Narrative:

We were told to taxi to runway 21R which is not our standard taxi-out of our gate when they are using the 21R and 21C runways. The first officer had never been to dtw and was a bit confused about the instructions, and just said, 'roger' on the readback. I thought I had heard taxi to 21C and began to taxi. Nothing was said until we were about halfway there and ground informed us of the error, but said it was all right to taxi to 21C anyway. No conflicts arose, although I should not have been so pre-programmed to go to 21C and should have been listening closely since I had a new first officer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN LTT ACR ACFT TAXIED TO THE WRONG RWY DUE TO HIS PREPROGRAMMED (MINDSET) TO GO TO THE USUALLY GIVEN RWY.

Narrative: WE WERE TOLD TO TAXI TO RWY 21R WHICH IS NOT OUR STANDARD TAXI-OUT OF OUR GATE WHEN THEY ARE USING THE 21R AND 21C RWYS. THE FO HAD NEVER BEEN TO DTW AND WAS A BIT CONFUSED ABOUT THE INSTRUCTIONS, AND JUST SAID, 'ROGER' ON THE READBACK. I THOUGHT I HAD HEARD TAXI TO 21C AND BEGAN TO TAXI. NOTHING WAS SAID UNTIL WE WERE ABOUT HALFWAY THERE AND GND INFORMED US OF THE ERROR, BUT SAID IT WAS ALL RIGHT TO TAXI TO 21C ANYWAY. NO CONFLICTS AROSE, ALTHOUGH I SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SO PRE-PROGRAMMED TO GO TO 21C AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN LISTENING CLOSELY SINCE I HAD A NEW FO.

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.