Date: 201310
Local time of day: 1801-2400
Location: ORD.Airport, IL
Flight conditions: VMC
Aircraft: B737-800
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight phase: Taxi
ATC / advisory: Tower ORD
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Captain; Pilot Not Flying
Human factors: Confusion; Workload
Second reporter function: Pilot Flying; First Officer
Anomaly: Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Ground Incursion Taxiway; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue
Detector: Person Air Traffic Control
When detected: Taxi
Result: Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Contributing factors: Airport; Human Factors
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: [It was the] First Officer's leg to ORD. First Officer is a recent return from 10 year leave and was unfamiliar with ORD. We set up for arrival to [Runway] 10C. We briefed the approach; clearing the runway and taxi route to the gate. Upon contact with Approach; they assigned us [Runway] 9R. We set up for [Runway] 9R; briefed the approach; briefed clearing the runway; and taxi route to the gate. On short final; a Regional Jet was told to clear the runway and failed to comply in a reasonable time so we were sent around. On downwind; we were given Runway 9L. I set the up the approach and the First Officer briefed it. Fuel was 5;600 LBS at go-around but extended vectors put us under 5;000 LBS and another go-around would put us at emergency fuel. We landed uneventfully and cleared the runway. We were handed off to a Ground Controller that fired off a long taxi clearance. I went to type the clearance into the scratch pad; but the keyboard lights were so dim I couldn't see the letters and missed the clearance. I remembered as far as WT right on F1 and cross runway. The First Officer had written down the entire clearance and read back to the Controller. I was heads up looking at the taxi signs. WT made a right bend and when I saw the F1 sign I called out 'right on Fox 1'. She repeated right on Fox 1. I misread the sign that after the right bend I was on F1; but later review found I was still on WT. I was now approaching [Runway] 4L. I called out 'cleared to cross 4L' and she repeated 'cleared to cross'. I turned on the runway turnoff lights and was starting to clear right when the Ground Controller yelled out 'stop'. I stopped short of the hold short line. There was an aircraft on takeoff roll on that runway. I made several mistakes. First; after clearing the runway; I should have stopped the aircraft; gotten a piece of paper and requested the clearance again at a slower speed. I then should have reviewed the clearance with the First Officer on the airport diagram until we were both in agreement. I should not have let the First Officer go heads down between hot spot 7 and [Runway] 4L. It is possible the go-around and low fuel concern were a distraction which would have been an even bigger reason to stop and get it right. With Runways 4L and 14L being so similar and so close together at hot spot 7; there should never be a clearance to cross either runway until the aircraft is near the hold short line. My clearing to the right would have been the last safety net before a serious potential incident and it bothers me greatly that it got to that point. I am not putting down the First Officer at all; but we have had senior co-pilots for so long; that myself and I'm sure many other captains need to be reminded that new hires and recalls may not be on the same page as us yet and we need to step up to cover this.


Second narrative: Landing at ORD I was flying and landing on [Runway] 9R on short final about 300 FT the Tower had us go-around for an aircraft that had not cleared the runway. We properly executed the go-around and were assigned [Runway] 9L for landing. The Controller slowed us so we could get in line for the runway. We re-briefed the approach for the new runway to include a right turn off at the end. Landing was uneventful and we rolled to the end as I had briefed I would do. We cleared at WT and switched to Ground. She cleared us taxi J1 cross [Runway] 14L U G and hold short of T. J1 was a jink to our left and I was doing the after landing and wanted to get a look at the follow on taxi in after crossing the runway as I am newly back and have not been into Chicago in about 10 years and because of the runway change I had not looked at the taxi past turnoff. Next thing I hear is 'call sign' stop immediately; hold position. I respond and the Captain puts the brakes on. He was not going fast as we were preparing to cross a runway and he had slowed to look before crossing. He had actually started to verbalize the crossing and I was looking up to confirm as the Controller called. I looked up and saw the sign for WT and 27L/9R. We had not taken the right onto J1 as I thought the right jink indicated we had stayed straight on WT. We did not cross the hold short line so did not have a runway incursion; but we didn't follow the taxi instructions either. I know for my part I should have verified with the Captain that he understood the taxi instructions and should have stayed heads up until we crossed all runways. I have a sense of security that the Captains are very familiar with the airports we go to because they do it all the time; but I need to remember that situations change and sometimes the airplane ends up on the airport in an area that they may not be that familiar with. As the First Officer stay heads up until all runways have been crossed and verify with the Captain that he understands the taxi instructions with a verbal indication.


Synopsis: B737 flight crew reports being issued a complicated taxi clearance after landing on Runway 9L at ORD. When the First Officer is head down the Captain gets off track and nearly has a runway incursion.