Narrative:

Aircraft change to crj. Ready reserve crew flying. I was a deadheading crew member. We taxied out for runway 22L at ord. It was not a smooth taxi. We were on taxiway M and we took what I thought was a position and hold for runway 22L. The stop was abrupt. It was only when the airplane landing on runway 27L came overhead that I realized that we must be on taxiway Q just short of the threshold of runway 27L. After the plane landed over our heads; we then taxied on taxiway Q to runway 22L to exit and then turned around to taxi back across runway 27L. I don't know who the PF or PNF was. Look at the total time of both pilots here. First officer is brand new; had not completed his consolidation. Just because it is legal to pair 2 pilots with extremely low times in the plane and company; doesn't mean it is safe or smart. Why do we have to pair people with this low time? If the answer is economic necessity; I would guess a hull loss would make that argument go away. Other airlines make sure that low time guys get a non-reserve schedule after training so that they get up to speed more quickly. Some other airlines also pair these low time guys with a check airman some time in their first few months to ensure that they are up to speed and doing a good job. I spoke with the captain on the van ride to the hotel and he did confirm that he was 'a little lost' and on taxiway Q. A little lost is not an acceptable position. Yes; people should have their taxi charts out; and yes; if you are lost; you should stop and figure out where you are; but scheduling pressure; 45 mins or less for a pilot who is new to the company; new to the plane and unfamiliar with ord to get the call from crew scheduling; get out to a cold airplane; do their preflight and still try to make their departure time is unrealistic. Just because lots of people have done it doesn't mean it is safe. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter amplified on his original report and stated that the crew taxied down runway 22L; exited at S4 and ultimately back to the approach end of runway 22L. Additionally; he discovered that the flight's captain had just recently been checked out on this aircraft. He also just recently upgraded to captain. The reporter also stated that the new hire first officer is very low time and just recently checked out on this aircraft and is based at another airport. The reporter is concerned about pairing 2 low time pilots together and additionally a low time captain with very low time first officer. Supplemental information from acn 703688: I mistakenly taxied on the wrong taxiway. It was night and the taxi signs were hard to read or non existent. The airport chart is difficult to read; especially in a small area such as the taxiway M; D Q; holding area of runway 22L. The chart is very difficult to read at night. We were not expecting a quick clearance onto the runway and the first officer was hurrying the checklists with his head down inside the cockpit. The last min change of clearance to taxiway M7 to taxiway M was a distraction and put me in a situation I was unfamiliar with -- especially at night. I knew almost right away that we were on the wrong taxiway. The situation seemed odd and I knew I was on an unfamiliar taxiway. It just did not seem right which is why I stopped and had the first officer contact tower. Besides; runway 22L should have been right in front of me and it wasn't. That was a big indicator that I turned too early. Tower did not seem too concerned. I; however; was embarrassed. Supplemental information from acn 703689: I believe the event occurred because of captain unfamiliarity with that portion of the airfield at night; poor taxiway signage; and me; the first officer; with my attention inside the cockpit performing the before takeoff checklist items.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DEADHEADING PLT RPTS THAT THE PLTS FLYING A CRJ700 TAXIED ON TO ORD TXWY Q. ACFT LANDED OVER THEM. AN ARPT CHART NOTE RESTRICTS TXWY Q FOR TAXI.

