Narrative:

While taxiing out from the gate, ground control instructed us to taxi to runway 6R. We proceeded to taxi and ended up following a company aircraft that was taxiing to runway 36R. He was cleared to cross 6R en route to 36R, however we were not. We were told to hold short of 6R and taxi down the parallel taxiway to the 6R threshold. I pointed out to the captain that we were about to taxi onto the active runway twice, that I thought I could see an aircraft on final, however I wasn't sure it was landing on 6R or 6L. After the captain finally stopped looking at the taxi chart enough to figure out that we taxied out onto an active runway, she finally stopped at about 1/5 onto the runway. I immediately instructed ground of our mishap. It then looked like the traffic was about to land on 6R (our runway). I told ground control to immediately clear us across the runway or tell the aircraft on final to go around. After a second request the ground controller finally complied and had the tower controller tell the aircraft to go around. I felt this could have been avoided had the captain spent less time reading taxi charts so much while taxiing, and also she could have put a little trust in her first officer's assessment of the situation and stopped long enough to assess the situation herself. Supplemental information from acn 143001: taxiing behind other aircraft at night at an unfamiliar field increases possibility of this type of mistake. The taxi signs are obscured by both the other aircraft and the darkness. I could have avoided this incident if I had not made the assumption that other aircraft was going to same runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG TAXIS ONTO ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING OUT FROM THE GATE, GND CTL INSTRUCTED US TO TAXI TO RWY 6R. WE PROCEEDED TO TAXI AND ENDED UP FOLLOWING A COMPANY ACFT THAT WAS TAXIING TO RWY 36R. HE WAS CLRED TO CROSS 6R ENRTE TO 36R, HOWEVER WE WERE NOT. WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD SHORT OF 6R AND TAXI DOWN THE PARALLEL TXWY TO THE 6R THRESHOLD. I POINTED OUT TO THE CAPT THAT WE WERE ABOUT TO TAXI ONTO THE ACTIVE RWY TWICE, THAT I THOUGHT I COULD SEE AN ACFT ON FINAL, HOWEVER I WASN'T SURE IT WAS LNDG ON 6R OR 6L. AFTER THE CAPT FINALLY STOPPED LOOKING AT THE TAXI CHART ENOUGH TO FIGURE OUT THAT WE TAXIED OUT ONTO AN ACTIVE RWY, SHE FINALLY STOPPED AT ABOUT 1/5 ONTO THE RWY. I IMMEDIATELY INSTRUCTED GND OF OUR MISHAP. IT THEN LOOKED LIKE THE TFC WAS ABOUT TO LAND ON 6R (OUR RWY). I TOLD GND CTL TO IMMEDIATELY CLR US ACROSS THE RWY OR TELL THE ACFT ON FINAL TO GO AROUND. AFTER A SECOND REQUEST THE GND CTLR FINALLY COMPLIED AND HAD THE TWR CTLR TELL THE ACFT TO GO AROUND. I FELT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD THE CAPT SPENT LESS TIME READING TAXI CHARTS SO MUCH WHILE TAXIING, AND ALSO SHE COULD HAVE PUT A LITTLE TRUST IN HER F/O'S ASSESSMENT OF THE SITUATION AND STOPPED LONG ENOUGH TO ASSESS THE SITUATION HERSELF. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 143001: TAXIING BEHIND OTHER ACFT AT NIGHT AT AN UNFAMILIAR FIELD INCREASES POSSIBILITY OF THIS TYPE OF MISTAKE. THE TAXI SIGNS ARE OBSCURED BY BOTH THE OTHER ACFT AND THE DARKNESS. I COULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS INCIDENT IF I HAD NOT MADE THE ASSUMPTION THAT OTHER ACFT WAS GOING TO SAME RWY.

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.