Narrative:

Taxiing outbound at mia, I missed a turn to go to the correct runway. I crossed a runway, which I believe was active, as a result. No conflict occurred and we were cleared to another runway for takeoff. One reason for my error was that I had called for the taxi checklist and was helping accomplish it at a bad time. I should have focused my attention on where we were going first. Supplemental information from acn 448157: upon contacting ground control, we were told to taxi to runway 13. From the concourse, this entails taxiing down taxiway Q or taxiway P to runway 13. Taxiway T intersects txwys Q and P, and parallels runways 9/27L. As we began to move, I asked, 'are you familiar?' referring to the taxi out. The captain indicated he was, and I began to busy myself with checklists. The next thing I knew ground control was saying, 'air carrier X, you're going the wrong way. Uh, ok, taxi to runway 9R.' we had previously commented on a B747 that we followed out from the ramp area and I think we just got in line behind him. When ground called us, I looked up to find us actually crossing runways 13/31 on taxiway T. The FAA jump seater queried us about which runway we were going to, and we replied that we had been reassigned runway 9R, which we had, but only after we had taxied onto an active runway 13. I don't think that he noticed the transgression. He had noticed we weren't taxiing to runway 13 anymore. He had indicated earlier that he had been up all night giving a simulator check and was pretty tired. The rest of the trip passed uneventfully (I flew the leg) and the FAA guy complimented us on our professionalism. Actually, I'm mortified by the fact that we taxied across the runway, especially with the FAA in the jump seat. This could have been a disaster, both from the flaming wreckage standpoint and/or a violations standpoint. I learned my lesson: always watch and confirm what the other pilot is doing even if he says he knows where he's going, and pay attention at all times while taxiing. I failed to confirm the right turn onto taxiway Q, and look what could have happened.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CREW MISSES A TURN AND CROSSES ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: TAXIING OUTBOUND AT MIA, I MISSED A TURN TO GO TO THE CORRECT RWY. I CROSSED A RWY, WHICH I BELIEVE WAS ACTIVE, AS A RESULT. NO CONFLICT OCCURRED AND WE WERE CLRED TO ANOTHER RWY FOR TKOF. ONE REASON FOR MY ERROR WAS THAT I HAD CALLED FOR THE TAXI CHKLIST AND WAS HELPING ACCOMPLISH IT AT A BAD TIME. I SHOULD HAVE FOCUSED MY ATTN ON WHERE WE WERE GOING FIRST. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 448157: UPON CONTACTING GND CTL, WE WERE TOLD TO TAXI TO RWY 13. FROM THE CONCOURSE, THIS ENTAILS TAXIING DOWN TXWY Q OR TXWY P TO RWY 13. TXWY T INTERSECTS TXWYS Q AND P, AND PARALLELS RWYS 9/27L. AS WE BEGAN TO MOVE, I ASKED, 'ARE YOU FAMILIAR?' REFERRING TO THE TAXI OUT. THE CAPT INDICATED HE WAS, AND I BEGAN TO BUSY MYSELF WITH CHKLISTS. THE NEXT THING I KNEW GND CTL WAS SAYING, 'ACR X, YOU'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY. UH, OK, TAXI TO RWY 9R.' WE HAD PREVIOUSLY COMMENTED ON A B747 THAT WE FOLLOWED OUT FROM THE RAMP AREA AND I THINK WE JUST GOT IN LINE BEHIND HIM. WHEN GND CALLED US, I LOOKED UP TO FIND US ACTUALLY XING RWYS 13/31 ON TXWY T. THE FAA JUMP SEATER QUERIED US ABOUT WHICH RWY WE WERE GOING TO, AND WE REPLIED THAT WE HAD BEEN REASSIGNED RWY 9R, WHICH WE HAD, BUT ONLY AFTER WE HAD TAXIED ONTO AN ACTIVE RWY 13. I DON'T THINK THAT HE NOTICED THE TRANSGRESSION. HE HAD NOTICED WE WEREN'T TAXIING TO RWY 13 ANYMORE. HE HAD INDICATED EARLIER THAT HE HAD BEEN UP ALL NIGHT GIVING A SIMULATOR CHK AND WAS PRETTY TIRED. THE REST OF THE TRIP PASSED UNEVENTFULLY (I FLEW THE LEG) AND THE FAA GUY COMPLIMENTED US ON OUR PROFESSIONALISM. ACTUALLY, I'M MORTIFIED BY THE FACT THAT WE TAXIED ACROSS THE RWY, ESPECIALLY WITH THE FAA IN THE JUMP SEAT. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTER, BOTH FROM THE FLAMING WRECKAGE STANDPOINT AND/OR A VIOLATIONS STANDPOINT. I LEARNED MY LESSON: ALWAYS WATCH AND CONFIRM WHAT THE OTHER PLT IS DOING EVEN IF HE SAYS HE KNOWS WHERE HE'S GOING, AND PAY ATTN AT ALL TIMES WHILE TAXIING. I FAILED TO CONFIRM THE R TURN ONTO TXWY Q, AND LOOK WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED.

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.