Narrative:

On aug/mon/01, I was 1 of a 2 man taxi crew instructed to take a B747 freighter aircraft from hangar to cargo. We were given taxi instructions along the way. At the junction of 2 intersecting runways, we were cleared to cross one which was not being used at that end. Due to runway signage, which is difficult to see from the cockpit of a B747, we took a wrong turn which placed us crossing an active runway. No loss of separation or go around was reported, but a runway incursion occurred. It was XA30 hours which made visibility of surrounding area difficult. I believe, if the runway and taxi signs were painted on the pavement in large numbers and arrows at all locations, they could easily be seen from the cockpit of a B747 and all other aircraft and thus reduce the chance of such an occurrence.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747 MAINT CREW INADVERTENTLY TAXIED ACFT ONTO ACTIVE RWY DURING TAXI FROM THE HANGAR TO THE CARGO RAMP.

Narrative: ON AUG/MON/01, I WAS 1 OF A 2 MAN TAXI CREW INSTRUCTED TO TAKE A B747 FREIGHTER ACFT FROM HANGAR TO CARGO. WE WERE GIVEN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS ALONG THE WAY. AT THE JUNCTION OF 2 INTERSECTING RWYS, WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS ONE WHICH WAS NOT BEING USED AT THAT END. DUE TO RWY SIGNAGE, WHICH IS DIFFICULT TO SEE FROM THE COCKPIT OF A B747, WE TOOK A WRONG TURN WHICH PLACED US XING AN ACTIVE RWY. NO LOSS OF SEPARATION OR GAR WAS RPTED, BUT A RWY INCURSION OCCURRED. IT WAS XA30 HRS WHICH MADE VISIBILITY OF SURROUNDING AREA DIFFICULT. I BELIEVE, IF THE RWY AND TAXI SIGNS WERE PAINTED ON THE PAVEMENT IN LARGE NUMBERS AND ARROWS AT ALL LOCATIONS, THEY COULD EASILY BE SEEN FROM THE COCKPIT OF A B747 AND ALL OTHER ACFT AND THUS REDUCE THE CHANCE OF SUCH AN OCCURRENCE.

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.