Narrative:

I was the first officer on a part 121 flight which operated out of sfo. Sfo ground cleared us to taxi from spot X to runway 1L via taxiway M on frequency #1. Runway 1R was programmed in the FMC for takeoff. I said I would change the FMC. I then consulted the runway analysis and reprogrammed the FMC for takeoff on runway 1L. The captain concurred with the new settings. Ground control then advised us to contact tower on frequency #2 for a 'possible deviation.' at that time I looked up and saw that the aircraft was on taxiway M, between runway 1L and runway 1R. I contacted the tower, and tower cleared us for departure on runway 1R. No other aircraft were in our vicinity at the time, and no one had to deviate. The tower controller never said anything to us about our mistake. At the time, sfo was landing on runways 28L and 28R, and taking off on runways 1L, and 1R. The primary cause of this incident was that the captain was not paying attention to where we were taxiing while I was taking care of the runway change in the FMC. He was distracted by watching me take care of the FMC. My attention was focused inside the cockpit, and I did not have situational awareness on aircraft position at the time. I think the current process of changing runways in the computer takes too much time and diverts too much attention inside the cockpit. The current process involves reading and interpreting the runway analysis, going to the 'route' page to change the active runway, going to the 'N1' page to set a reduced power setting, and finally going to the 'takeoff' page to set the takeoff speeds. Both crew members have to review, discuss, and confirm that the correct information is in the FMC. Duties must be assigned by the captain so that the appropriate attention is given to all aspects of our operation at all times.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B739 CREW, WHILE PROGRAMMING THE 'FMC' FOR A RWY CHANGE, TAXIED PAST THEIR CLRNC POINT.

Narrative: I WAS THE FO ON A PART 121 FLT WHICH OPERATED OUT OF SFO. SFO GND CLRED US TO TAXI FROM SPOT X TO RWY 1L VIA TXWY M ON FREQ #1. RWY 1R WAS PROGRAMMED IN THE FMC FOR TKOF. I SAID I WOULD CHANGE THE FMC. I THEN CONSULTED THE RWY ANALYSIS AND REPROGRAMMED THE FMC FOR TKOF ON RWY 1L. THE CAPT CONCURRED WITH THE NEW SETTINGS. GND CTL THEN ADVISED US TO CONTACT TWR ON FREQ #2 FOR A 'POSSIBLE DEV.' AT THAT TIME I LOOKED UP AND SAW THAT THE ACFT WAS ON TXWY M, BTWN RWY 1L AND RWY 1R. I CONTACTED THE TWR, AND TWR CLRED US FOR DEP ON RWY 1R. NO OTHER ACFT WERE IN OUR VICINITY AT THE TIME, AND NO ONE HAD TO DEVIATE. THE TWR CTLR NEVER SAID ANYTHING TO US ABOUT OUR MISTAKE. AT THE TIME, SFO WAS LNDG ON RWYS 28L AND 28R, AND TAKING OFF ON RWYS 1L, AND 1R. THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT WAS THAT THE CAPT WAS NOT PAYING ATTN TO WHERE WE WERE TAXIING WHILE I WAS TAKING CARE OF THE RWY CHANGE IN THE FMC. HE WAS DISTRACTED BY WATCHING ME TAKE CARE OF THE FMC. MY ATTN WAS FOCUSED INSIDE THE COCKPIT, AND I DID NOT HAVE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ON ACFT POS AT THE TIME. I THINK THE CURRENT PROCESS OF CHANGING RWYS IN THE COMPUTER TAKES TOO MUCH TIME AND DIVERTS TOO MUCH ATTN INSIDE THE COCKPIT. THE CURRENT PROCESS INVOLVES READING AND INTERPRETING THE RWY ANALYSIS, GOING TO THE 'RTE' PAGE TO CHANGE THE ACTIVE RWY, GOING TO THE 'N1' PAGE TO SET A REDUCED PWR SETTING, AND FINALLY GOING TO THE 'TKOF' PAGE TO SET THE TKOF SPDS. BOTH CREW MEMBERS HAVE TO REVIEW, DISCUSS, AND CONFIRM THAT THE CORRECT INFO IS IN THE FMC. DUTIES MUST BE ASSIGNED BY THE CAPT SO THAT THE APPROPRIATE ATTN IS GIVEN TO ALL ASPECTS OF OUR OP AT ALL TIMES.

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.