Narrative:

Was cleared to taxi to active runway by ground control. Had a brand new student, so I was operating the radio. Earlier that day the active runway had been runway 34. According to the local ATIS the current active was runway 27. I listened again after the incident. It was my understanding and belief that I had accepted a taxi to runway 34. As the map indicates, runway 34 is accessed by a runway 27 taxi. The wind sock on taxiing past gave an indication of runway 34. I was trying to get and give taxi instruction to my new student. While giving this instruction, and thinking runway 34 was my destination, I taxied onto runway 27 (active) and proceeded to taxi down it. Approximately 100-150 yards down runway 27 the ground controller queried me why I was there. After being told runway 27 was active, I cleared onto runway 34 and taxied to runway 27 via taxiway a. I feel it was completely my fault in not confirming the runway in use. Focusing too much on instruction, when in hindsight I should have taken the day off due to emotional reasons. Was fatigued and mis- focused. Had found out the night before my mother had been in a serious car accident with a truck. I had some mental energy focused onto this. I was and still am deeply concerned with this event. I have accepted the severity of it, and how it came about. This event has deeply affected me, and now find myself taxiing with a more focused purpose. I can only hope to use this as a learning experience for me and my future students and a catalyst to strive to never allowing a similar occurrence from happening again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR PLT IN C152 TAXIES ONTO ACTIVE RWY. CTLR CATCHES THE ERROR AND REDIRECTS HIM.

Narrative: WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO ACTIVE RWY BY GND CTL. HAD A BRAND NEW STUDENT, SO I WAS OPERATING THE RADIO. EARLIER THAT DAY THE ACTIVE RWY HAD BEEN RWY 34. ACCORDING TO THE LCL ATIS THE CURRENT ACTIVE WAS RWY 27. I LISTENED AGAIN AFTER THE INCIDENT. IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING AND BELIEF THAT I HAD ACCEPTED A TAXI TO RWY 34. AS THE MAP INDICATES, RWY 34 IS ACCESSED BY A RWY 27 TAXI. THE WIND SOCK ON TAXIING PAST GAVE AN INDICATION OF RWY 34. I WAS TRYING TO GET AND GIVE TAXI INSTRUCTION TO MY NEW STUDENT. WHILE GIVING THIS INSTRUCTION, AND THINKING RWY 34 WAS MY DEST, I TAXIED ONTO RWY 27 (ACTIVE) AND PROCEEDED TO TAXI DOWN IT. APPROX 100-150 YARDS DOWN RWY 27 THE GND CTLR QUERIED ME WHY I WAS THERE. AFTER BEING TOLD RWY 27 WAS ACTIVE, I CLRED ONTO RWY 34 AND TAXIED TO RWY 27 VIA TXWY A. I FEEL IT WAS COMPLETELY MY FAULT IN NOT CONFIRMING THE RWY IN USE. FOCUSING TOO MUCH ON INSTRUCTION, WHEN IN HINDSIGHT I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE DAY OFF DUE TO EMOTIONAL REASONS. WAS FATIGUED AND MIS- FOCUSED. HAD FOUND OUT THE NIGHT BEFORE MY MOTHER HAD BEEN IN A SERIOUS CAR ACCIDENT WITH A TRUCK. I HAD SOME MENTAL ENERGY FOCUSED ONTO THIS. I WAS AND STILL AM DEEPLY CONCERNED WITH THIS EVENT. I HAVE ACCEPTED THE SEVERITY OF IT, AND HOW IT CAME ABOUT. THIS EVENT HAS DEEPLY AFFECTED ME, AND NOW FIND MYSELF TAXIING WITH A MORE FOCUSED PURPOSE. I CAN ONLY HOPE TO USE THIS AS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR ME AND MY FUTURE STUDENTS AND A CATALYST TO STRIVE TO NEVER ALLOWING A SIMILAR OCCURRENCE FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.

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.