B737 flight crew becomes disoriented and taxies to wrong runway at iah.

Attributes
ACN	576628
Time
Date	200303
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iah.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 12500 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	576628
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	incursion : taxiway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllerb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Contacted iah ground control for taxi to departure runway. Was told to taxi to runway 15L, hold short of taxiway E2 for inbound traffic. Once taxiing, as first officer, I began to load FMC/configure aircraft for takeoff. I took a moment to confirm hold for inbound at taxiway E2, then resumed loading FMC. After traffic cleared taxiway E2, captain asked, 'ATC wants us to go over there, right?' indicating taxiway parallel to our own. Without consulting the airport diagram carefully, I replied 'yes.' taxiing resumed while I read checklist, and when completed, I noticed we were in a location unfamiliar to me. Tower then called, advised us we were en route to runway 15R, not runway 15L, but to taxi into position and hold on runway 15R. We complied, flew normal takeoff and departure. No further comments from ATC were made regarding taxi. I feel I responded to the question from the captain hastily and in the way he indicated, due to high workload. In the future, I will reply more carefully after a careful review of the airport diagram. Incidentally, there was no incursion of runway 15L involved.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW BECOMES DISORIENTED AND TAXIES TO WRONG RWY AT IAH.

Narrative: CONTACTED IAH GND CTL FOR TAXI TO DEP RWY. WAS TOLD TO TAXI TO RWY 15L, HOLD SHORT OF TXWY E2 FOR INBOUND TFC. ONCE TAXIING, AS FO, I BEGAN TO LOAD FMC/CONFIGURE ACFT FOR TKOF. I TOOK A MOMENT TO CONFIRM HOLD FOR INBOUND AT TXWY E2, THEN RESUMED LOADING FMC. AFTER TFC CLRED TXWY E2, CAPT ASKED, 'ATC WANTS US TO GO OVER THERE, RIGHT?' INDICATING TXWY PARALLEL TO OUR OWN. WITHOUT CONSULTING THE ARPT DIAGRAM CAREFULLY, I REPLIED 'YES.' TAXIING RESUMED WHILE I READ CHKLIST, AND WHEN COMPLETED, I NOTICED WE WERE IN A LOCATION UNFAMILIAR TO ME. TWR THEN CALLED, ADVISED US WE WERE ENRTE TO RWY 15R, NOT RWY 15L, BUT TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 15R. WE COMPLIED, FLEW NORMAL TKOF AND DEP. NO FURTHER COMMENTS FROM ATC WERE MADE REGARDING TAXI. I FEEL I RESPONDED TO THE QUESTION FROM THE CAPT HASTILY AND IN THE WAY HE INDICATED, DUE TO HIGH WORKLOAD. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL REPLY MORE CAREFULLY AFTER A CAREFUL REVIEW OF THE ARPT DIAGRAM. INCIDENTALLY, THERE WAS NO INCURSION OF RWY 15L INVOLVED.

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.