Narrative:

Problem statement: inadvertently taxied across the end of an inactive runway near the ramp prior to preflight runup at an unfamiliar field in IMC conditions. How did this happen: I was preparing to depart on an IFR flight from michigan to ohio at night, in rain, prior to an approaching cold front, at an unfamiliar field, around detroit class B airspace, expecting turbulence and IMC conditions for the entire flight. I have a complete and up-to-date set of commercial pubs for my IFR flying. The book was open to departure airport diagram which is quite complicated. Active runways were runway 27L&right. Inactive runways associated with the older part of the field on its east side were runway 3/21 and runway 18/36. Numerous txwys cross these runways to serve the east and south ramps. The east ramp in particular is only a few ft removed from and parallel to runway 18/36 along its length. I listened to ATIS and obtained IFR clearance after engine startup while on the FBO's ramp on the southeast corner of the field. I then contacted ground control prior to taxi and was told to run up on the 'east end of the ramp' or 'east ramp' and call when 'ready to reposition after runup.' I expected to be told to taxi to runway 27, then run up, but I carefully moved out of the way of an arriving aircraft taxiing around me and away from the FBO's front door to do my runup. How it was discovered: unfortunately, I had inadvertently moved onto the south end of runway 18/36 at the intersection of an east/west taxiway, the runway end, and the overrun. I paused to check magnetos, and called the tower to 'reposition.' tower asked if that was my plane on a runway. I replied, 'sorry, I'll move immediately,' and then asked for and received progressive taxi instructions to runway 27L and (after takeoff clearance) departed -- thanking tower for their help and patience. Contributing factors: the complication of this particular flight and all of its details was perhaps a factor, but I didn't feel particularly stressed, just busy. The fact that an airplane had just taxied from the location I chose for my runup (the intersecting taxiway was the main east/west taxiway on the south side of the field, ie, the 'east end of the ramp' to me). I didn't notice lights along runway 18/36. If I had seen white lights, I would not have entered. Perhaps since it was not an active runway that night, the lights weren't on, or the lights didn't extend to the end of the runway where I was. My unfamiliarity with the field. The rain/wind/night didn't help. I wanted to be a good neighbor and move away from a busy ramp and FBO before running up, and didn't expect a runway that close by -- in fact, I probably thought it was a north/south taxiway just off the ramp at the time. I was nosed across the runway at its end, at the overrun region, so I didn't notice any markings, etc in front of me as I pointed west (into the wind) down the east/west taxiway, stopped, and called the tower. Corrective actions: there was a runup area near the departure end of runway 27L. Perhaps I should have been cleared to taxi there before runup. I could have mentioned to the ground controller that I was unfamiliar with the airport and asked for help complying with his runup instructions, but I didn't feel there would be a problem doing so. A word of warning by the ground controller (eg, 'do not cross runway 18/36 in front of you) would have helped a lot at the time. Since this older runway confign borders the east ramp and separates it from the newer main runways, every airplane going there needs to taxi across it inbound and outbound. Seems like a good place for very clear instructions each way. Human performance considerations: strange, busy airport, at night, in IMC conditions, requires extra attention to detail. Encourage pilot to ask for help. Encourage tower to offer help (and clear, simplified instructions) under such circumstances.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C210 PLT HAD RWY INCURSION WHILE TAXIING TO RUNUP AREA.

