A wide body flight crew inadvertently turned into the wrong parking ramp. Cite high work load associ...

Attributes
ACN	860117
Time
Date	200911
Local Time Of Day	0001-0600
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.Airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Widebody Low Wing 4 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Taxi
Route In Use	Other Ground
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Captain Pilot Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Multiengine Flight Crew Flight Engineer Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) Flight Crew Instrument
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 50 Flight Crew Total 12500 Flight Crew Type 650
Person 2
Function	Pilot Not Flying First Officer
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 40 Flight Crew Total 6000 Flight Crew Type 130
Events
Anomaly	Deviation - Procedural Clearance Ground Incursion Taxiway

Narrative:

After sitting in the airplane for about 2:15; we departed about 1:30 late and were asked to expedite our flight. During taxi in after landing following a 5:40 flight we were directed to taxi to our assigned ramp. Ramp control also advised us on comm 2 to park on spot 3 and issued a lengthy instruction on parking procedures. (This ramp is rather confined; is not our normal parking location; and has significant issues with ground engine power settings causing damage to men and equipment.) my first officer and I discussed the parking location; but didn't discuss the rather short and apparently simple taxi route to the ramp. Believing I was at the correct ramp entrance due to similar appearance; I turned right toward our normal ramp; but corrected before entering the ramp by turning back north on the taxiway. Ground queried us at approximately the same time as to the assigned ramp; and we confirmed our error and corrective action. Taxi; tow in and shutdown were uneventful. This error is classic familiarity breeding complacency; with 'missionitis' and a bit of fatigue thrown in. In the future I will ask the first officer to verify taxi route prior to turn and/or stop the aircraft and look at diagram myself if required.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A wide body flight crew inadvertently turned into the wrong parking ramp. Cite high work load associated with a short taxi; unfamiliarity with the ramp in question and fatigue.

Narrative: After sitting in the airplane for about 2:15; we departed about 1:30 late and were asked to expedite our flight. During taxi in after landing following a 5:40 flight we were directed to taxi to our assigned ramp. Ramp control also advised us on Comm 2 to park on Spot 3 and issued a lengthy instruction on parking procedures. (This ramp is rather confined; is not our normal parking location; and has significant issues with ground engine power settings causing damage to men and equipment.) My First Officer and I discussed the parking location; but didn't discuss the rather short and apparently simple taxi route to the ramp. Believing I was at the correct ramp entrance due to similar appearance; I turned right toward our normal ramp; but corrected before entering the ramp by turning back north on the taxiway. Ground queried us at approximately the same time as to the assigned ramp; and we confirmed our error and corrective action. Taxi; tow in and shutdown were uneventful. This error is classic familiarity breeding complacency; with 'missionitis' and a bit of fatigue thrown in. In the future I will ask the First Officer to verify taxi route prior to turn and/or stop the aircraft and look at diagram myself if required.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.