Narrative:

It was my first time at hayward. We traveled from troutdale, or, to watch the giants. The wkend was coming to a close and I had a lot of things going through my mind. Being a low time IFR pilot and the horror stories about dealing with center in a busy area was intimidating to say the least. I was cleared to taxi to runway 28L. Not being familiar with hayward I requested progressive taxi instructions. The controller gave me instructions which I thought I understood. I taxied to the apron of runway 28L, but I thought it was runway 28R, and proceeded to taxi across. The controller stopped me before I got completely out on the runway but I did cross the yellow lines without permission. The controller then told me to proceed across and complete my run-up. Fortunately there were no aircraft landing at the time. When I was on the north side of runway 28L looking across, I thought I could see a runway on the other side which is why I was so confident I was doing right. As it turned out, I was looking at a taxiway. My mistake is real obvious to me. I should have studied the airport layout more carefully. What is real aggravating is I had the departure procedure right in front of me with a depiction of the airport on it. I also should have questioned ground control more thoroughly. In retrospect, I'm certain she told me exactly what I needed to do but because of other things going on in the airplane as well as the planned flight ahead, I didn't fully comprehend. I must say I learned a lesson I don't believe I'll ever forget.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT TAXIES ACROSS HOLD LINE WHEN CONFUSED ABOUT TAXI CLRNC AND RWY LAYOUT.

Narrative: IT WAS MY FIRST TIME AT HAYWARD. WE TRAVELED FROM TROUTDALE, OR, TO WATCH THE GIANTS. THE WKEND WAS COMING TO A CLOSE AND I HAD A LOT OF THINGS GOING THROUGH MY MIND. BEING A LOW TIME IFR PLT AND THE HORROR STORIES ABOUT DEALING WITH CTR IN A BUSY AREA WAS INTIMIDATING TO SAY THE LEAST. I WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 28L. NOT BEING FAMILIAR WITH HAYWARD I REQUESTED PROGRESSIVE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. THE CTLR GAVE ME INSTRUCTIONS WHICH I THOUGHT I UNDERSTOOD. I TAXIED TO THE APRON OF RWY 28L, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS RWY 28R, AND PROCEEDED TO TAXI ACROSS. THE CTLR STOPPED ME BEFORE I GOT COMPLETELY OUT ON THE RWY BUT I DID CROSS THE YELLOW LINES WITHOUT PERMISSION. THE CTLR THEN TOLD ME TO PROCEED ACROSS AND COMPLETE MY RUN-UP. FORTUNATELY THERE WERE NO ACFT LNDG AT THE TIME. WHEN I WAS ON THE N SIDE OF RWY 28L LOOKING ACROSS, I THOUGHT I COULD SEE A RWY ON THE OTHER SIDE WHICH IS WHY I WAS SO CONFIDENT I WAS DOING RIGHT. AS IT TURNED OUT, I WAS LOOKING AT A TXWY. MY MISTAKE IS REAL OBVIOUS TO ME. I SHOULD HAVE STUDIED THE ARPT LAYOUT MORE CAREFULLY. WHAT IS REAL AGGRAVATING IS I HAD THE DEP PROC RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME WITH A DEPICTION OF THE ARPT ON IT. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED GND CTL MORE THOROUGHLY. IN RETROSPECT, I'M CERTAIN SHE TOLD ME EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED TO DO BUT BECAUSE OF OTHER THINGS GOING ON IN THE AIRPLANE AS WELL AS THE PLANNED FLT AHEAD, I DIDN'T FULLY COMPREHEND. I MUST SAY I LEARNED A LESSON I DON'T BELIEVE I'LL EVER FORGET.

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.