Narrative:

What caused the problem: I caused the problem, thinking I understood the airport diagram and where I was taxiing to. What I think confused me in making this error was the airport signs and ramp markings -- signs and painting on ramp. FBO ramp joined air carrier ramp with shared taxiway, and my first thought, you don't taxi on air carrier ramps. I saw no painted taxi indications on the ramp. I think because of the tarmac, no good place to put a sign indicating such. At the end of runway 15 where I crossed, there is a sign saying 'approach end runway 33.' it did not register in my mind that this is the end of runway 15. If the sign had read 'runway 13/15' it would have had my attention. Given clearance to taxi to runway 15, I thought the taxiway was ahead and on opposite side of runway because of the air carrier ramp. Again, because of markings I did not think I was crossing active runway. Fortunately it was at the extreme end of runway 15 instead of mid-field where a conflict could have occurred, I did look crossing and did not observe any traffic. There was a small aircraft taking off, but did not observe until he was airborne, and the runway was 5090 ft in length. Flying a conquest, sometimes controllers expect a higher level of skill perhaps, but all can make errors. It was a sunday am, relaxed mode, weekend, not much activity, low alert status. Controller was handling clrncs, ground, tower frequencys. Sorry for error on my part: 'must be more alert.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C425 RWY INCURSION AT DTW.

Narrative: WHAT CAUSED THE PROB: I CAUSED THE PROB, THINKING I UNDERSTOOD THE ARPT DIAGRAM AND WHERE I WAS TAXIING TO. WHAT I THINK CONFUSED ME IN MAKING THIS ERROR WAS THE ARPT SIGNS AND RAMP MARKINGS -- SIGNS AND PAINTING ON RAMP. FBO RAMP JOINED ACR RAMP WITH SHARED TXWY, AND MY FIRST THOUGHT, YOU DON'T TAXI ON ACR RAMPS. I SAW NO PAINTED TAXI INDICATIONS ON THE RAMP. I THINK BECAUSE OF THE TARMAC, NO GOOD PLACE TO PUT A SIGN INDICATING SUCH. AT THE END OF RWY 15 WHERE I CROSSED, THERE IS A SIGN SAYING 'APCH END RWY 33.' IT DID NOT REGISTER IN MY MIND THAT THIS IS THE END OF RWY 15. IF THE SIGN HAD READ 'RWY 13/15' IT WOULD HAVE HAD MY ATTN. GIVEN CLRNC TO TAXI TO RWY 15, I THOUGHT THE TXWY WAS AHEAD AND ON OPPOSITE SIDE OF RWY BECAUSE OF THE ACR RAMP. AGAIN, BECAUSE OF MARKINGS I DID NOT THINK I WAS XING ACTIVE RWY. FORTUNATELY IT WAS AT THE EXTREME END OF RWY 15 INSTEAD OF MID-FIELD WHERE A CONFLICT COULD HAVE OCCURRED, I DID LOOK XING AND DID NOT OBSERVE ANY TFC. THERE WAS A SMALL ACFT TAKING OFF, BUT DID NOT OBSERVE UNTIL HE WAS AIRBORNE, AND THE RWY WAS 5090 FT IN LENGTH. FLYING A CONQUEST, SOMETIMES CTLRS EXPECT A HIGHER LEVEL OF SKILL PERHAPS, BUT ALL CAN MAKE ERRORS. IT WAS A SUNDAY AM, RELAXED MODE, WEEKEND, NOT MUCH ACTIVITY, LOW ALERT STATUS. CTLR WAS HANDLING CLRNCS, GND, TWR FREQS. SORRY FOR ERROR ON MY PART: 'MUST BE MORE ALERT.'

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.