Unauthorized runway entry operation.

Attributes
ACN	279990
Time
Date	199408
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : efs airport : efd
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	279990
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Cleared to taxi to runway 4 (doing this by memory as do not have charts with me) at ellington field in houston, tx. We taxied to what we thought was the approach end of runway 4 but not yet on it. The tower advised that we were actually on the active runway for future reference. Upon looking at our charts we both thought that we were not on the actual runway because of the depiction illustrated. This airport and specifically the taxiing approach to runway 4 is confusing and prone to make taxiing errors.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH RWY ENTRY OP.

Narrative: CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 4 (DOING THIS BY MEMORY AS DO NOT HAVE CHARTS WITH ME) AT ELLINGTON FIELD IN HOUSTON, TX. WE TAXIED TO WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS THE APCH END OF RWY 4 BUT NOT YET ON IT. THE TWR ADVISED THAT WE WERE ACTUALLY ON THE ACTIVE RWY FOR FUTURE REF. UPON LOOKING AT OUR CHARTS WE BOTH THOUGHT THAT WE WERE NOT ON THE ACTUAL RWY BECAUSE OF THE DEPICTION ILLUSTRATED. THIS ARPT AND SPECIFICALLY THE TAXIING APCH TO RWY 4 IS CONFUSING AND PRONE TO MAKE TAXIING ERRORS.

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.