Narrative:

After preflight and engine start I tuned ATIS. ATIS was reporting sky clear, visibility 7, winds calm, active runways 30R and 34. I called ground for taxi instructions. They advised taxi to 12L hold short of 12L. Due to ATIS information I asked for a repeat of the instructions and acknowledged the hold short instruction. I taxied north to the runway 24 parallel then west to the 30R parallel where the 24 parallel terminates. A short jog to the north to runway 24 and then a turn to the west on 24 is necessary to bring you to 12L. I looked for but did not locate the runway 12L marker. I looked to my left for centerline color coding and saw the 30R parallel yellow line. I looked forward and saw runway 16. I thought I was crossing the 30R parallel when I was actually crossing 12L. I thought runway 16 was runway 12L. To taxi from the east side of pwk to the west side can be confusing since taxiways and runways are not clearly marked. When I taxied to the west side I normally review an airport map however with ATIS reporting a departure from the east side of the field where my aircraft is parked, I may not have been as mentally preconditioned for taxi instructions for taxi to the west. I visited the tower controllers about an hour after the incident. They volunteered that pilot confusion over ground instructions was high. They acknowledged that taxiway and runway marking is inadequate. They told me that they had cleared another aircraft who had started its ground roll when I crossed runway 12L. They said there was not a near miss situation involved. Contributing factors: initial confusion about taxi instructions. (Pilot problem). Inadequate, poorly placed runway and taxi marking. Complexity of the required taxi maneuvers. I was well rested, well fed and I believe that I was alert. I do not take medication of any kind. I cannot explain my error beyond what I have mentioned above. I am a very safety conscious pilot. Tower called me and said that I had crossed an active runway. They told me to continue with my intended flight and to call the tower upon my return. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter states he has received a 10 day notice which mentions remedial training rather than certificate action. Reporter conversation with tower personnel revealed they agree 100 percent that runway and taxiway signs are inadequate. Reporter did not realize he was confused, but obviously he was.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT TAXIES ONTO ACTIVE RWY BELIEVING IT TO BE TAXIWAY. ACFT CLRED FOR TKOF ON ACTIVE.

Narrative: AFTER PREFLT AND ENG START I TUNED ATIS. ATIS WAS RPTING SKY CLR, VISIBILITY 7, WINDS CALM, ACTIVE RWYS 30R AND 34. I CALLED GND FOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. THEY ADVISED TAXI TO 12L HOLD SHORT OF 12L. DUE TO ATIS INFO I ASKED FOR A REPEAT OF THE INSTRUCTIONS AND ACKNOWLEDGED THE HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTION. I TAXIED N TO THE RWY 24 PARALLEL THEN W TO THE 30R PARALLEL WHERE THE 24 PARALLEL TERMINATES. A SHORT JOG TO THE N TO RWY 24 AND THEN A TURN TO THE W ON 24 IS NECESSARY TO BRING YOU TO 12L. I LOOKED FOR BUT DID NOT LOCATE THE RWY 12L MARKER. I LOOKED TO MY L FOR CTRLINE COLOR CODING AND SAW THE 30R PARALLEL YELLOW LINE. I LOOKED FORWARD AND SAW RWY 16. I THOUGHT I WAS XING THE 30R PARALLEL WHEN I WAS ACTUALLY XING 12L. I THOUGHT RWY 16 WAS RWY 12L. TO TAXI FROM THE E SIDE OF PWK TO THE W SIDE CAN BE CONFUSING SINCE TAXIWAYS AND RWYS ARE NOT CLRLY MARKED. WHEN I TAXIED TO THE W SIDE I NORMALLY REVIEW AN ARPT MAP HOWEVER WITH ATIS RPTING A DEP FROM THE E SIDE OF THE FIELD WHERE MY ACFT IS PARKED, I MAY NOT HAVE BEEN AS MENTALLY PRECONDITIONED FOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS FOR TAXI TO THE W. I VISITED THE TWR CTLRS ABOUT AN HR AFTER THE INCIDENT. THEY VOLUNTEERED THAT PLT CONFUSION OVER GND INSTRUCTIONS WAS HIGH. THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT TAXIWAY AND RWY MARKING IS INADEQUATE. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD CLRED ANOTHER ACFT WHO HAD STARTED ITS GND ROLL WHEN I CROSSED RWY 12L. THEY SAID THERE WAS NOT A NEAR MISS SITUATION INVOLVED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: INITIAL CONFUSION ABOUT TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. (PLT PROBLEM). INADEQUATE, POORLY PLACED RWY AND TAXI MARKING. COMPLEXITY OF THE REQUIRED TAXI MANEUVERS. I WAS WELL RESTED, WELL FED AND I BELIEVE THAT I WAS ALERT. I DO NOT TAKE MEDICATION OF ANY KIND. I CANNOT EXPLAIN MY ERROR BEYOND WHAT I HAVE MENTIONED ABOVE. I AM A VERY SAFETY CONSCIOUS PLT. TWR CALLED ME AND SAID THAT I HAD CROSSED AN ACTIVE RWY. THEY TOLD ME TO CONTINUE WITH MY INTENDED FLT AND TO CALL THE TWR UPON MY RETURN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATES HE HAS RECEIVED A 10 DAY NOTICE WHICH MENTIONS REMEDIAL TRAINING RATHER THAN CERTIFICATE ACTION. RPTR CONVERSATION WITH TWR PERSONNEL REVEALED THEY AGREE 100 PERCENT THAT RWY AND TAXIWAY SIGNS ARE INADEQUATE. RPTR DID NOT REALIZE HE WAS CONFUSED, BUT OBVIOUSLY HE WAS.

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.