Narrative:

The event was a near runway incursion. I nearly taxied onto the active runway as another plane (single engine GA aircraft) was seconds from landing. If the tower had not alerted me, telling me to hold short, I would have positioned myself on the runway. Immediately upon landing and clearing runway 5, I contacted ground and requested to taxi for departure and get my clearance. Ground cleared me to runway 5 and asked me to let them know when I was ready to copy my clearance. I taxied to the departure end of runway 5, stopping at set of hold short lines which were just before the taxiway turned to intercept runway 5. I contacted ground and received my clearance. My clearance, besides containing a route I was unfamiliar with, also contained a SID with which I was not familiar. Upon readback of the clearance, I was told to contact the tower. I changed to tower frequency, but because I was busy reading the SID and deciphering the route, I never contacted the tower. The tower, however, contacted me. Upon acknowledging their call, I thought the tower instructed me to taxi into position and hold. I was more than a little confused as to why the tower was contacting me before I called them as well as why they were clearing me for takeoff before I asked them to. I assumed my clearance was time sensitive, and the tower was getting me on my way. While taxiing to the runway I was still focusing on the clearance and was not checking for traffic. The tower, however, alerted me to hold short, and I did. Apparently, the tower instructed me to taxi to runway 5 and hold short. My focus on the clearance, my confusion as to why the tower contacted me first, and the fact I thought I already was at the departure end of runway 5 all served to create the event. While the tower initially told the landing aircraft to go around, I presented no danger or incursion and the aircraft was allowed to land long. In addition, the tower did not reprimand me on the radio or ask for a phone number. The flight originated from bdr. I was departing mmu for bdr when this event occurred.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28-180 PVT PLT ALMOST TAXIES ONTO RWY 5 AT MMU, NJ, WHILE PONDERING THE DEP PROC. TWR CTLR STOPPED HIS ACFT IN TIME TO AVOID A LNDG ACFT.

Narrative: THE EVENT WAS A NEAR RWY INCURSION. I NEARLY TAXIED ONTO THE ACTIVE RWY AS ANOTHER PLANE (SINGLE ENG GA ACFT) WAS SECONDS FROM LNDG. IF THE TWR HAD NOT ALERTED ME, TELLING ME TO HOLD SHORT, I WOULD HAVE POSITIONED MYSELF ON THE RWY. IMMEDIATELY UPON LNDG AND CLRING RWY 5, I CONTACTED GND AND REQUESTED TO TAXI FOR DEP AND GET MY CLRNC. GND CLRED ME TO RWY 5 AND ASKED ME TO LET THEM KNOW WHEN I WAS READY TO COPY MY CLRNC. I TAXIED TO THE DEP END OF RWY 5, STOPPING AT SET OF HOLD SHORT LINES WHICH WERE JUST BEFORE THE TXWY TURNED TO INTERCEPT RWY 5. I CONTACTED GND AND RECEIVED MY CLRNC. MY CLRNC, BESIDES CONTAINING A RTE I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH, ALSO CONTAINED A SID WITH WHICH I WAS NOT FAMILIAR. UPON READBACK OF THE CLRNC, I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT THE TWR. I CHANGED TO TWR FREQ, BUT BECAUSE I WAS BUSY READING THE SID AND DECIPHERING THE RTE, I NEVER CONTACTED THE TWR. THE TWR, HOWEVER, CONTACTED ME. UPON ACKNOWLEDGING THEIR CALL, I THOUGHT THE TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD. I WAS MORE THAN A LITTLE CONFUSED AS TO WHY THE TWR WAS CONTACTING ME BEFORE I CALLED THEM AS WELL AS WHY THEY WERE CLRING ME FOR TKOF BEFORE I ASKED THEM TO. I ASSUMED MY CLRNC WAS TIME SENSITIVE, AND THE TWR WAS GETTING ME ON MY WAY. WHILE TAXIING TO THE RWY I WAS STILL FOCUSING ON THE CLRNC AND WAS NOT CHKING FOR TFC. THE TWR, HOWEVER, ALERTED ME TO HOLD SHORT, AND I DID. APPARENTLY, THE TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO TAXI TO RWY 5 AND HOLD SHORT. MY FOCUS ON THE CLRNC, MY CONFUSION AS TO WHY THE TWR CONTACTED ME FIRST, AND THE FACT I THOUGHT I ALREADY WAS AT THE DEP END OF RWY 5 ALL SERVED TO CREATE THE EVENT. WHILE THE TWR INITIALLY TOLD THE LNDG ACFT TO GO AROUND, I PRESENTED NO DANGER OR INCURSION AND THE ACFT WAS ALLOWED TO LAND LONG. IN ADDITION, THE TWR DID NOT REPRIMAND ME ON THE RADIO OR ASK FOR A PHONE NUMBER. THE FLT ORIGINATED FROM BDR. I WAS DEPARTING MMU FOR BDR WHEN THIS EVENT OCCURRED.

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.