Narrative:

I was parked on the east ramp and was given taxi instructions to taxi to runway 17. There is a taxiway which runs parallel to runway 13L which will take you to runway 17. As I began taxiing to that parallel, the taxi lines on the ramp area were very difficult to see and I could not clearly make out the taxiway centerline. Rather than turning right and proceeding down the taxiway, I continued ahead and momentarily crossed over the hold line onto runway 13L. The taxiway lighting and hold lines were difficult to see due to night time and the paint of the hold short line was almost impossible to see during this incident. There was 1 ATC controller working clearance delivery, ground and tower. Had the controller seen my mistake in missing the taxiway, this too, could have prevented a runway incursion. I immediately turned the aircraft around and taxied off the runway 13L and found the parallel taxiway with no incident/conflict or controller intervention. Contributing to this incident were: night time, poor visibility in the cockpit due to a crayed windshield, lack of pilot familiarity with the airport, lack of a clear taxiway centerline stripe, not letting my night vision develop, and not being seen by a controller who was handling numerous ATC duties simultaneously, all contributed to this runway incursion. To prevent this again, I should as well as all pilots, allow time to let night vision develop, familiarize myself more thoroughly with where the taxiway begins, ask for progressive if not completely sure of my location and taxi only when all these things have occurred. Other corrective actions: more clearly identify the taxiway ctrlines, increase taxiway lighting intensity, ensure taxiway and hold short lines are clearly painted and reduce ATC workload by increasing manning in the tower, thus allowing ground to monitor more closely the progress of taxiing aircraft. Just after this incident, I heard on the radio another aircraft make a turn onto a road trying to find the same taxiway I had just missed. Fortunately, no conflict arose from my incident and I learned a valuable lesson. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he has not spoken to anyone at the airport to date. After conversation, decided it would be a good idea to contact airport manager. Stated that an small transport taxiing soon behind his aircraft turned onto a road instead of the taxiway. Reinforces the poor markings of taxiway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA TAXIING AT NIGHT MISSES TAXIWAY AND ENTERS RWY. TURNS AROUND QUICKLY TO EXIT RWY.

Narrative: I WAS PARKED ON THE E RAMP AND WAS GIVEN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI TO RWY 17. THERE IS A TAXIWAY WHICH RUNS PARALLEL TO RWY 13L WHICH WILL TAKE YOU TO RWY 17. AS I BEGAN TAXIING TO THAT PARALLEL, THE TAXI LINES ON THE RAMP AREA WERE VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE AND I COULD NOT CLRLY MAKE OUT THE TAXIWAY CTRLINE. RATHER THAN TURNING R AND PROCEEDING DOWN THE TAXIWAY, I CONTINUED AHEAD AND MOMENTARILY CROSSED OVER THE HOLD LINE ONTO RWY 13L. THE TAXIWAY LIGHTING AND HOLD LINES WERE DIFFICULT TO SEE DUE TO NIGHT TIME AND THE PAINT OF THE HOLD SHORT LINE WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE DURING THIS INCIDENT. THERE WAS 1 ATC CTLR WORKING CLRNC DELIVERY, GND AND TWR. HAD THE CTLR SEEN MY MISTAKE IN MISSING THE TAXIWAY, THIS TOO, COULD HAVE PREVENTED A RWY INCURSION. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED THE ACFT AROUND AND TAXIED OFF THE RWY 13L AND FOUND THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY WITH NO INCIDENT/CONFLICT OR CTLR INTERVENTION. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS INCIDENT WERE: NIGHT TIME, POOR VISIBILITY IN THE COCKPIT DUE TO A CRAYED WINDSHIELD, LACK OF PLT FAMILIARITY WITH THE ARPT, LACK OF A CLR TAXIWAY CTRLINE STRIPE, NOT LETTING MY NIGHT VISION DEVELOP, AND NOT BEING SEEN BY A CTLR WHO WAS HANDLING NUMEROUS ATC DUTIES SIMULTANEOUSLY, ALL CONTRIBUTED TO THIS RWY INCURSION. TO PREVENT THIS AGAIN, I SHOULD AS WELL AS ALL PLTS, ALLOW TIME TO LET NIGHT VISION DEVELOP, FAMILIARIZE MYSELF MORE THOROUGHLY WITH WHERE THE TAXIWAY BEGINS, ASK FOR PROGRESSIVE IF NOT COMPLETELY SURE OF MY LOCATION AND TAXI ONLY WHEN ALL THESE THINGS HAVE OCCURRED. OTHER CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: MORE CLRLY IDENT THE TAXIWAY CTRLINES, INCREASE TAXIWAY LIGHTING INTENSITY, ENSURE TAXIWAY AND HOLD SHORT LINES ARE CLRLY PAINTED AND REDUCE ATC WORKLOAD BY INCREASING MANNING IN THE TWR, THUS ALLOWING GND TO MONITOR MORE CLOSELY THE PROGRESS OF TAXIING ACFT. JUST AFTER THIS INCIDENT, I HEARD ON THE RADIO ANOTHER ACFT MAKE A TURN ONTO A ROAD TRYING TO FIND THE SAME TAXIWAY I HAD JUST MISSED. FORTUNATELY, NO CONFLICT AROSE FROM MY INCIDENT AND I LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE HAS NOT SPOKEN TO ANYONE AT THE ARPT TO DATE. AFTER CONVERSATION, DECIDED IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO CONTACT ARPT MGR. STATED THAT AN SMT TAXIING SOON BEHIND HIS ACFT TURNED ONTO A ROAD INSTEAD OF THE TAXIWAY. REINFORCES THE POOR MARKINGS OF TAXIWAY.

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.