A distracted CL65 PIC turns the wrong way during taxi in, a taxiway incursion, at dtw, mi.

Attributes
ACN	536260
Time
Date	200201
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw.airport
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Regional Jet CL65, Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 235 flight time total : 12500 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	536260
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 1800 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	536261
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe incursion : taxiway non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : obs 3
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to original clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We had just landed at dtw on runway 22R and cleared at taxiway A4. We were given a taxi clearance of txwys Q, T, Y V. During the taxi, we had a jump seater who began talking and I didn't correctly ask him to stop. I glanced at the taxiway diagram and thought that I saw the proper taxi route. My first officer became distracted when a switch cover fell off the cockpit overhead panel just as we reached intersection T. I turned right instead of left and it was the jump seater that pointed out the mistake. Ground control then told us to just make a 180 degree turn and get back on course. There were no conflicts, fortunately. Supplemental information from acn 536261: the turn off of taxiway Q to taxiway T is a left turn to join taxiway Y, but we inadvertently turned right because the captain was confused. I was trying to fix a guarded switch that had come loose while en route and consequently I was not paying attention to the turn off of taxiway Q. We also had a jump seat that was conversing with me as to how to fix the problem. The combination of a confused captain and an first officer dealing with a problem at the wrong time with a lack of sterile cockpit contributed to the wrong turn.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DISTRACTED CL65 PIC TURNS THE WRONG WAY DURING TAXI IN, A TXWY INCURSION, AT DTW, MI.

Narrative: WE HAD JUST LANDED AT DTW ON RWY 22R AND CLRED AT TXWY A4. WE WERE GIVEN A TAXI CLRNC OF TXWYS Q, T, Y V. DURING THE TAXI, WE HAD A JUMP SEATER WHO BEGAN TALKING AND I DIDN'T CORRECTLY ASK HIM TO STOP. I GLANCED AT THE TXWY DIAGRAM AND THOUGHT THAT I SAW THE PROPER TAXI RTE. MY FO BECAME DISTRACTED WHEN A SWITCH COVER FELL OFF THE COCKPIT OVERHEAD PANEL JUST AS WE REACHED INTXN T. I TURNED R INSTEAD OF L AND IT WAS THE JUMP SEATER THAT POINTED OUT THE MISTAKE. GND CTL THEN TOLD US TO JUST MAKE A 180 DEG TURN AND GET BACK ON COURSE. THERE WERE NO CONFLICTS, FORTUNATELY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 536261: THE TURN OFF OF TXWY Q TO TXWY T IS A L TURN TO JOIN TXWY Y, BUT WE INADVERTENTLY TURNED R BECAUSE THE CAPT WAS CONFUSED. I WAS TRYING TO FIX A GUARDED SWITCH THAT HAD COME LOOSE WHILE ENRTE AND CONSEQUENTLY I WAS NOT PAYING ATTN TO THE TURN OFF OF TXWY Q. WE ALSO HAD A JUMP SEAT THAT WAS CONVERSING WITH ME AS TO HOW TO FIX THE PROB. THE COMBINATION OF A CONFUSED CAPT AND AN FO DEALING WITH A PROB AT THE WRONG TIME WITH A LACK OF STERILE COCKPIT CONTRIBUTED TO THE WRONG TURN.

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.