Runway incursion, unauthorized runway entry night operation.

Attributes
ACN	252384
Time
Date	199309
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : clt
State Reference	NC
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 Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	252384
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Early morning departure. First flight of the day. Both captain and first officer were unfamiliar with the taxi route from gate to runway 23. Captain was relying on first officer directions primarily. I told him that he needed to turn right at spot 7 onto taxiway right, intercept the parallel to runway 23. (This was wrong, there is no parallel there.) at spot 7 I contacted ground and he cleared us to taxi to runway 23. I got preoccupied with cockpit checks and looked up a min later and saw we were on the runway and I realized my mistake and said so. The captain immediately exited the runway at taxiway C and I called ground and told them where we were and what we were doing. He cleared us to continue our taxi to runway 23 via taxiway M. No ground or air movement of other aircraft was noted and no conflict occurred. Contributing factors: darkness, unfamiliarity. I assumed that to exit a busy hub type ramp you would exit the ramp onto a taxiway to the runway as I am used to. That was why I misinterpreted the chart.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION, UNAUTH RWY ENTRY NIGHT OP.

Narrative: EARLY MORNING DEP. FIRST FLT OF THE DAY. BOTH CAPT AND FO WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE TAXI RTE FROM GATE TO RWY 23. CAPT WAS RELYING ON FO DIRECTIONS PRIMARILY. I TOLD HIM THAT HE NEEDED TO TURN R AT SPOT 7 ONTO TXWY R, INTERCEPT THE PARALLEL TO RWY 23. (THIS WAS WRONG, THERE IS NO PARALLEL THERE.) AT SPOT 7 I CONTACTED GND AND HE CLRED US TO TAXI TO RWY 23. I GOT PREOCCUPIED WITH COCKPIT CHKS AND LOOKED UP A MIN LATER AND SAW WE WERE ON THE RWY AND I REALIZED MY MISTAKE AND SAID SO. THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY EXITED THE RWY AT TXWY C AND I CALLED GND AND TOLD THEM WHERE WE WERE AND WHAT WE WERE DOING. HE CLRED US TO CONTINUE OUR TAXI TO RWY 23 VIA TXWY M. NO GND OR AIR MOVEMENT OF OTHER ACFT WAS NOTED AND NO CONFLICT OCCURRED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: DARKNESS, UNFAMILIARITY. I ASSUMED THAT TO EXIT A BUSY HUB TYPE RAMP YOU WOULD EXIT THE RAMP ONTO A TXWY TO THE RWY AS I AM USED TO. THAT WAS WHY I MISINTERPRETED THE CHART.

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.