Narrative:

I was taxiing wbound on taxiway H at ord. We received instructions from tower to cross runway 4L and taxi into position and hold runway 9L. As we approached runway 9L (after crossing runway 4L) the first officer said 'it's coming up right here.' he had been looking at the airport diagram at the time. I was looking outside for the approach end of runway 9L. It was dark and the taxiway lights and signage were poor. I made the next right to taxi onto runway 9L and hold in position as instructed. Just as we turned right, tower informed us we were not at the approach end of runway 9L. I stopped the aircraft prior to crossing the hold line and we received clearance to back-taxi into position. It turns out I was on taxiway east instead of taxiway J. The txwys are close together at a confusing area of the airport. It was nighttime (early morning) and we were both tired. When tower cleared us into position and hold early on (even before crossing runway 4L at taxiway H) and the first officer saying 'right here' I thought I was at the approach end. Poor signage and confusing txwys at night complicated the problem. I should have verified where I was on the airport and checked the airport diagram myself before turning onto the wrong taxiway. A good taxi brief before taxiing could have avoided this situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLRED TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 9L AT ORD PRIOR TO XING RWY 4L AN ACR TURNS ONTO TXWY E INSTEAD OF TXWY J.

Narrative: I WAS TAXIING WBOUND ON TXWY H AT ORD. WE RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS FROM TWR TO CROSS RWY 4L AND TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 9L. AS WE APCHED RWY 9L (AFTER XING RWY 4L) THE FO SAID 'IT'S COMING UP RIGHT HERE.' HE HAD BEEN LOOKING AT THE ARPT DIAGRAM AT THE TIME. I WAS LOOKING OUTSIDE FOR THE APCH END OF RWY 9L. IT WAS DARK AND THE TXWY LIGHTS AND SIGNAGE WERE POOR. I MADE THE NEXT R TO TAXI ONTO RWY 9L AND HOLD IN POS AS INSTRUCTED. JUST AS WE TURNED R, TWR INFORMED US WE WERE NOT AT THE APCH END OF RWY 9L. I STOPPED THE ACFT PRIOR TO XING THE HOLD LINE AND WE RECEIVED CLRNC TO BACK-TAXI INTO POS. IT TURNS OUT I WAS ON TXWY E INSTEAD OF TXWY J. THE TXWYS ARE CLOSE TOGETHER AT A CONFUSING AREA OF THE ARPT. IT WAS NIGHTTIME (EARLY MORNING) AND WE WERE BOTH TIRED. WHEN TWR CLRED US INTO POS AND HOLD EARLY ON (EVEN BEFORE XING RWY 4L AT TXWY H) AND THE FO SAYING 'RIGHT HERE' I THOUGHT I WAS AT THE APCH END. POOR SIGNAGE AND CONFUSING TXWYS AT NIGHT COMPLICATED THE PROB. I SHOULD HAVE VERIFIED WHERE I WAS ON THE ARPT AND CHKED THE ARPT DIAGRAM MYSELF BEFORE TURNING ONTO THE WRONG TXWY. A GOOD TAXI BRIEF BEFORE TAXIING COULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS SIT.

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.