CL65 flight crew becomes confused with taxi instructions and enters the runway at dtw.

Attributes
ACN	601146
Time
Date	200312
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
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	601146
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On taxi out, pushed off onto taxiway K. Straight back push, normal taxi routing to runway 22/21 is northbound. Ground controller directed taxi to runway 22R txwys K, K8, Y8, runway 22L, follow air carrier connection on taxiway a. First officer was confused with clearance, asked for repeat, taxi began txwys K, K8, Y8 -- at this point we looked right (north) saw air carrier connection moving right to left in distance turned onto runway and asked for clarification, as there was a second air carrier DC9 taxiing behind connection. Controller advised wrong way. He needed a 180 degree on runway join A5 to taxiway a then join behind air carrier connection. Confusion due in part to abnormal taxi routing based on 27 runways in use, and omission of A5 sequence in first transmission of taxi route. With our pushoff C2 it would seem a right turn taxiway K, to join A5 would have been a less confusing taxi route and kept us off a runway. Fortunately due to runway 27 operations the runway was not in use and no conflict occurred, early visual citing of aircraft to follow and lack of A5 caused confusion, coupled with northern taxi patterns used under normal operations.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL65 FLT CREW BECOMES CONFUSED WITH TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND ENTERS THE RWY AT DTW.

Narrative: ON TAXI OUT, PUSHED OFF ONTO TXWY K. STRAIGHT BACK PUSH, NORMAL TAXI ROUTING TO RWY 22/21 IS NBOUND. GND CTLR DIRECTED TAXI TO RWY 22R TXWYS K, K8, Y8, RWY 22L, FOLLOW ACR CONNECTION ON TXWY A. FO WAS CONFUSED WITH CLRNC, ASKED FOR REPEAT, TAXI BEGAN TXWYS K, K8, Y8 -- AT THIS POINT WE LOOKED R (N) SAW ACR CONNECTION MOVING R TO L IN DISTANCE TURNED ONTO RWY AND ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION, AS THERE WAS A SECOND ACR DC9 TAXIING BEHIND CONNECTION. CTLR ADVISED WRONG WAY. HE NEEDED A 180 DEG ON RWY JOIN A5 TO TXWY A THEN JOIN BEHIND ACR CONNECTION. CONFUSION DUE IN PART TO ABNORMAL TAXI ROUTING BASED ON 27 RWYS IN USE, AND OMISSION OF A5 SEQUENCE IN FIRST XMISSION OF TAXI RTE. WITH OUR PUSHOFF C2 IT WOULD SEEM A R TURN TXWY K, TO JOIN A5 WOULD HAVE BEEN A LESS CONFUSING TAXI RTE AND KEPT US OFF A RWY. FORTUNATELY DUE TO RWY 27 OPS THE RWY WAS NOT IN USE AND NO CONFLICT OCCURRED, EARLY VISUAL CITING OF ACFT TO FOLLOW AND LACK OF A5 CAUSED CONFUSION, COUPLED WITH NORTHERN TAXI PATTERNS USED UNDER NORMAL OPS.

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.