Narrative: PROB STATEMENT: INADVERTENTLY TAXIED ACROSS THE END OF AN INACTIVE RWY NEAR THE RAMP PRIOR TO PREFLT RUNUP AT AN UNFAMILIAR FIELD IN IMC CONDITIONS. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN: I WAS PREPARING TO DEPART ON AN IFR FLT FROM MICHIGAN TO OHIO AT NIGHT, IN RAIN, PRIOR TO AN APCHING COLD FRONT, AT AN UNFAMILIAR FIELD, AROUND DETROIT CLASS B AIRSPACE, EXPECTING TURB AND IMC CONDITIONS FOR THE ENTIRE FLT. I HAVE A COMPLETE AND UP-TO-DATE SET OF COMMERCIAL PUBS FOR MY IFR FLYING. THE BOOK WAS OPEN TO DEP ARPT DIAGRAM WHICH IS QUITE COMPLICATED. ACTIVE RWYS WERE RWY 27L&R. INACTIVE RWYS ASSOCIATED WITH THE OLDER PART OF THE FIELD ON ITS E SIDE WERE RWY 3/21 AND RWY 18/36. NUMEROUS TXWYS CROSS THESE RWYS TO SERVE THE E AND S RAMPS. THE E RAMP IN PARTICULAR IS ONLY A FEW FT REMOVED FROM AND PARALLEL TO RWY 18/36 ALONG ITS LENGTH. I LISTENED TO ATIS AND OBTAINED IFR CLRNC AFTER ENG STARTUP WHILE ON THE FBO'S RAMP ON THE SE CORNER OF THE FIELD. I THEN CONTACTED GND CTL PRIOR TO TAXI AND WAS TOLD TO RUN UP ON THE 'E END OF THE RAMP' OR 'E RAMP' AND CALL WHEN 'READY TO REPOSITION AFTER RUNUP.' I EXPECTED TO BE TOLD TO TAXI TO RWY 27, THEN RUN UP, BUT I CAREFULLY MOVED OUT OF THE WAY OF AN ARRIVING ACFT TAXIING AROUND ME AND AWAY FROM THE FBO'S FRONT DOOR TO DO MY RUNUP. HOW IT WAS DISCOVERED: UNFORTUNATELY, I HAD INADVERTENTLY MOVED ONTO THE S END OF RWY 18/36 AT THE INTXN OF AN E/W TXWY, THE RWY END, AND THE OVERRUN. I PAUSED TO CHK MAGNETOS, AND CALLED THE TWR TO 'REPOSITION.' TWR ASKED IF THAT WAS MY PLANE ON A RWY. I REPLIED, 'SORRY, I'LL MOVE IMMEDIATELY,' AND THEN ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED PROGRESSIVE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO RWY 27L AND (AFTER TKOF CLRNC) DEPARTED -- THANKING TWR FOR THEIR HELP AND PATIENCE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THE COMPLICATION OF THIS PARTICULAR FLT AND ALL OF ITS DETAILS WAS PERHAPS A FACTOR, BUT I DIDN'T FEEL PARTICULARLY STRESSED, JUST BUSY. THE FACT THAT AN AIRPLANE HAD JUST TAXIED FROM THE LOCATION I CHOSE FOR MY RUNUP (THE INTERSECTING TXWY WAS THE MAIN E/W TXWY ON THE S SIDE OF THE FIELD, IE, THE 'E END OF THE RAMP' TO ME). I DIDN'T NOTICE LIGHTS ALONG RWY 18/36. IF I HAD SEEN WHITE LIGHTS, I WOULD NOT HAVE ENTERED. PERHAPS SINCE IT WAS NOT AN ACTIVE RWY THAT NIGHT, THE LIGHTS WEREN'T ON, OR THE LIGHTS DIDN'T EXTEND TO THE END OF THE RWY WHERE I WAS. MY UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE FIELD. THE RAIN/WIND/NIGHT DIDN'T HELP. I WANTED TO BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR AND MOVE AWAY FROM A BUSY RAMP AND FBO BEFORE RUNNING UP, AND DIDN'T EXPECT A RWY THAT CLOSE BY -- IN FACT, I PROBABLY THOUGHT IT WAS A N/S TXWY JUST OFF THE RAMP AT THE TIME. I WAS NOSED ACROSS THE RWY AT ITS END, AT THE OVERRUN REGION, SO I DIDN'T NOTICE ANY MARKINGS, ETC IN FRONT OF ME AS I POINTED W (INTO THE WIND) DOWN THE E/W TXWY, STOPPED, AND CALLED THE TWR. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: THERE WAS A RUNUP AREA NEAR THE DEP END OF RWY 27L. PERHAPS I SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLRED TO TAXI THERE BEFORE RUNUP. I COULD HAVE MENTIONED TO THE GND CTLR THAT I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT AND ASKED FOR HELP COMPLYING WITH HIS RUNUP INSTRUCTIONS, BUT I DIDN'T FEEL THERE WOULD BE A PROB DOING SO. A WORD OF WARNING BY THE GND CTLR (EG, 'DO NOT CROSS RWY 18/36 IN FRONT OF YOU) WOULD HAVE HELPED A LOT AT THE TIME. SINCE THIS OLDER RWY CONFIGN BORDERS THE E RAMP AND SEPARATES IT FROM THE NEWER MAIN RWYS, EVERY AIRPLANE GOING THERE NEEDS TO TAXI ACROSS IT INBOUND AND OUTBOUND. SEEMS LIKE A GOOD PLACE FOR VERY CLR INSTRUCTIONS EACH WAY. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: STRANGE, BUSY ARPT, AT NIGHT, IN IMC CONDITIONS, REQUIRES EXTRA ATTN TO DETAIL. ENCOURAGE PLT TO ASK FOR HELP. ENCOURAGE TWR TO OFFER HELP (AND CLR, SIMPLIFIED INSTRUCTIONS) UNDER SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES.

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.