Narrative:

Upon calling mia ground control for taxi, we were cleared to taxi down the taxiway that parallels runway 12 (I don't have my manual with me, so I can't identify taxiway by name), and to expect runway 12 for departure. As we got closer to the runway end and still had no weight and balance information from company operations via ACARS, the captain told me to contact company on the radio to try and speed them up with our weight and balance numbers. I was, as a result, off of the ground control frequency during this time. When I finished talking with company operations, I told the captain I was back with him. He told me that ground control said our sequence was behind the saab up ahead of us. As we got near the area where both runway ends are closest to each other, the captain started swinging the aircraft over to the right to line up behind the saab who was, it looked like, going to be using runway 9L. At this time, I questioned the captain and said I thought ground control had told us to expect runway 12 for takeoff during our initial call up. He replied that while I was off the air, he told us runway 9L behind the saab. Since I was off the air and had no reason to doubt him, I accepted his reply without any further thought. After the saab took off, the tower controller told us to position and hold. I acknowledged position and hold as the captain proceeded to line up on runway 9L. As we were taking the runway, all 3 of us commented on the airplane on final approach (we had a jumpseat rider with us), and how it was hard to tell which runway he was lined up on, 12 or 9L. (Of course, we all assumed runway 12 since we were 'cleared' onto 9L.) just as we were lining up on the runway, the tower told us to make a 180 degree turn and get off the runway, and at the same time told the landing aircraft to go around. Later the captain said he wasn't sure if ground control said, 'your sequence is behind the saab,' or 'your sequence is behind the saab for runway 9L.' was his instructions to follow the saab just for taxiing or for taxiing and takeoff? Personally, I should have made a quick check with ground to confirm our departure runway since I had 2 pieces of conflicting information. And lucky for us, it was a cavu day. I will double-check from now on any conflict on such important information.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN MLG ACR ACFT TAXIED ONTO THE WRONG RWY FOR TKOF RESULTING IN ANOTHER LNDG ACFT TO BE SENT AROUND BY THE TWR. UNAUTH RWY ENTRY.

Narrative: UPON CALLING MIA GND CTL FOR TAXI, WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI DOWN THE TXWY THAT PARALLELS RWY 12 (I DON'T HAVE MY MANUAL WITH ME, SO I CAN'T IDENT TXWY BY NAME), AND TO EXPECT RWY 12 FOR DEP. AS WE GOT CLOSER TO THE RWY END AND STILL HAD NO WT AND BAL INFO FROM COMPANY OPS VIA ACARS, THE CAPT TOLD ME TO CONTACT COMPANY ON THE RADIO TO TRY AND SPD THEM UP WITH OUR WT AND BAL NUMBERS. I WAS, AS A RESULT, OFF OF THE GND CTL FREQ DURING THIS TIME. WHEN I FINISHED TALKING WITH COMPANY OPS, I TOLD THE CAPT I WAS BACK WITH HIM. HE TOLD ME THAT GND CTL SAID OUR SEQUENCE WAS BEHIND THE SAAB UP AHEAD OF US. AS WE GOT NEAR THE AREA WHERE BOTH RWY ENDS ARE CLOSEST TO EACH OTHER, THE CAPT STARTED SWINGING THE ACFT OVER TO THE R TO LINE UP BEHIND THE SAAB WHO WAS, IT LOOKED LIKE, GOING TO BE USING RWY 9L. AT THIS TIME, I QUESTIONED THE CAPT AND SAID I THOUGHT GND CTL HAD TOLD US TO EXPECT RWY 12 FOR TKOF DURING OUR INITIAL CALL UP. HE REPLIED THAT WHILE I WAS OFF THE AIR, HE TOLD US RWY 9L BEHIND THE SAAB. SINCE I WAS OFF THE AIR AND HAD NO REASON TO DOUBT HIM, I ACCEPTED HIS REPLY WITHOUT ANY FURTHER THOUGHT. AFTER THE SAAB TOOK OFF, THE TWR CTLR TOLD US TO POS AND HOLD. I ACKNOWLEDGED POS AND HOLD AS THE CAPT PROCEEDED TO LINE UP ON RWY 9L. AS WE WERE TAKING THE RWY, ALL 3 OF US COMMENTED ON THE AIRPLANE ON FINAL APCH (WE HAD A JUMPSEAT RIDER WITH US), AND HOW IT WAS HARD TO TELL WHICH RWY HE WAS LINED UP ON, 12 OR 9L. (OF COURSE, WE ALL ASSUMED RWY 12 SINCE WE WERE 'CLRED' ONTO 9L.) JUST AS WE WERE LINING UP ON THE RWY, THE TWR TOLD US TO MAKE A 180 DEG TURN AND GET OFF THE RWY, AND AT THE SAME TIME TOLD THE LNDG ACFT TO GAR. LATER THE CAPT SAID HE WASN'T SURE IF GND CTL SAID, 'YOUR SEQUENCE IS BEHIND THE SAAB,' OR 'YOUR SEQUENCE IS BEHIND THE SAAB FOR RWY 9L.' WAS HIS INSTRUCTIONS TO FOLLOW THE SAAB JUST FOR TAXIING OR FOR TAXIING AND TKOF? PERSONALLY, I SHOULD HAVE MADE A QUICK CHK WITH GND TO CONFIRM OUR DEP RWY SINCE I HAD 2 PIECES OF CONFLICTING INFO. AND LUCKY FOR US, IT WAS A CAVU DAY. I WILL DOUBLE-CHK FROM NOW ON ANY CONFLICT ON SUCH IMPORTANT INFO.

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.