Narrative:

I was flying with a 'new' first officer on his first actual flight for the company when we made an error in taxi instructions given to us by ground control. We taxied out after receiving 2 different ATIS reports. The first officer shared with me the first ATIS which was also the ATIS we originally had landed with. However second ATIS came out with a runway change within seconds, after the aircraft had commenced the taxi. Upon taxiing he/first officer mentioned the visibility had gone down to 1/4 mi (we need 1/2 mi for takeoff minimums). I requested a taxi back to our base because of insufficient visibility. I then changed my mind and requested taxi to active runway to see if visibility would come up. While talking to ground control the first officer was also talking and asking me questions, etc. I thought the ground controller said taxi as requested however they thought we still wanted to taxi back to our base on the field. Therefore I started taxiing to the first ATIS referenced runway, the wrong runway without ground approval. While taxiing without clearance to the wrong runway, I queried ground control about visibility at the end of the first ATIS runway. They replied with the visibility and asked where we were. We stated location, stopped and restated our intentions and request for further taxi which they cleared us for after much confusion back and forth over the radio. We eventually took off from a different runway without further confusion about 20 mins later after the visibility came up. Causes: 1) first flight for first officer and crew together, 2) improper first officer training on roles and responsibilities in ground operations from company, 3) reduced ground visibility because of fog, tower could not see us, 4) second ATIS information not completely given to captain (me), ie, wrong runway, visibility, etc, and 5) general communication breakdown, both talking to ground control, attempting to listen to first officer and ground control at same time, etc.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF SA227-METRO III HAS CONFUSION IN THE COCKPIT REGARDING ATIS AND VISIBILITY MINIMUMS. THEY REQUEST RETURN TO GATE, THEN CHANGE THEIR MINDS AND NOW ATC IS CONFUSED. THEY TAXI TOWARD WRONG RWY, ARE CORRECTED BY ATC.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING WITH A 'NEW' FO ON HIS FIRST ACTUAL FLT FOR THE COMPANY WHEN WE MADE AN ERROR IN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN TO US BY GND CTL. WE TAXIED OUT AFTER RECEIVING 2 DIFFERENT ATIS RPTS. THE FO SHARED WITH ME THE FIRST ATIS WHICH WAS ALSO THE ATIS WE ORIGINALLY HAD LANDED WITH. HOWEVER SECOND ATIS CAME OUT WITH A RWY CHANGE WITHIN SECONDS, AFTER THE ACFT HAD COMMENCED THE TAXI. UPON TAXIING HE/FO MENTIONED THE VISIBILITY HAD GONE DOWN TO 1/4 MI (WE NEED 1/2 MI FOR TKOF MINIMUMS). I REQUESTED A TAXI BACK TO OUR BASE BECAUSE OF INSUFFICIENT VISIBILITY. I THEN CHANGED MY MIND AND REQUESTED TAXI TO ACTIVE RWY TO SEE IF VISIBILITY WOULD COME UP. WHILE TALKING TO GND CTL THE FO WAS ALSO TALKING AND ASKING ME QUESTIONS, ETC. I THOUGHT THE GND CTLR SAID TAXI AS REQUESTED HOWEVER THEY THOUGHT WE STILL WANTED TO TAXI BACK TO OUR BASE ON THE FIELD. THEREFORE I STARTED TAXIING TO THE FIRST ATIS REFED RWY, THE WRONG RWY WITHOUT GND APPROVAL. WHILE TAXIING WITHOUT CLRNC TO THE WRONG RWY, I QUERIED GND CTL ABOUT VISIBILITY AT THE END OF THE FIRST ATIS RWY. THEY REPLIED WITH THE VISIBILITY AND ASKED WHERE WE WERE. WE STATED LOCATION, STOPPED AND RESTATED OUR INTENTIONS AND REQUEST FOR FURTHER TAXI WHICH THEY CLRED US FOR AFTER MUCH CONFUSION BACK AND FORTH OVER THE RADIO. WE EVENTUALLY TOOK OFF FROM A DIFFERENT RWY WITHOUT FURTHER CONFUSION ABOUT 20 MINS LATER AFTER THE VISIBILITY CAME UP. CAUSES: 1) FIRST FLT FOR FO AND CREW TOGETHER, 2) IMPROPER FO TRAINING ON ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN GND OPS FROM COMPANY, 3) REDUCED GND VISIBILITY BECAUSE OF FOG, TWR COULD NOT SEE US, 4) SECOND ATIS INFO NOT COMPLETELY GIVEN TO CAPT (ME), IE, WRONG RWY, VISIBILITY, ETC, AND 5) GENERAL COM BREAKDOWN, BOTH TALKING TO GND CTL, ATTEMPTING TO LISTEN TO FO AND GND CTL AT SAME TIME, ETC.

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.