISTRACTIONS DURING TAXI AND MAY EVEN BE CONTRIBUTORY TO SOME RWY INCURSION INCIDENTS.

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.