Flight crew of medium large transport taxiing at elp at night taxied onto wrong runway.

Attributes
ACN	126333
Time
Date	198910
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : elp
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	126333
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	126534
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Taxiing from gate at elp, cleared to runway 4. Taxi to runway 4 via charlie and I became confused. I was following the blue taxi lights and I was informed that I was on the stopway for runway 26L, that is also used as a taxiway. We were then cleared via B to the end of runway 4. The blue taxiway lights that edge the ramp led to the confusion. The stopway, I understand, is part of the active runway and by it being lighted in blue, making it a taxiway. This is very confusing and can be dangerous. Maybe making the stopway lights blue and yellow intermittently would alleviate the confusion.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MLG TAXIING AT ELP AT NIGHT TAXIED ONTO WRONG RWY.

Narrative: TAXIING FROM GATE AT ELP, CLRED TO RWY 4. TAXI TO RWY 4 VIA CHARLIE AND I BECAME CONFUSED. I WAS FOLLOWING THE BLUE TAXI LIGHTS AND I WAS INFORMED THAT I WAS ON THE STOPWAY FOR RWY 26L, THAT IS ALSO USED AS A TXWY. WE WERE THEN CLRED VIA B TO THE END OF RWY 4. THE BLUE TXWY LIGHTS THAT EDGE THE RAMP LED TO THE CONFUSION. THE STOPWAY, I UNDERSTAND, IS PART OF THE ACTIVE RWY AND BY IT BEING LIGHTED IN BLUE, MAKING IT A TXWY. THIS IS VERY CONFUSING AND CAN BE DANGEROUS. MAYBE MAKING THE STOPWAY LIGHTS BLUE AND YELLOW INTERMITTENTLY WOULD ALLEVIATE THE CONFUSION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.