Date: 202011
Local time of day: 0001-0600
Location: SLC.Airport, UT
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Night
Aircraft: Commercial Fixed Wing
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Taxi
ATC / advisory: Tower SLC
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Captain; Pilot Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Human factors: Situational Awareness; Physiological - Other; Distraction; Communication Breakdown; Confusion
Second reporter function: First Officer; Pilot Not Flying
Anomaly: Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Ground Excursion Runway; Ground Incursion Taxiway
Detector: Person Air Traffic Control
When detected: Taxi
Result: Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Contributing factors: ATC Equipment / Nav Facility / Buildings; Airport; Human Factors
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: It was night. We were on the ground taxiing to the runway.  We had a jumpseater in the cockpit as well. We were cleared across one runway and to taxi to our assigned runway. After crossing I called for the Before Takeoff checklist. The First Officer proceeded to accomplish those duties which included contacting the cabin crew. While the First Officer was communicating with the cabin we were cleared for take off.  When the First Officer was done with the cabin notification I informed him that we were cleared for takeoff. The First Officer ran the checklist. As I was taxiing to the runway there were a lot of lights due to the proximity [of] two runways beginning in about the same location. It was a little confusing and I verbalized my confusion by saying 'Is this the right runway' meaning the one I was about to taxi onto. The jumpseater piped in and said it was a different runway. I was referring to the one in front of me he was referring to the one to my left. So; I proceeded forward crossing the runway we were cleared to takeoff on looking for the entrance to my runway and stopped on the other side realizing I had been on the correct runway. Tower saw what happened and canceled our takeoff clearance. We were in fact on the correct runway; I just wasn't sure that we were. We never lined up for takeoff on any runway. We just proceeded across the one [we] were cleared to take off on. The cause was partly due to my limited use of that runway in the past and especially at night. There was a degree of unfamiliarity with that runway. Another factor was my accepting a takeoff clearance before the First Officer was back fully engaged with me and feeling a little rushed. On my part; I could have declined takeoff clearance until we were finished with the 'before takeoff checklist' and both of us of us could have been fully engaged in only taxiing.


Second narrative: Pilots were not familiar with the runway configuration at night. Confused assigned runway with an intersecting runway.  We taxied through approach end after being cleared for takeoff. Tower said to cancel takeoff clearance and turn around taxi back and hold short of the runway. We complied. We reviewed our taxi charts and realized our error. The Captain and First Officer were not familiar with the runway configuration at night. From our perspective it seemed the runway lights to 35 may have been turned down and due to that it could've been mistaken for 32 as we expected the lights for an active runway to be brighter. It would have also been helpful to have moving maps on taxi charts. We would have realized immediately where we were. As it stood the lights being turned down confused the unfamiliar crew into thinking they had to taxi further to Runway 35. From our perspective it seemed the runway lights may have been turned down and due to that we could've been mistaken our runway as we expected the lights for an active runway to be brighter. It would have also been helpful to have moving maps on taxi charts. We would have realized immediately where we were. As it stood the lights being turned down confused the unfamiliar crew into thinking they had to taxi further to the runway.


Synopsis: An Air Carrier crew reported they taxied across the assigned runway for takeoff due to confusion about the runway configuration at night.