Narrative:

Flight was taxiing for departure on runway 29 via taxiway Z at ewr. When just past taxiway zb, got instruction from tower control to either pass or cross (not sure which) runway 22L and position and hold on runway 29. Captain was taxiing, aircraft was temporarily stopped. First officer was distraction by reference to cockpit items so captain acknowledged. Had to wait for runway 22L traffic on short final. Instead of continuing to end of taxiway Z and turning right onto runway 29, however, we turned right onto runway 22L by mistake. Tower noted error and had us just back taxi on runway 29 to position and hold. There was traffic on final for runway 22L but so far out there was no conflict. We do not usually depart runway 29. The overwhelming preponderance of usage is runway 22L or runway 22R, so this operation was contrary to force of habit, and so I was more focused on taxi diagram (eyes inside) than usual. Also runway 29 departure procedure. Captain more familiar but distraction by aircraft on short final, then merely took first right turn instead of second. Actually, my impression of the clearance was that we were cleared to taxi on runway 22L to runway 29, so it seemed ok to me but apparently I was mistaken. In conclusion, this seems to be a case of old habit patterns interfering (at least in my case) with a change in usual procedure. We depart runway 29 so infrequently that its use becomes unfamiliar, including, of course, the taxiway confign at the departure end and the litany of tower vernacular peculiar to its use. This incident illustrates the need to be ever more situationally aware when dealing with changes to usual circumstance in otherwise overfamiliar surroundings.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR HAS RWY INCURSION AT EWR RWY 22.

Narrative: FLT WAS TAXIING FOR DEP ON RWY 29 VIA TXWY Z AT EWR. WHEN JUST PAST TXWY ZB, GOT INSTRUCTION FROM TWR CTL TO EITHER PASS OR CROSS (NOT SURE WHICH) RWY 22L AND POS AND HOLD ON RWY 29. CAPT WAS TAXIING, ACFT WAS TEMPORARILY STOPPED. FO WAS DISTR BY REF TO COCKPIT ITEMS SO CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED. HAD TO WAIT FOR RWY 22L TFC ON SHORT FINAL. INSTEAD OF CONTINUING TO END OF TXWY Z AND TURNING R ONTO RWY 29, HOWEVER, WE TURNED R ONTO RWY 22L BY MISTAKE. TWR NOTED ERROR AND HAD US JUST BACK TAXI ON RWY 29 TO POS AND HOLD. THERE WAS TFC ON FINAL FOR RWY 22L BUT SO FAR OUT THERE WAS NO CONFLICT. WE DO NOT USUALLY DEPART RWY 29. THE OVERWHELMING PREPONDERANCE OF USAGE IS RWY 22L OR RWY 22R, SO THIS OP WAS CONTRARY TO FORCE OF HABIT, AND SO I WAS MORE FOCUSED ON TAXI DIAGRAM (EYES INSIDE) THAN USUAL. ALSO RWY 29 DEP PROC. CAPT MORE FAMILIAR BUT DISTR BY ACFT ON SHORT FINAL, THEN MERELY TOOK FIRST R TURN INSTEAD OF SECOND. ACTUALLY, MY IMPRESSION OF THE CLRNC WAS THAT WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI ON RWY 22L TO RWY 29, SO IT SEEMED OK TO ME BUT APPARENTLY I WAS MISTAKEN. IN CONCLUSION, THIS SEEMS TO BE A CASE OF OLD HABIT PATTERNS INTERFERING (AT LEAST IN MY CASE) WITH A CHANGE IN USUAL PROC. WE DEPART RWY 29 SO INFREQUENTLY THAT ITS USE BECOMES UNFAMILIAR, INCLUDING, OF COURSE, THE TXWY CONFIGN AT THE DEP END AND THE LITANY OF TWR VERNACULAR PECULIAR TO ITS USE. THIS INCIDENT ILLUSTRATES THE NEED TO BE EVER MORE SITUATIONALLY AWARE WHEN DEALING WITH CHANGES TO USUAL CIRCUMSTANCE IN OTHERWISE OVERFAMILIAR SURROUNDINGS.

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.