Narrative:

This event occurred because of several reasons. The first being my complacency in studying the airport diagram while trying to complete our lengthy taxi flow. The second being my inexperience level. I think that if I had a little more time in the aircraft I would have been done with my flows and checklists and been able to pay more attention to my surroundings. Finally the clearance to 'taxi to 17 right' without any taxiway assignments; direct from a wide open ramp; was a little confusing on the direction of taxi we were supposed to take. I think that led to my disorientation as well. After we had pushed back we received clearance from ground control to 'taxi to runway 17R.' the captain proceeded to accelerate the aircraft forward. The intersection of the incident is very near the gate we were parked at; and that combined with my experience level led to us approaching the runway before I had finished my taxi flow. When I looked up to regain orientation on the airport grounds; we were crossing runway 17R. About 3/4 of the way across I had studied my airport diagram chart and stated to the captain 'I don't think we were supposed to cross that runway.' too little too late. An aircraft on final approach proceeded to conduct a go around approximately 20 seconds later. Ground control promptly advised us of our mistake and gave appropriate taxi instructions to the end of runway 17R; and the flight continued without delay; free of any more incidents. I feel 50% of the blame lies squarely on my shoulders and take full responsibility for my incorrect actions which led up to this event. Next time I will make sure not to be so involved that I cannot maintain full awareness of the airport setup around the airplane and do my part to avoid this mishap. As we were crossing the runway I thought to myself that I didn't remember having to cross any runways upon my initial examination of the airport diagram back at the gate. I halted my taxi flow and began determining our position on the airport and where we were supposed to go and realized the mistake which had just taken place. Once I had communicated to the captain what I thought had happened; he quickly cleared the runway and ATC immediately issued new instructions for the remainder of our taxi.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB FLT CREW TAXIING FOR TAKEOFF CROSS AN ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT CLEARANCE; CAUSING ANOTHER AIRCRAFT TO GO AROUND.

Narrative: THIS EVENT OCCURRED BECAUSE OF SEVERAL REASONS. THE FIRST BEING MY COMPLACENCY IN STUDYING THE ARPT DIAGRAM WHILE TRYING TO COMPLETE OUR LENGTHY TAXI FLOW. THE SECOND BEING MY INEXPERIENCE LEVEL. I THINK THAT IF I HAD A LITTLE MORE TIME IN THE ACFT I WOULD HAVE BEEN DONE WITH MY FLOWS AND CHKLISTS AND BEEN ABLE TO PAY MORE ATTN TO MY SURROUNDINGS. FINALLY THE CLRNC TO 'TAXI TO 17 RIGHT' WITHOUT ANY TXWY ASSIGNMENTS; DIRECT FROM A WIDE OPEN RAMP; WAS A LITTLE CONFUSING ON THE DIRECTION OF TAXI WE WERE SUPPOSED TO TAKE. I THINK THAT LED TO MY DISORIENTATION AS WELL. AFTER WE HAD PUSHED BACK WE RECEIVED CLRNC FROM GND CTL TO 'TAXI TO RWY 17R.' THE CAPT PROCEEDED TO ACCELERATE THE ACFT FORWARD. THE INTXN OF THE INCIDENT IS VERY NEAR THE GATE WE WERE PARKED AT; AND THAT COMBINED WITH MY EXPERIENCE LEVEL LED TO US APCHING THE RWY BEFORE I HAD FINISHED MY TAXI FLOW. WHEN I LOOKED UP TO REGAIN ORIENTATION ON THE ARPT GROUNDS; WE WERE XING RWY 17R. ABOUT 3/4 OF THE WAY ACROSS I HAD STUDIED MY ARPT DIAGRAM CHART AND STATED TO THE CAPT 'I DON'T THINK WE WERE SUPPOSED TO CROSS THAT RWY.' TOO LITTLE TOO LATE. AN ACFT ON FINAL APCH PROCEEDED TO CONDUCT A GAR APPROX 20 SECONDS LATER. GND CTL PROMPTLY ADVISED US OF OUR MISTAKE AND GAVE APPROPRIATE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO THE END OF RWY 17R; AND THE FLT CONTINUED WITHOUT DELAY; FREE OF ANY MORE INCIDENTS. I FEEL 50% OF THE BLAME LIES SQUARELY ON MY SHOULDERS AND TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY INCORRECT ACTIONS WHICH LED UP TO THIS EVENT. NEXT TIME I WILL MAKE SURE NOT TO BE SO INVOLVED THAT I CANNOT MAINTAIN FULL AWARENESS OF THE ARPT SETUP AROUND THE AIRPLANE AND DO MY PART TO AVOID THIS MISHAP. AS WE WERE XING THE RWY I THOUGHT TO MYSELF THAT I DIDN'T REMEMBER HAVING TO CROSS ANY RWYS UPON MY INITIAL EXAM OF THE ARPT DIAGRAM BACK AT THE GATE. I HALTED MY TAXI FLOW AND BEGAN DETERMINING OUR POS ON THE ARPT AND WHERE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO GO AND REALIZED THE MISTAKE WHICH HAD JUST TAKEN PLACE. ONCE I HAD COMMUNICATED TO THE CAPT WHAT I THOUGHT HAD HAPPENED; HE QUICKLY CLRED THE RWY AND ATC IMMEDIATELY ISSUED NEW INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE REMAINDER OF OUR TAXI.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.