Narrative:

Both first officer and I believed we were cleared to taxi to runway 16L. I had the taxi chart out, but due to severely reduced visibility, I was more concerned with staying on the pavement than looking at the chart. Due to the antiquated radios in the aircraft, I was unable to hear the first officer's responses to ATC; I could only hear ATC's end of the conversation. We were advised to report specific turns on txwys, which we believed we did. We were also told to report passing hotel when we made it to the end of the runway. We advised the tower of this and that we didn't see hotel. After performing an engine runup, I asked the first officer to confirm the visibility with tower for runway 16L. When tower did not respond to his xmissions, I tried myself, and I was advised it was 1/16TH prevailing with no RVR for 16L. I said this was below our takeoff minimums and requested taxi back to the gate. At this point, I believe both tower and I realized there was a mixup of some sort. We were then instructed to taxi back to the gate. The flight was subsequently cancelled because of the reduced takeoff visibility.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT TAXIS TO WRONG RWY IN VISIBILITY OF ONE SIXTEENTH OF A MILE AT SMF.

Narrative: BOTH F/O AND I BELIEVED WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 16L. I HAD THE TAXI CHART OUT, BUT DUE TO SEVERELY REDUCED VISIBILITY, I WAS MORE CONCERNED WITH STAYING ON THE PAVEMENT THAN LOOKING AT THE CHART. DUE TO THE ANTIQUATED RADIOS IN THE ACFT, I WAS UNABLE TO HEAR THE F/O'S RESPONSES TO ATC; I COULD ONLY HEAR ATC'S END OF THE CONVERSATION. WE WERE ADVISED TO RPT SPECIFIC TURNS ON TXWYS, WHICH WE BELIEVED WE DID. WE WERE ALSO TOLD TO RPT PASSING HOTEL WHEN WE MADE IT TO THE END OF THE RWY. WE ADVISED THE TWR OF THIS AND THAT WE DIDN'T SEE HOTEL. AFTER PERFORMING AN ENG RUNUP, I ASKED THE F/O TO CONFIRM THE VISIBILITY WITH TWR FOR RWY 16L. WHEN TWR DID NOT RESPOND TO HIS XMISSIONS, I TRIED MYSELF, AND I WAS ADVISED IT WAS 1/16TH PREVAILING WITH NO RVR FOR 16L. I SAID THIS WAS BELOW OUR TKOF MINIMUMS AND REQUESTED TAXI BACK TO THE GATE. AT THIS POINT, I BELIEVE BOTH TWR AND I REALIZED THERE WAS A MIXUP OF SOME SORT. WE WERE THEN INSTRUCTED TO TAXI BACK TO THE GATE. THE FLT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CANCELLED BECAUSE OF THE REDUCED TKOF VISIBILITY.

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.