Narrative:

Departing pou, had received IFR clearance from ground, written it down, read back, and verified by ground. At same time helicopter on same ramp was hover taxiing for departure. Quite a bit of noise and commotion. Ground cleared me for taxi: exit ramp, left on taxiway D, right on 15, right on taxiway B, intersection 24 departure. I repeated this back and proceeded to taxi. Came to taxiway a and did not see taxiway B so called ground back for directions. After a lengthy pause, ground said I had crossed runway 24. After a lengthy lecture from ground, I was able to taxi to intersection 24 and depart for an otherwise uneventful trip. There were no other aircraft involved or in the area. Writing down taxi instructions as they are received and then reading back what is written would have given an additional verification step in the chain of events. Did the controller give right instructions? Did I hear them correctly? Did I repeat them back correctly? Did the controller hear and verify my readback? All of these steps are used frequently for in-flight operations. Ground operations could also benefit from their use. Also, the lack of full page airport diagrams in the approach plates means one has to really squint at the tiny diagrams on the approach plate pages to get the big picture on the taxi instructions. Additional ground signage indicating directions to runways, etc, would also be helpful. Ground operations require every bit as much diligence, caution, and information as airborne operations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COMMERCIAL RATED PLT FLYING A PA28 AT POU RPTS CONFUSING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND SUBSEQUENT RWY INCURSION.

Narrative: DEPARTING POU, HAD RECEIVED IFR CLRNC FROM GND, WRITTEN IT DOWN, READ BACK, AND VERIFIED BY GND. AT SAME TIME HELI ON SAME RAMP WAS HOVER TAXIING FOR DEP. QUITE A BIT OF NOISE AND COMMOTION. GND CLRED ME FOR TAXI: EXIT RAMP, L ON TXWY D, R ON 15, R ON TXWY B, INTXN 24 DEP. I REPEATED THIS BACK AND PROCEEDED TO TAXI. CAME TO TXWY A AND DID NOT SEE TXWY B SO CALLED GND BACK FOR DIRECTIONS. AFTER A LENGTHY PAUSE, GND SAID I HAD CROSSED RWY 24. AFTER A LENGTHY LECTURE FROM GND, I WAS ABLE TO TAXI TO INTXN 24 AND DEPART FOR AN OTHERWISE UNEVENTFUL TRIP. THERE WERE NO OTHER ACFT INVOLVED OR IN THE AREA. WRITING DOWN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AS THEY ARE RECEIVED AND THEN READING BACK WHAT IS WRITTEN WOULD HAVE GIVEN AN ADDITIONAL VERIFICATION STEP IN THE CHAIN OF EVENTS. DID THE CTLR GIVE RIGHT INSTRUCTIONS? DID I HEAR THEM CORRECTLY? DID I REPEAT THEM BACK CORRECTLY? DID THE CTLR HEAR AND VERIFY MY READBACK? ALL OF THESE STEPS ARE USED FREQUENTLY FOR INFLT OPS. GND OPS COULD ALSO BENEFIT FROM THEIR USE. ALSO, THE LACK OF FULL PAGE ARPT DIAGRAMS IN THE APCH PLATES MEANS ONE HAS TO REALLY SQUINT AT THE TINY DIAGRAMS ON THE APCH PLATE PAGES TO GET THE BIG PICTURE ON THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. ADDITIONAL GND SIGNAGE INDICATING DIRECTIONS TO RWYS, ETC, WOULD ALSO BE HELPFUL. GND OPS REQUIRE EVERY BIT AS MUCH DILIGENCE, CAUTION, AND INFO AS AIRBORNE OPS.

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.