Narrative:

I had flown into apa with a cfii for my instrument cross country requirement, and the aircraft was secured with a new FBO. WX the following day prevented my departure, so we stayed over another day, planning to leave early. My brother-in-law drove me to the airport but we were unable to locate the road to get to the new FBO location. We asked several individuals who gave directions that turned out to be wrong. Time was getting later to make my takeoff time and my brother-in-law was going to be late for work. We never did find the road that led to the FBO. We noticed what appeared to be a ramp path from some hangars just south of the administration/tower area, where I could see the FBO across what appeared to be all ramp. Some new construction was also seen, a new taxiway to the new FBO area with cones blocking any vehicle movement on the taxiway. I elected to take what seemed to be a safe path across a construction zone. I did not see any runways when I exited my brother-in-law's car. I was alone from leaving the car until I arrived at the FBO to meet my cfii for the return trip. As I approached the construction area (approximately taxiway C1), I noticed the runway 10 threshold and realized the runway was there, but still thought it was part of the construction area as the runway's surface condition was quite rough. To be safe, I looked for traffic and walked around the threshold end of runway 10 in the mud. After I had passed, I noticed a C172 and a king air enter the run-up area, then they took runway 10 for takeoff a few mins later. At that time I realized this runway was still active. I continued to walk to the FBO across the newly constructed ramp area south of runway 10 when the airport authority/authorized representative in a truck stopped me. I gave all my personal information to the gentleman, cooperating fully with him. He informed me that what I had done was a runway incursion and, after quick reflection, I agreed with him and apologized for having done such a thing. In summary, I did not realize as I walked out onto the ramp that I would have to cross a runway to get to the FBO, and also did not realize the seriousness of the incursion at runway 10 until it was pointed out by the airport authority/authorized representative. I now fully appreciate the gravity of the event and understand how I can personally prevent future occurrences. The airport authority/authorized suggested I contact the FBO by phone, as it is part of their services to me as a pilot to help me get around the airport in just such instances. While the runway incursion event with an airplane was clear to me through reading AOPA air safety foundation literature, I did not comprehend at the time the same event could be triggered by a pedestrian. I now fully understand this and will avoid it under all circumstances in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PVT PLT OF A PA28R-200 HAS DIFFICULTY IN FINDING THE FBO WHERE HE HAD PARKED HIS ACFT. HE SET OFF ACROSS THE FIELD ON FOOT AND FOUND HIMSELF TO BE VIOLATION OF A RWY 10 INCURSION AT APA, CO.

Narrative: I HAD FLOWN INTO APA WITH A CFII FOR MY INST XCOUNTRY REQUIREMENT, AND THE ACFT WAS SECURED WITH A NEW FBO. WX THE FOLLOWING DAY PREVENTED MY DEP, SO WE STAYED OVER ANOTHER DAY, PLANNING TO LEAVE EARLY. MY BROTHER-IN-LAW DROVE ME TO THE ARPT BUT WE WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE THE ROAD TO GET TO THE NEW FBO LOCATION. WE ASKED SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS WHO GAVE DIRECTIONS THAT TURNED OUT TO BE WRONG. TIME WAS GETTING LATER TO MAKE MY TKOF TIME AND MY BROTHER-IN-LAW WAS GOING TO BE LATE FOR WORK. WE NEVER DID FIND THE ROAD THAT LED TO THE FBO. WE NOTICED WHAT APPEARED TO BE A RAMP PATH FROM SOME HANGARS JUST S OF THE ADMINISTRATION/TWR AREA, WHERE I COULD SEE THE FBO ACROSS WHAT APPEARED TO BE ALL RAMP. SOME NEW CONSTRUCTION WAS ALSO SEEN, A NEW TXWY TO THE NEW FBO AREA WITH CONES BLOCKING ANY VEHICLE MOVEMENT ON THE TXWY. I ELECTED TO TAKE WHAT SEEMED TO BE A SAFE PATH ACROSS A CONSTRUCTION ZONE. I DID NOT SEE ANY RWYS WHEN I EXITED MY BROTHER-IN-LAW'S CAR. I WAS ALONE FROM LEAVING THE CAR UNTIL I ARRIVED AT THE FBO TO MEET MY CFII FOR THE RETURN TRIP. AS I APCHED THE CONSTRUCTION AREA (APPROX TXWY C1), I NOTICED THE RWY 10 THRESHOLD AND REALIZED THE RWY WAS THERE, BUT STILL THOUGHT IT WAS PART OF THE CONSTRUCTION AREA AS THE RWY'S SURFACE CONDITION WAS QUITE ROUGH. TO BE SAFE, I LOOKED FOR TFC AND WALKED AROUND THE THRESHOLD END OF RWY 10 IN THE MUD. AFTER I HAD PASSED, I NOTICED A C172 AND A KING AIR ENTER THE RUN-UP AREA, THEN THEY TOOK RWY 10 FOR TKOF A FEW MINS LATER. AT THAT TIME I REALIZED THIS RWY WAS STILL ACTIVE. I CONTINUED TO WALK TO THE FBO ACROSS THE NEWLY CONSTRUCTED RAMP AREA S OF RWY 10 WHEN THE ARPT AUTH REPRESENTATIVE IN A TRUCK STOPPED ME. I GAVE ALL MY PERSONAL INFO TO THE GENTLEMAN, COOPERATING FULLY WITH HIM. HE INFORMED ME THAT WHAT I HAD DONE WAS A RWY INCURSION AND, AFTER QUICK REFLECTION, I AGREED WITH HIM AND APOLOGIZED FOR HAVING DONE SUCH A THING. IN SUMMARY, I DID NOT REALIZE AS I WALKED OUT ONTO THE RAMP THAT I WOULD HAVE TO CROSS A RWY TO GET TO THE FBO, AND ALSO DID NOT REALIZE THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE INCURSION AT RWY 10 UNTIL IT WAS POINTED OUT BY THE ARPT AUTH REPRESENTATIVE. I NOW FULLY APPRECIATE THE GRAVITY OF THE EVENT AND UNDERSTAND HOW I CAN PERSONALLY PREVENT FUTURE OCCURRENCES. THE ARPT AUTH SUGGESTED I CONTACT THE FBO BY PHONE, AS IT IS PART OF THEIR SVCS TO ME AS A PLT TO HELP ME GET AROUND THE ARPT IN JUST SUCH INSTANCES. WHILE THE RWY INCURSION EVENT WITH AN AIRPLANE WAS CLR TO ME THROUGH READING AOPA AIR SAFETY FOUNDATION LITERATURE, I DID NOT COMPREHEND AT THE TIME THE SAME EVENT COULD BE TRIGGERED BY A PEDESTRIAN. I NOW FULLY UNDERSTAND THIS AND WILL AVOID IT UNDER ALL CIRCUMSTANCES IN THE FUTURE.

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.