Narrative:

Flight was departing pit en route to mem. Preflight was routine and uneventful. I was expecting runway 28R for departure and that was being advertised on ATIS. I briefed the first officer on the expected taxi route per CRM. I consulted the 10-9 page airport diagram while briefing, but failed to remind myself how close taxiway a was to the ramp. We pushed back normally but maintenance tugged us to the edge of the ramp due to the very tight quarters that put us less than 50 ft away from taxiway a. Due to the very short taxi, I cleared the first officer to configure the aircraft for takeoff and run the before takeoff checklist. I completely missed the left turn to taxiway a from the ramp. Ground had cleared us to taxi to runway 28R as I had planned. While I was taxiing I saw the intersecting pavement and for some unknown reason thought that was taxiway a. It in fact, was runway 28R. Fortunate for us the first officer looked outside as I was approaching the runway and immediately saw my mistake and said 'runway.' I immediately stopped and looked to my left and confirmed he was correct. I believe I stopped prior to the hold short line but due to aircraft size I could not see it. I confirmed there was no one on approach, instructed the first officer to call tower for clearance whereas they informed me I was on taxiway aa, which was very obvious to me at this point. Clearance was granted and an uneventful takeoff ensued. Causes were an inadequate briefing, loss of situational awareness, rushing to complete a checklist and me instructing the first officer to work inside during a critical taxi phase. All very real and humbling mistakes which I will be vigilant to not repeat.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIRBUS 300 CREW AT PIT TAXIING FROM CARGO AREA TO RWY 28R ENTER WRONG TXWY AND POSSIBLY CROSSED THE RWY 28R HOLD LINE.

Narrative: FLT WAS DEPARTING PIT ENRTE TO MEM. PREFLT WAS ROUTINE AND UNEVENTFUL. I WAS EXPECTING RWY 28R FOR DEP AND THAT WAS BEING ADVERTISED ON ATIS. I BRIEFED THE FO ON THE EXPECTED TAXI RTE PER CRM. I CONSULTED THE 10-9 PAGE ARPT DIAGRAM WHILE BRIEFING, BUT FAILED TO REMIND MYSELF HOW CLOSE TXWY A WAS TO THE RAMP. WE PUSHED BACK NORMALLY BUT MAINT TUGGED US TO THE EDGE OF THE RAMP DUE TO THE VERY TIGHT QUARTERS THAT PUT US LESS THAN 50 FT AWAY FROM TXWY A. DUE TO THE VERY SHORT TAXI, I CLRED THE FO TO CONFIGURE THE ACFT FOR TKOF AND RUN THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST. I COMPLETELY MISSED THE L TURN TO TXWY A FROM THE RAMP. GND HAD CLRED US TO TAXI TO RWY 28R AS I HAD PLANNED. WHILE I WAS TAXIING I SAW THE INTERSECTING PAVEMENT AND FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON THOUGHT THAT WAS TXWY A. IT IN FACT, WAS RWY 28R. FORTUNATE FOR US THE FO LOOKED OUTSIDE AS I WAS APCHING THE RWY AND IMMEDIATELY SAW MY MISTAKE AND SAID 'RWY.' I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED AND LOOKED TO MY L AND CONFIRMED HE WAS CORRECT. I BELIEVE I STOPPED PRIOR TO THE HOLD SHORT LINE BUT DUE TO ACFT SIZE I COULD NOT SEE IT. I CONFIRMED THERE WAS NO ONE ON APCH, INSTRUCTED THE FO TO CALL TWR FOR CLRNC WHEREAS THEY INFORMED ME I WAS ON TXWY AA, WHICH WAS VERY OBVIOUS TO ME AT THIS POINT. CLRNC WAS GRANTED AND AN UNEVENTFUL TKOF ENSUED. CAUSES WERE AN INADEQUATE BRIEFING, LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, RUSHING TO COMPLETE A CHKLIST AND ME INSTRUCTING THE FO TO WORK INSIDE DURING A CRITICAL TAXI PHASE. ALL VERY REAL AND HUMBLING MISTAKES WHICH I WILL BE VIGILANT TO NOT REPEAT.

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.