Narrative:

After landing on runway 22R at ord I understood that our instructions were to turn left on runway 09L then right turn on 14L to the runup pad of 32R. While taxiing on 09L I asked the first officer if he understood our instructions were to turn right on 14L. He looked at his note pad where he had written the instructions and answered yes. I thought it was unusual but as they already had us taxiing on 09L turning on 14L seemed somehow more plausible to me. Before turning on 14L I checked and saw no arriving or departing aircraft. Shortly after turning down 14L we were advised we were supposed to have turned right on the 14L parallel. I realize I should have had the controller confirm our instructions before turning down 14L but I have a suggestion for controllers at big airports with several runways and that is when they are giving taxi instructions that include a runway parallel taxiway that they emphasize the parallel in some manner. I would like to see them repeat the instructions emphasizing the word parallel. Supplemental information from acn 94455: the captain and first officer told me that the taxiway routing they followed may have been different than assigned, but frequency congestion and the controller's language made it impossible to determine at the time and the copilot said he thought the controller said that our taxiing may have delayed another aircraft's takeoff.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT FOLLOWED WRONG TAXI ROUTE AND ENTERED ACTIVE RWY.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 22R AT ORD I UNDERSTOOD THAT OUR INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO TURN LEFT ON RWY 09L THEN RIGHT TURN ON 14L TO THE RUNUP PAD OF 32R. WHILE TAXIING ON 09L I ASKED THE F/O IF HE UNDERSTOOD OUR INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO TURN RIGHT ON 14L. HE LOOKED AT HIS NOTE PAD WHERE HE HAD WRITTEN THE INSTRUCTIONS AND ANSWERED YES. I THOUGHT IT WAS UNUSUAL BUT AS THEY ALREADY HAD US TAXIING ON 09L TURNING ON 14L SEEMED SOMEHOW MORE PLAUSIBLE TO ME. BEFORE TURNING ON 14L I CHKED AND SAW NO ARRIVING OR DEPARTING ACFT. SHORTLY AFTER TURNING DOWN 14L WE WERE ADVISED WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE TURNED RIGHT ON THE 14L PARALLEL. I REALIZE I SHOULD HAVE HAD THE CTLR CONFIRM OUR INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE TURNING DOWN 14L BUT I HAVE A SUGGESTION FOR CTLRS AT BIG ARPTS WITH SEVERAL RWYS AND THAT IS WHEN THEY ARE GIVING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS THAT INCLUDE A RWY PARALLEL TXWY THAT THEY EMPHASIZE THE PARALLEL IN SOME MANNER. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM REPEAT THE INSTRUCTIONS EMPHASIZING THE WORD PARALLEL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 94455: THE CAPT AND F/O TOLD ME THAT THE TXWY ROUTING THEY FOLLOWED MAY HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT THAN ASSIGNED, BUT FREQ CONGESTION AND THE CTLR'S LANGUAGE MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE AT THE TIME AND THE COPLT SAID HE THOUGHT THE CTLR SAID THAT OUR TAXIING MAY HAVE DELAYED ANOTHER ACFT'S TKOF.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.