Narrative:

During a quick turn at sfo at night during rain and high activity at the airport we were cleared to taxi to runway 28L via inner/outer at taxiway D, cross runway 1 at taxiway F. The copilot was relatively new and we had just lost the use of our 'heads up checklist.' he was busy reading the checklist and items. I was familiar or so I thought with the taxi route. We proceeded down the inner taxiway when our clearance was changed and a new departure SID was issued. Copilot was now very busy and he had the airport diagram. New taxi instructions followed to continue on the inner then outer at taxiway east, cross runway 1 at taxiway F. We had to get ahead of an air carrier and around a parked air carrier. The aircraft has no wipers and the rain made visibility poor out the window. At the taxi transition area I found no 'east' sign just a 'J' so I cautiously turned and saw a hold bar line at the same time ground issued a stop because this was the wrong taxiway. Making a 180 degree turn the copilot now went heads up and still could not help me with our location at the same time the vice president was asking a question. Now it was overload. In review, no serious situation developed, however, I can see that night, rain, taxi with several changes should have been a reason to slow down and inform ground we needed to get out of sequence to catch up. Progressive taxi by both pilots is a must in this situation. Why get prepared for a SID when you might not even make it to the hold short.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR ERROR ADMITTED IN NON ADHERENCE TO ATC INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING TAXI RTE IN A NIGHT OP. FLC EXPERIENCE LEVEL, COCKPIT COMPOSITION MARGINAL.

Narrative: DURING A QUICK TURN AT SFO AT NIGHT DURING RAIN AND HIGH ACTIVITY AT THE ARPT WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 28L VIA INNER/OUTER AT TXWY D, CROSS RWY 1 AT TXWY F. THE COPLT WAS RELATIVELY NEW AND WE HAD JUST LOST THE USE OF OUR 'HEADS UP CHKLIST.' HE WAS BUSY READING THE CHKLIST AND ITEMS. I WAS FAMILIAR OR SO I THOUGHT WITH THE TAXI RTE. WE PROCEEDED DOWN THE INNER TXWY WHEN OUR CLRNC WAS CHANGED AND A NEW DEP SID WAS ISSUED. COPLT WAS NOW VERY BUSY AND HE HAD THE ARPT DIAGRAM. NEW TAXI INSTRUCTIONS FOLLOWED TO CONTINUE ON THE INNER THEN OUTER AT TXWY E, CROSS RWY 1 AT TXWY F. WE HAD TO GET AHEAD OF AN ACR AND AROUND A PARKED ACR. THE ACFT HAS NO WIPERS AND THE RAIN MADE VISIBILITY POOR OUT THE WINDOW. AT THE TAXI TRANSITION AREA I FOUND NO 'E' SIGN JUST A 'J' SO I CAUTIOUSLY TURNED AND SAW A HOLD BAR LINE AT THE SAME TIME GND ISSUED A STOP BECAUSE THIS WAS THE WRONG TXWY. MAKING A 180 DEG TURN THE COPLT NOW WENT HEADS UP AND STILL COULD NOT HELP ME WITH OUR LOCATION AT THE SAME TIME THE VICE PRESIDENT WAS ASKING A QUESTION. NOW IT WAS OVERLOAD. IN REVIEW, NO SERIOUS SIT DEVELOPED, HOWEVER, I CAN SEE THAT NIGHT, RAIN, TAXI WITH SEVERAL CHANGES SHOULD HAVE BEEN A REASON TO SLOW DOWN AND INFORM GND WE NEEDED TO GET OUT OF SEQUENCE TO CATCH UP. PROGRESSIVE TAXI BY BOTH PLTS IS A MUST IN THIS SIT. WHY GET PREPARED FOR A SID WHEN YOU MIGHT NOT EVEN MAKE IT TO THE HOLD SHORT.

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.