Narrative:

We landed runway 4R at jfk and were holding short of runway 4L on taxiway H. We were cleared across runway 4L with left taxiway B to hold short of taxiway J. Upon crossing I noticed a jetstream swbound on the taxiway. I turned in front of the J41 and incorrectly proceeded on taxiway a. Ground pointed out the error. Factors affecting the situation: the clearance was essentially the same as the 999 previous times, the exception being that the left turn is normally on taxiway a, not taxiway B. The general flow is clockwise on taxiway a, counter clockwise on taxiway B. Thus I did not think and turned from habit, not fully digesting the slight change from the usual clearance. The first officer was working the radio and acknowledged the clearance correctly. She only had 3 months on the job and did not pick up my error. Final verdict, I thought I heard what made sense to me, not what actually occurred. Only things that might have helped me not to err besides paying close attention: 1) first officer monitoring more closely -- she had her duties to accomplish, though, and 2) controller stating reason for us to taxi opposite normal flow (workload permitting) to alert me to non standard operations. Bottom line -- I still screwed up.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN ATR42 TURNED THE WRONG WAY DURING TAXI TO PARKING CAUSING POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH A JETSTREAM 41 TAXIING ON THE TXWY. TWR CTLR POINTED OUT THE RPTR'S MISTAKE.

Narrative: WE LANDED RWY 4R AT JFK AND WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 4L ON TXWY H. WE WERE CLRED ACROSS RWY 4L WITH L TXWY B TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY J. UPON XING I NOTICED A JETSTREAM SWBOUND ON THE TXWY. I TURNED IN FRONT OF THE J41 AND INCORRECTLY PROCEEDED ON TXWY A. GND POINTED OUT THE ERROR. FACTORS AFFECTING THE SIT: THE CLRNC WAS ESSENTIALLY THE SAME AS THE 999 PREVIOUS TIMES, THE EXCEPTION BEING THAT THE L TURN IS NORMALLY ON TXWY A, NOT TXWY B. THE GENERAL FLOW IS CLOCKWISE ON TXWY A, COUNTER CLOCKWISE ON TXWY B. THUS I DID NOT THINK AND TURNED FROM HABIT, NOT FULLY DIGESTING THE SLIGHT CHANGE FROM THE USUAL CLRNC. THE FO WAS WORKING THE RADIO AND ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC CORRECTLY. SHE ONLY HAD 3 MONTHS ON THE JOB AND DID NOT PICK UP MY ERROR. FINAL VERDICT, I THOUGHT I HEARD WHAT MADE SENSE TO ME, NOT WHAT ACTUALLY OCCURRED. ONLY THINGS THAT MIGHT HAVE HELPED ME NOT TO ERR BESIDES PAYING CLOSE ATTN: 1) FO MONITORING MORE CLOSELY -- SHE HAD HER DUTIES TO ACCOMPLISH, THOUGH, AND 2) CTLR STATING REASON FOR US TO TAXI OPPOSITE NORMAL FLOW (WORKLOAD PERMITTING) TO ALERT ME TO NON STANDARD OPS. BOTTOM LINE -- I STILL SCREWED UP.

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.