Narrative:

We were given taxi instructions by ground control to taxi taxiway north to hold short of runway 27R for runway 27L. I copied the instructions back to ground control. My captain began the taxi and I was doing my first officer duties when ground said 'cleared to cross runway 27R.' next the controller said we taxied past taxiway north and then said to turn right to cross runway 27R. The captain continued the taxi through the next intersection. The controller then wanted verification of the runway we wanted (probably because it appeared we were trying to taxi to runway 27R). I told the controller we were taxiing to runway 27L and then he told us to cross runway 27R at taxiway left, and we did. I think the confusion began when the taxi instructions were given to us. Both the captain and I thought the controller wanted us to taxi on taxiway north to hold short of runway 27R, and we thought we were on taxiway north when it was actually taxiway K. Also, we were at a new gate, at a new terminal on the other side of the field and both of us a little unfamiliar. I should have looked at my taxi chart more carefully and verified the instructions with the controller. Also, I was busy getting the numbers for the close-out and starting the second engine. Instead we should have stopped the aircraft and made sure we were taxiing correctly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLC IS DISORIENTED AT PHL DURING TAXI CAUSING CONFUSION FOR THE CTLR TRYING TO CLR THEM TO THE RWY.

Narrative: WE WERE GIVEN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS BY GND CTL TO TAXI TXWY N TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 27R FOR RWY 27L. I COPIED THE INSTRUCTIONS BACK TO GND CTL. MY CAPT BEGAN THE TAXI AND I WAS DOING MY FO DUTIES WHEN GND SAID 'CLRED TO CROSS RWY 27R.' NEXT THE CTLR SAID WE TAXIED PAST TXWY N AND THEN SAID TO TURN R TO CROSS RWY 27R. THE CAPT CONTINUED THE TAXI THROUGH THE NEXT INTXN. THE CTLR THEN WANTED VERIFICATION OF THE RWY WE WANTED (PROBABLY BECAUSE IT APPEARED WE WERE TRYING TO TAXI TO RWY 27R). I TOLD THE CTLR WE WERE TAXIING TO RWY 27L AND THEN HE TOLD US TO CROSS RWY 27R AT TXWY L, AND WE DID. I THINK THE CONFUSION BEGAN WHEN THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN TO US. BOTH THE CAPT AND I THOUGHT THE CTLR WANTED US TO TAXI ON TXWY N TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 27R, AND WE THOUGHT WE WERE ON TXWY N WHEN IT WAS ACTUALLY TXWY K. ALSO, WE WERE AT A NEW GATE, AT A NEW TERMINAL ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FIELD AND BOTH OF US A LITTLE UNFAMILIAR. I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED AT MY TAXI CHART MORE CAREFULLY AND VERIFIED THE INSTRUCTIONS WITH THE CTLR. ALSO, I WAS BUSY GETTING THE NUMBERS FOR THE CLOSE-OUT AND STARTING THE SECOND ENG. INSTEAD WE SHOULD HAVE STOPPED THE ACFT AND MADE SURE WE WERE TAXIING CORRECTLY.

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.