Narrative:

During our initial taxi from gate at phx airport, we were given clearance to taxi to runway 8L. I noticed our trip performance data was based on runway 8R, and brought this to the attention of the captain. He stated that they usually used runway 8L, and while we were in the taxi asked me to check the runway analysis data to see if we could use runway 8L. I looked on the papers, and determined that we were too heavy to use runway 8L. We requested a taxi to runway 8R, and were given instructions to taxi via taxiway T and taxiway D, with the further instructions to 'transition to taxiway east at E6.' having never been to phx before, I was unfamiliar with the terminology of the last part of our taxi clearance. As we turned right off of taxiway T, I noticed that 'taxiway D' was a paint stripe on the ramp marked with a 'D' on the easternmost point of the line. I noticed no indications for taxiway east. At this point, the captain, realizing runway 8L was the longer and less restr runway, asked me to doublechk the performance numbers to see why we needed runway 8R. It was at this time I discovered I had originally looked at flaps 15 degrees data instead of the flaps 5 degrees data that we were to be using. We now had to determine if we could use the shorter runway for our departure, since we were rather heavy. While we were trying to sort out performance data, we came up to the 'E6' mentioned in the taxi clearance, and made the left turn onto that taxiway. At this point, the captain realized that 'E6' did not lead to 'taxiway east' as we had thought, but went straight onto runway 8R. He brought the aircraft to a stop, and contacted ground control. We were past the hold short line, but were still short of the runway line. There was a B727 on the takeoff roll on runway 8R at the time, and he passed us and then rotated in a normal fashion. Ground control gave clearance to continue our taxi via runway 8R, E7, and taxiway east. When we were on taxiway east again, we were instructed to contact the tower by phone. As this was only my second trip with the company, I believe my inexperience with the company paperwork, and with phx airport markings and terminology contributed to distracting the captain during his taxi. Later in the flight, we discovered we had actually been given 2 sets of departure papers, one for runway 8L and one for runway 8R. I feel this also added to the confusion during the taxi. Supplemental information from acn 414688: instructing first officer on IOE. He mistakenly checked weights and said we were not good for runway 8L, so we requested runway 8R. First officer had an accuload for runway 8L (agents laid another accuload face down on pedestal while we were loading FMC without our knowledge). Gave us tower phone number to call supervisor. I did so and spoke to supervisor. First officer and I were loading FMC with accuload for runway 8R, and briefing the numbers. Agent said nothing about accuload #2. Recommend acculoads be handed directly to the captain. The taxi error was my fault, I should have stopped or waited until end of runway and pulled over. Taxi lines on ramp denoting 'a' and 'east' txwys were poorly visible at best. Did not notice anything on ramp denoting 'E6,' only sign for E6. Also 10-9 page for south ramp does not depict taxiway D or taxiway east through ramp area. Active runway and normal departure runway for north side is runway 8L. First accuload was for runway 8R. Not sure why accuload was generated for runway 8R in the first place.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A TAXIING ACR MLG CROSSED THE HOLD LINE FOR RWY 8R AT TXWY E6 AT PHX ARPT. CREW WAS FOLLOWING THE LINE FOR TXWY E AND E6 WHICH LED THEM TO THE RWY.

