An MD88 flight crew gets confused while taxiing on the ramp in a night operation. They start to turn...

Attributes
ACN	470071
Time
Date	200004
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : clt.airport
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 4025
ASRS Report	470071
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	469530
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe incursion : runway non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	markings : clt.airport

Narrative:

Flight pushed back from gate. Both engines were started immediately and ramp control cleared us to taxi to spot X. As soon as we cleared the concourse area, I called for the taxi checklist. All checklists were completed by the time we passed taxiway E13 and we devoted our complete attention to taxiing the aircraft. The environment was very dark as we taxied out. The yellow taxi lines on the ramp were difficult to find and follow. In some areas, the taxi lines were not visible, possibly due to recent construction, which appeared to have obscured the yellow lines. I had my 10-9 airport diagram out and referred to it as I taxied. Due to the darkness and my unfamiliarity with this part of the airport, I still had trouble figuring out exactly where we were on the ramp. I requested first officer assistance on several occasions. We were passing abeam taxiway G when first officer contacted clt ground control that we were approaching spot X. Ground control erroneously responded that we were cleared to taxi to runway 18R. This startled us, since we thought we were going to runway 23. I again referred to the airport diagram to figure out what was going on. The controller quickly corrected himself and cleared flight to runway 23 via taxiway M, with clearance to cross runway 18L and contact tower. I had pictured in my mind that I would exit the ramp at spot X southeasterly and make a 90 degree left turn onto taxiway M. I thought I did exactly that. As I exited the ramp, I looked to the right to be sure the taxiway was clear, and then looked left to complete the turn. As I looked left, I saw an aircraft with all its lights on, as if it was preparing to take off. I then realized that the aircraft was on an active runway. The aircraft was too far into the turn to stop, so I expedited across runway 23 as quickly as possible. On the other side of the runway, we contacted ground and received clearance to taxi to runway 23. We departed runway 23, and flight continued to atl without further incident. After landing in atl, reviewed the incident with first officer. It became evident the aircraft exited the ramp at taxiway right, which I believed was spot X. The 90 degree turn onto what was believed to be taxiway M was actually a turn onto runway 23. I contacted the clt ATC supervisor on the phone as soon as I got to atlanta. He commented that this was not the first problem that had occurred in that area and that they might need to look into it. Supplemental information from acn 469530: the ground controller then told us to switch to tower and gave the frequency. I responded to the instruction to switch to tower. I then looked down at my 10-9 page to confirm the tower frequency and looked to switch communication #1 to that frequency. Before I had the frequency dialed in, I felt the aircraft begin to make a left turn. As I looked up, I saw the runway edge lights behind the nose of the aircraft. Realizing we were on runway 23, I looked to the right and saw taxiway right on the south side of the runway and said we needed to turn back slightly right to exit the runway, which we did.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD88 FLC GETS CONFUSED WHILE TAXIING ON THE RAMP IN A NIGHT OP. THEY START TO TURN ONTO ACTIVE OCCUPIED RWY 5-23 BELIEVING IT IS TXWY M AT CLT, NC.

Narrative: FLT PUSHED BACK FROM GATE. BOTH ENGS WERE STARTED IMMEDIATELY AND RAMP CTL CLRED US TO TAXI TO SPOT X. AS SOON AS WE CLRED THE CONCOURSE AREA, I CALLED FOR THE TAXI CHKLIST. ALL CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETED BY THE TIME WE PASSED TXWY E13 AND WE DEVOTED OUR COMPLETE ATTN TO TAXIING THE ACFT. THE ENVIRONMENT WAS VERY DARK AS WE TAXIED OUT. THE YELLOW TAXI LINES ON THE RAMP WERE DIFFICULT TO FIND AND FOLLOW. IN SOME AREAS, THE TAXI LINES WERE NOT VISIBLE, POSSIBLY DUE TO RECENT CONSTRUCTION, WHICH APPEARED TO HAVE OBSCURED THE YELLOW LINES. I HAD MY 10-9 ARPT DIAGRAM OUT AND REFERRED TO IT AS I TAXIED. DUE TO THE DARKNESS AND MY UNFAMILIARITY WITH THIS PART OF THE ARPT, I STILL HAD TROUBLE FIGURING OUT EXACTLY WHERE WE WERE ON THE RAMP. I REQUESTED FO ASSISTANCE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. WE WERE PASSING ABEAM TXWY G WHEN FO CONTACTED CLT GND CTL THAT WE WERE APCHING SPOT X. GND CTL ERRONEOUSLY RESPONDED THAT WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 18R. THIS STARTLED US, SINCE WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO RWY 23. I AGAIN REFERRED TO THE ARPT DIAGRAM TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. THE CTLR QUICKLY CORRECTED HIMSELF AND CLRED FLT TO RWY 23 VIA TXWY M, WITH CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 18L AND CONTACT TWR. I HAD PICTURED IN MY MIND THAT I WOULD EXIT THE RAMP AT SPOT X SOUTHEASTERLY AND MAKE A 90 DEG L TURN ONTO TXWY M. I THOUGHT I DID EXACTLY THAT. AS I EXITED THE RAMP, I LOOKED TO THE R TO BE SURE THE TXWY WAS CLR, AND THEN LOOKED L TO COMPLETE THE TURN. AS I LOOKED L, I SAW AN ACFT WITH ALL ITS LIGHTS ON, AS IF IT WAS PREPARING TO TAKE OFF. I THEN REALIZED THAT THE ACFT WAS ON AN ACTIVE RWY. THE ACFT WAS TOO FAR INTO THE TURN TO STOP, SO I EXPEDITED ACROSS RWY 23 AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RWY, WE CONTACTED GND AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO TAXI TO RWY 23. WE DEPARTED RWY 23, AND FLT CONTINUED TO ATL WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AFTER LNDG IN ATL, REVIEWED THE INCIDENT WITH FO. IT BECAME EVIDENT THE ACFT EXITED THE RAMP AT TXWY R, WHICH I BELIEVED WAS SPOT X. THE 90 DEG TURN ONTO WHAT WAS BELIEVED TO BE TXWY M WAS ACTUALLY A TURN ONTO RWY 23. I CONTACTED THE CLT ATC SUPVR ON THE PHONE AS SOON AS I GOT TO ATLANTA. HE COMMENTED THAT THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST PROB THAT HAD OCCURRED IN THAT AREA AND THAT THEY MIGHT NEED TO LOOK INTO IT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 469530: THE GND CTLR THEN TOLD US TO SWITCH TO TWR AND GAVE THE FREQ. I RESPONDED TO THE INSTRUCTION TO SWITCH TO TWR. I THEN LOOKED DOWN AT MY 10-9 PAGE TO CONFIRM THE TWR FREQ AND LOOKED TO SWITCH COM #1 TO THAT FREQ. BEFORE I HAD THE FREQ DIALED IN, I FELT THE ACFT BEGIN TO MAKE A L TURN. AS I LOOKED UP, I SAW THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS BEHIND THE NOSE OF THE ACFT. REALIZING WE WERE ON RWY 23, I LOOKED TO THE R AND SAW TXWY R ON THE S SIDE OF THE RWY AND SAID WE NEEDED TO TURN BACK SLIGHTLY R TO EXIT THE RWY, WHICH WE DID.

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.

An MD88 flight crew gets confused while taxiing on the ramp in a night operation. They start to turn onto active occupied runway 5-23 believing it is taxiway M at clt, nc.