Narrative:

I was cleared to taxi to runway 32. I could not find an airport diagram/taxi chart for the airport. Another aircraft then taxied past me heading to the same runway. I thought it would be easy to follow him to the runway. I started taxiing and setting up radios and instruments for IFR departure. I lost track/sight of the other aircraft, probably because my head was in the cockpit too much. I remember feeling confident that I knew where I was going and thought I was parallel to runway 32. I was in fact parallel to runway 1/19. I should have made a left turn to get to runway 32. Instead, I taxied straight ahead across runway 32, the active runway. I do not remember seeing runway numbers but I was aware that I was crossing a runway. My head was up and down from the cockpit to the outside and I did scan both directions down the runway, even though I thought it was an inactive runway. The controller then informed me that I crossed the active and was heading to runway 1. I must commend the controller for being calm and polite about the incident. From the shock of being informed of what I had done, my mind was now in a state of confusion and I was very embarrassed and upset at myself. This was apparent when I forgot to turn the switch and called ground control for takeoff. If the controller had yelled or raised his voice I would have been more nervous which could have influenced the safety of the remaining flight. I believe the important factors relating to this incident are: 1) during a single pilot operation keep your eyes outside, paying attention to taxiing, and not set up for departure until stopped. 2) perhaps larger runway numbers at each intersection would help. 3) it is interesting to note that I am also a controller with 16 yrs experience. This was my most serious incident ever. Do not let experience or confidence interfere with the vigilance that you must maintain when operating an aircraft. 4) use extra caution when tired. Started flying at XA00 this day. After landing at frg, drove to manhattan, ny. On return drive sat in bumper to bumper traffic for 2 hours. I believe the fatigue this created contributed to my error.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A C182 FAILED TO FOLLOW HIS TAXI FOR TKOF CLRNC AND CROSSED THE ACTIVE RWY. PLT STATES HE COULD NOT FIND MAP OF ARPT. HE WAS DISTR BY HEAD DOWN STUDYING IFR DEP ROUTING AND FATIGUE FROM A LONG DAY ON THE ROAD IN TFC. THE ATCT GND CTLR INTERVENED AND DIRECTED HIM ON ANOTHER RTE.

Narrative: I WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 32. I COULD NOT FIND AN ARPT DIAGRAM/TAXI CHART FOR THE ARPT. ANOTHER ACFT THEN TAXIED PAST ME HDG TO THE SAME RWY. I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE EASY TO FOLLOW HIM TO THE RWY. I STARTED TAXIING AND SETTING UP RADIOS AND INSTS FOR IFR DEP. I LOST TRACK/SIGHT OF THE OTHER ACFT, PROBABLY BECAUSE MY HEAD WAS IN THE COCKPIT TOO MUCH. I REMEMBER FEELING CONFIDENT THAT I KNEW WHERE I WAS GOING AND THOUGHT I WAS PARALLEL TO RWY 32. I WAS IN FACT PARALLEL TO RWY 1/19. I SHOULD HAVE MADE A L TURN TO GET TO RWY 32. INSTEAD, I TAXIED STRAIGHT AHEAD ACROSS RWY 32, THE ACTIVE RWY. I DO NOT REMEMBER SEEING RWY NUMBERS BUT I WAS AWARE THAT I WAS XING A RWY. MY HEAD WAS UP AND DOWN FROM THE COCKPIT TO THE OUTSIDE AND I DID SCAN BOTH DIRECTIONS DOWN THE RWY, EVEN THOUGH I THOUGHT IT WAS AN INACTIVE RWY. THE CTLR THEN INFORMED ME THAT I CROSSED THE ACTIVE AND WAS HDG TO RWY 1. I MUST COMMEND THE CTLR FOR BEING CALM AND POLITE ABOUT THE INCIDENT. FROM THE SHOCK OF BEING INFORMED OF WHAT I HAD DONE, MY MIND WAS NOW IN A STATE OF CONFUSION AND I WAS VERY EMBARRASSED AND UPSET AT MYSELF. THIS WAS APPARENT WHEN I FORGOT TO TURN THE SWITCH AND CALLED GND CTL FOR TKOF. IF THE CTLR HAD YELLED OR RAISED HIS VOICE I WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE NERVOUS WHICH COULD HAVE INFLUENCED THE SAFETY OF THE REMAINING FLT. I BELIEVE THE IMPORTANT FACTORS RELATING TO THIS INCIDENT ARE: 1) DURING A SINGLE PLT OP KEEP YOUR EYES OUTSIDE, PAYING ATTN TO TAXIING, AND NOT SET UP FOR DEP UNTIL STOPPED. 2) PERHAPS LARGER RWY NUMBERS AT EACH INTXN WOULD HELP. 3) IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT I AM ALSO A CTLR WITH 16 YRS EXPERIENCE. THIS WAS MY MOST SERIOUS INCIDENT EVER. DO NOT LET EXPERIENCE OR CONFIDENCE INTERFERE WITH THE VIGILANCE THAT YOU MUST MAINTAIN WHEN OPERATING AN ACFT. 4) USE EXTRA CAUTION WHEN TIRED. STARTED FLYING AT XA00 THIS DAY. AFTER LNDG AT FRG, DROVE TO MANHATTAN, NY. ON RETURN DRIVE SAT IN BUMPER TO BUMPER TFC FOR 2 HRS. I BELIEVE THE FATIGUE THIS CREATED CONTRIBUTED TO MY ERROR.

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.