Narrative: DURING OUR INITIAL TAXI FROM GATE AT PHX ARPT, WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC TO TAXI TO RWY 8L. I NOTICED OUR TRIP PERFORMANCE DATA WAS BASED ON RWY 8R, AND BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTN OF THE CAPT. HE STATED THAT THEY USUALLY USED RWY 8L, AND WHILE WE WERE IN THE TAXI ASKED ME TO CHK THE RWY ANALYSIS DATA TO SEE IF WE COULD USE RWY 8L. I LOOKED ON THE PAPERS, AND DETERMINED THAT WE WERE TOO HVY TO USE RWY 8L. WE REQUESTED A TAXI TO RWY 8R, AND WERE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI VIA TXWY T AND TXWY D, WITH THE FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS TO 'TRANSITION TO TXWY E AT E6.' HAVING NEVER BEEN TO PHX BEFORE, I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE TERMINOLOGY OF THE LAST PART OF OUR TAXI CLRNC. AS WE TURNED R OFF OF TXWY T, I NOTICED THAT 'TXWY D' WAS A PAINT STRIPE ON THE RAMP MARKED WITH A 'D' ON THE EASTERNMOST POINT OF THE LINE. I NOTICED NO INDICATIONS FOR TXWY E. AT THIS POINT, THE CAPT, REALIZING RWY 8L WAS THE LONGER AND LESS RESTR RWY, ASKED ME TO DOUBLECHK THE PERFORMANCE NUMBERS TO SEE WHY WE NEEDED RWY 8R. IT WAS AT THIS TIME I DISCOVERED I HAD ORIGINALLY LOOKED AT FLAPS 15 DEGS DATA INSTEAD OF THE FLAPS 5 DEGS DATA THAT WE WERE TO BE USING. WE NOW HAD TO DETERMINE IF WE COULD USE THE SHORTER RWY FOR OUR DEP, SINCE WE WERE RATHER HVY. WHILE WE WERE TRYING TO SORT OUT PERFORMANCE DATA, WE CAME UP TO THE 'E6' MENTIONED IN THE TAXI CLRNC, AND MADE THE L TURN ONTO THAT TXWY. AT THIS POINT, THE CAPT REALIZED THAT 'E6' DID NOT LEAD TO 'TXWY E' AS WE HAD THOUGHT, BUT WENT STRAIGHT ONTO RWY 8R. HE BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A STOP, AND CONTACTED GND CTL. WE WERE PAST THE HOLD SHORT LINE, BUT WERE STILL SHORT OF THE RWY LINE. THERE WAS A B727 ON THE TKOF ROLL ON RWY 8R AT THE TIME, AND HE PASSED US AND THEN ROTATED IN A NORMAL FASHION. GND CTL GAVE CLRNC TO CONTINUE OUR TAXI VIA RWY 8R, E7, AND TXWY E. WHEN WE WERE ON TXWY E AGAIN, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT THE TWR BY PHONE. AS THIS WAS ONLY MY SECOND TRIP WITH THE COMPANY, I BELIEVE MY INEXPERIENCE WITH THE COMPANY PAPERWORK, AND WITH PHX ARPT MARKINGS AND TERMINOLOGY CONTRIBUTED TO DISTRACTING THE CAPT DURING HIS TAXI. LATER IN THE FLT, WE DISCOVERED WE HAD ACTUALLY BEEN GIVEN 2 SETS OF DEP PAPERS, ONE FOR RWY 8L AND ONE FOR RWY 8R. I FEEL THIS ALSO ADDED TO THE CONFUSION DURING THE TAXI. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 414688: INSTRUCTING FO ON IOE. HE MISTAKENLY CHKED WTS AND SAID WE WERE NOT GOOD FOR RWY 8L, SO WE REQUESTED RWY 8R. FO HAD AN ACCULOAD FOR RWY 8L (AGENTS LAID ANOTHER ACCULOAD FACE DOWN ON PEDESTAL WHILE WE WERE LOADING FMC WITHOUT OUR KNOWLEDGE). GAVE US TWR PHONE NUMBER TO CALL SUPVR. I DID SO AND SPOKE TO SUPVR. FO AND I WERE LOADING FMC WITH ACCULOAD FOR RWY 8R, AND BRIEFING THE NUMBERS. AGENT SAID NOTHING ABOUT ACCULOAD #2. RECOMMEND ACCULOADS BE HANDED DIRECTLY TO THE CAPT. THE TAXI ERROR WAS MY FAULT, I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED OR WAITED UNTIL END OF RWY AND PULLED OVER. TAXI LINES ON RAMP DENOTING 'A' AND 'E' TXWYS WERE POORLY VISIBLE AT BEST. DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING ON RAMP DENOTING 'E6,' ONLY SIGN FOR E6. ALSO 10-9 PAGE FOR S RAMP DOES NOT DEPICT TXWY D OR TXWY E THROUGH RAMP AREA. ACTIVE RWY AND NORMAL DEP RWY FOR N SIDE IS RWY 8L. FIRST ACCULOAD WAS FOR RWY 8R. NOT SURE WHY ACCULOAD WAS GENERATED FOR RWY 8R IN THE FIRST PLACE.

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.