Narrative:

After full stop landing on runway 17R at dwh, I taxied off the runway (to the left) on taxiway east, proceeding east toward the parking areas. Before contacting ground for clearance to taxi to park, I wanted to be certain that I was clear of the active runway (I had not been to this airport before) -- especially since this appeared to be a potentially very confusing situation with all of the runways and txwys at this location. At this time, I was not given any instructions to cross or hold short of anything. So, I immediately started to look for the hold short line for runway 17R, but I was already past it. I passed taxiway F (to my right) and approached the unnamed, unmarked taxiway which led to the approach end of runway 17L (also to my right). With all of these txwys here, I figured that the hold short line for runway 17R would be beyond them all, and not in the middle of a taxiway. When I saw and crossed over the hold short line for runway 17L, it didn't 'look right' because, of course, it was facing the opposite direction from the hold short line for runway 17R, which I was expecting. So, since I still was not sure that I was clear of runway 17R, I continued to taxi until I was beyond the hold short line (the second line) for runway 17L, which I still thought applied to runway 17R. Then, I contacted ground and received clearance to taxi to parking. Finally, runway 17L (and the taxiway leading to it) have the exact same appearance (width, color, pavement, markings) as other txwys at the airport. There were no nearby aircraft anywhere at the time. I was directed to telephone the tower after shutdown. I spoke with tower personnel and the airport manager. They said that they would 'have to write it up' as a 'surface incident' along with, possibly, a 'pilot deviation report,' but that it would not be written up as a 'runway incursion' or an 'operational error.' they said that I had crossed an active runway without clearance. They also said that there had been a lot of runway incursions recently, and that a military aircraft had recently (months prior) done the exact same thing. That pilot, they said, protested the report, saying that there was 'inadequate signage' at that location, but the airport manager said that since that time more signs had been put up. However, I did not see any extra or special signs (or even normal yellow and black runway/taxiway signs). I also spoke with a military T-1 crew at the FBO who had had a similar incident to mine on that very same day. Possible solutions: 1) have tower always issue hold short or taxi instructions to aircraft in similar sits (eg, any full stop runway 17R). 2) place extra signs/lights/markings. 3) displace taxiway east or runway 17L. 4) consolidate the hold short areas for runway 17R&left (ie, use the eastern hold short line for runway 17L as a hold short line for both runways). 5) clearly mark and designate the taxiway that leads to the approach end of runway 17L.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MIL KING AIR T44A PLT LANDS ON RWY 17R AND TAXIES ACROSS THE HOLD LINE FOR RWY 17L PRIOR TO SWITCHING TO GND CTLR AT DWH, TX.

Narrative: AFTER FULL STOP LNDG ON RWY 17R AT DWH, I TAXIED OFF THE RWY (TO THE L) ON TXWY E, PROCEEDING E TOWARD THE PARKING AREAS. BEFORE CONTACTING GND FOR CLRNC TO TAXI TO PARK, I WANTED TO BE CERTAIN THAT I WAS CLR OF THE ACTIVE RWY (I HAD NOT BEEN TO THIS ARPT BEFORE) -- ESPECIALLY SINCE THIS APPEARED TO BE A POTENTIALLY VERY CONFUSING SIT WITH ALL OF THE RWYS AND TXWYS AT THIS LOCATION. AT THIS TIME, I WAS NOT GIVEN ANY INSTRUCTIONS TO CROSS OR HOLD SHORT OF ANYTHING. SO, I IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO LOOK FOR THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 17R, BUT I WAS ALREADY PAST IT. I PASSED TXWY F (TO MY R) AND APCHED THE UNNAMED, UNMARKED TXWY WHICH LED TO THE APCH END OF RWY 17L (ALSO TO MY R). WITH ALL OF THESE TXWYS HERE, I FIGURED THAT THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 17R WOULD BE BEYOND THEM ALL, AND NOT IN THE MIDDLE OF A TXWY. WHEN I SAW AND CROSSED OVER THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 17L, IT DIDN'T 'LOOK RIGHT' BECAUSE, OF COURSE, IT WAS FACING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION FROM THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 17R, WHICH I WAS EXPECTING. SO, SINCE I STILL WAS NOT SURE THAT I WAS CLR OF RWY 17R, I CONTINUED TO TAXI UNTIL I WAS BEYOND THE HOLD SHORT LINE (THE SECOND LINE) FOR RWY 17L, WHICH I STILL THOUGHT APPLIED TO RWY 17R. THEN, I CONTACTED GND AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO TAXI TO PARKING. FINALLY, RWY 17L (AND THE TXWY LEADING TO IT) HAVE THE EXACT SAME APPEARANCE (WIDTH, COLOR, PAVEMENT, MARKINGS) AS OTHER TXWYS AT THE ARPT. THERE WERE NO NEARBY ACFT ANYWHERE AT THE TIME. I WAS DIRECTED TO TELEPHONE THE TWR AFTER SHUTDOWN. I SPOKE WITH TWR PERSONNEL AND THE ARPT MGR. THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD 'HAVE TO WRITE IT UP' AS A 'SURFACE INCIDENT' ALONG WITH, POSSIBLY, A 'PLTDEV RPT,' BUT THAT IT WOULD NOT BE WRITTEN UP AS A 'RWY INCURSION' OR AN 'OPERROR.' THEY SAID THAT I HAD CROSSED AN ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC. THEY ALSO SAID THAT THERE HAD BEEN A LOT OF RWY INCURSIONS RECENTLY, AND THAT A MIL ACFT HAD RECENTLY (MONTHS PRIOR) DONE THE EXACT SAME THING. THAT PLT, THEY SAID, PROTESTED THE RPT, SAYING THAT THERE WAS 'INADEQUATE SIGNAGE' AT THAT LOCATION, BUT THE ARPT MGR SAID THAT SINCE THAT TIME MORE SIGNS HAD BEEN PUT UP. HOWEVER, I DID NOT SEE ANY EXTRA OR SPECIAL SIGNS (OR EVEN NORMAL YELLOW AND BLACK RWY/TXWY SIGNS). I ALSO SPOKE WITH A MIL T-1 CREW AT THE FBO WHO HAD HAD A SIMILAR INCIDENT TO MINE ON THAT VERY SAME DAY. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS: 1) HAVE TWR ALWAYS ISSUE HOLD SHORT OR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO ACFT IN SIMILAR SITS (EG, ANY FULL STOP RWY 17R). 2) PLACE EXTRA SIGNS/LIGHTS/MARKINGS. 3) DISPLACE TXWY E OR RWY 17L. 4) CONSOLIDATE THE HOLD SHORT AREAS FOR RWY 17R&L (IE, USE THE EASTERN HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 17L AS A HOLD SHORT LINE FOR BOTH RWYS). 5) CLRLY MARK AND DESIGNATE THE TXWY THAT LEADS TO THE APCH END OF RWY 17L.

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.