Light twin engine cargo aircraft transgresses active runway from unlit taxiway at night.

Attributes
ACN	133253
Time
Date	199001
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sat
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	landing : go around landing other
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 1400 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	133253
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe incursion : runway non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Taxiway is unlit and very narrow. It is unclear how to determine taxiway and runway where they intersect. Taxied onto active runway. Thought I was cleared to do so. Other aircraft was told to go around. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: taxiway in question is echo, south of runway 03. This taxiway leads from a regularly used cargo ramp used in night operations, to runway 03. The reporter states that there is no taxiway lighting, and that there is a significant downgrade from the runway to the cargo ramp sufficient to cause obstruction of vision. The reporter further indicates that he was informed by tower personnel that there has been a # of similar incidents at night on this taxiway. The FAA has initiated an investigation of the reporter.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LIGHT TWIN ENGINE CARGO ACFT TRANSGRESSES ACTIVE RWY FROM UNLIT TXWY AT NIGHT.

Narrative: TXWY IS UNLIT AND VERY NARROW. IT IS UNCLEAR HOW TO DETERMINE TXWY AND RWY WHERE THEY INTERSECT. TAXIED ONTO ACTIVE RWY. THOUGHT I WAS CLRED TO DO SO. OTHER ACFT WAS TOLD TO GO AROUND. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: TXWY IN QUESTION IS ECHO, S OF RWY 03. THIS TXWY LEADS FROM A REGULARLY USED CARGO RAMP USED IN NIGHT OPS, TO RWY 03. THE RPTR STATES THAT THERE IS NO TXWY LIGHTING, AND THAT THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT DOWNGRADE FROM THE RWY TO THE CARGO RAMP SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE OBSTRUCTION OF VISION. THE RPTR FURTHER INDICATES THAT HE WAS INFORMED BY TWR PERSONNEL THAT THERE HAS BEEN A # OF SIMILAR INCIDENTS AT NIGHT ON THIS TXWY. THE FAA HAS INITIATED AN INVESTIGATION OF THE RPTR.

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