Narrative:

During taxi on the morning of the above date at ord, we accidentally taxied on to an active runway west/O clearance to do so. We were cleared to the 32R runway from the golf concourse via the outer to the runway 9L-27R parallel to the runway 32R. At the point that the outer turns into the runway 27R parallel there is also a high speed for aircraft exiting from runway 27R to the outer. This high speed had the same yellow line that the txwys have. The captain and I were wondering and discussing if we were given the correct frequency for runway 32R and both must have looked down at the radio at the same time. At that time we were at the outer where it meets the runway 9L-27R parallel and you have to make a hard right or you will go onto the high speed for runway 27R with a slight half right turn. I believe this was what had happened to us. The next thing we knew was that we were taxiing on a surface with runway lights, we looked to our right and saw the parallel where we were supposed to be. We taxied a bit faster and made a right on 'wolf road' and exited the active runway back to the runway 9L-27R parallel. It was morning, a slight drizzle and some fog. We did have 3 mi visibility. I believe that if the high speeds have a different color line than taxi lines, mistakes like these might be prevented. At the time this occurred, fortunately no one was landing on runway 27R!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF LTT INADVERTENTLY TAXIED ONTO ACTIVE RWY 27R AT ORD. CLRED FOR PARALLEL TXWY.

Narrative: DURING TAXI ON THE MORNING OF THE ABOVE DATE AT ORD, WE ACCIDENTALLY TAXIED ON TO AN ACTIVE RWY W/O CLRNC TO DO SO. WE WERE CLRED TO THE 32R RWY FROM THE GOLF CONCOURSE VIA THE OUTER TO THE RWY 9L-27R PARALLEL TO THE RWY 32R. AT THE POINT THAT THE OUTER TURNS INTO THE RWY 27R PARALLEL THERE IS ALSO A HIGH SPD FOR ACFT EXITING FROM RWY 27R TO THE OUTER. THIS HIGH SPD HAD THE SAME YELLOW LINE THAT THE TXWYS HAVE. THE CAPT AND I WERE WONDERING AND DISCUSSING IF WE WERE GIVEN THE CORRECT FREQ FOR RWY 32R AND BOTH MUST HAVE LOOKED DOWN AT THE RADIO AT THE SAME TIME. AT THAT TIME WE WERE AT THE OUTER WHERE IT MEETS THE RWY 9L-27R PARALLEL AND YOU HAVE TO MAKE A HARD R OR YOU WILL GO ONTO THE HIGH SPD FOR RWY 27R WITH A SLIGHT HALF R TURN. I BELIEVE THIS WAS WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO US. THE NEXT THING WE KNEW WAS THAT WE WERE TAXIING ON A SURFACE WITH RWY LIGHTS, WE LOOKED TO OUR R AND SAW THE PARALLEL WHERE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE. WE TAXIED A BIT FASTER AND MADE A R ON 'WOLF ROAD' AND EXITED THE ACTIVE RWY BACK TO THE RWY 9L-27R PARALLEL. IT WAS MORNING, A SLIGHT DRIZZLE AND SOME FOG. WE DID HAVE 3 MI VIS. I BELIEVE THAT IF THE HIGH SPDS HAVE A DIFFERENT COLOR LINE THAN TAXI LINES, MISTAKES LIKE THESE MIGHT BE PREVENTED. AT THE TIME THIS OCCURRED, FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS LNDG ON RWY 27R!

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.