Narrative: ACFT CHANGE TO CRJ. READY RESERVE CREW FLYING. I WAS A DEADHEADING CREW MEMBER. WE TAXIED OUT FOR RWY 22L AT ORD. IT WAS NOT A SMOOTH TAXI. WE WERE ON TXWY M AND WE TOOK WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A POS AND HOLD FOR RWY 22L. THE STOP WAS ABRUPT. IT WAS ONLY WHEN THE AIRPLANE LNDG ON RWY 27L CAME OVERHEAD THAT I REALIZED THAT WE MUST BE ON TXWY Q JUST SHORT OF THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 27L. AFTER THE PLANE LANDED OVER OUR HEADS; WE THEN TAXIED ON TXWY Q TO RWY 22L TO EXIT AND THEN TURNED AROUND TO TAXI BACK ACROSS RWY 27L. I DON'T KNOW WHO THE PF OR PNF WAS. LOOK AT THE TOTAL TIME OF BOTH PLTS HERE. FO IS BRAND NEW; HAD NOT COMPLETED HIS CONSOLIDATION. JUST BECAUSE IT IS LEGAL TO PAIR 2 PLTS WITH EXTREMELY LOW TIMES IN THE PLANE AND COMPANY; DOESN'T MEAN IT IS SAFE OR SMART. WHY DO WE HAVE TO PAIR PEOPLE WITH THIS LOW TIME? IF THE ANSWER IS ECONOMIC NECESSITY; I WOULD GUESS A HULL LOSS WOULD MAKE THAT ARGUMENT GO AWAY. OTHER AIRLINES MAKE SURE THAT LOW TIME GUYS GET A NON-RESERVE SCHEDULE AFTER TRAINING SO THAT THEY GET UP TO SPD MORE QUICKLY. SOME OTHER AIRLINES ALSO PAIR THESE LOW TIME GUYS WITH A CHK AIRMAN SOME TIME IN THEIR FIRST FEW MONTHS TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE UP TO SPD AND DOING A GOOD JOB. I SPOKE WITH THE CAPT ON THE VAN RIDE TO THE HOTEL AND HE DID CONFIRM THAT HE WAS 'A LITTLE LOST' AND ON TXWY Q. A LITTLE LOST IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE POS. YES; PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE THEIR TAXI CHARTS OUT; AND YES; IF YOU ARE LOST; YOU SHOULD STOP AND FIGURE OUT WHERE YOU ARE; BUT SCHEDULING PRESSURE; 45 MINS OR LESS FOR A PLT WHO IS NEW TO THE COMPANY; NEW TO THE PLANE AND UNFAMILIAR WITH ORD TO GET THE CALL FROM CREW SCHEDULING; GET OUT TO A COLD AIRPLANE; DO THEIR PREFLT AND STILL TRY TO MAKE THEIR DEP TIME IS UNREALISTIC. JUST BECAUSE LOTS OF PEOPLE HAVE DONE IT DOESN'T MEAN IT IS SAFE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR AMPLIFIED ON HIS ORIGINAL RPT AND STATED THAT THE CREW TAXIED DOWN RWY 22L; EXITED AT S4 AND ULTIMATELY BACK TO THE APCH END OF RWY 22L. ADDITIONALLY; HE DISCOVERED THAT THE FLT'S CAPT HAD JUST RECENTLY BEEN CHKED OUT ON THIS ACFT. HE ALSO JUST RECENTLY UPGRADED TO CAPT. THE RPTR ALSO STATED THAT THE NEW HIRE FO IS VERY LOW TIME AND JUST RECENTLY CHKED OUT ON THIS ACFT AND IS BASED AT ANOTHER ARPT. THE RPTR IS CONCERNED ABOUT PAIRING 2 LOW TIME PLTS TOGETHER AND ADDITIONALLY A LOW TIME CAPT WITH VERY LOW TIME FO. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 703688: I MISTAKENLY TAXIED ON THE WRONG TXWY. IT WAS NIGHT AND THE TAXI SIGNS WERE HARD TO READ OR NON EXISTENT. THE ARPT CHART IS DIFFICULT TO READ; ESPECIALLY IN A SMALL AREA SUCH AS THE TXWY M; D Q; HOLDING AREA OF RWY 22L. THE CHART IS VERY DIFFICULT TO READ AT NIGHT. WE WERE NOT EXPECTING A QUICK CLRNC ONTO THE RWY AND THE FO WAS HURRYING THE CHKLISTS WITH HIS HEAD DOWN INSIDE THE COCKPIT. THE LAST MIN CHANGE OF CLRNC TO TXWY M7 TO TXWY M WAS A DISTR AND PUT ME IN A SITUATION I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH -- ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. I KNEW ALMOST RIGHT AWAY THAT WE WERE ON THE WRONG TXWY. THE SITUATION SEEMED ODD AND I KNEW I WAS ON AN UNFAMILIAR TXWY. IT JUST DID NOT SEEM RIGHT WHICH IS WHY I STOPPED AND HAD THE FO CONTACT TWR. BESIDES; RWY 22L SHOULD HAVE BEEN RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME AND IT WASN'T. THAT WAS A BIG INDICATOR THAT I TURNED TOO EARLY. TWR DID NOT SEEM TOO CONCERNED. I; HOWEVER; WAS EMBARRASSED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 703689: I BELIEVE THE EVENT OCCURRED BECAUSE OF CAPT UNFAMILIARITY WITH THAT PORTION OF THE AIRFIELD AT NIGHT; POOR TXWY SIGNAGE; AND ME; THE FO; WITH MY ATTN INSIDE THE COCKPIT PERFORMING THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST ITEMS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.