Narrative:

I taxied on the south ramp on the fargo airport through several significant snow drifts. I was cleared to taxi to runway 35 but was unsure if the txwys were cleared well enough for me to proceed. I asked the ground controller what route would be best. He replied taxiway G, left on taxiway D. I referred to my airport diagram and continued the taxi. There were drifts of snow across the txwys that I was trying to avoid hitting with the propellers. I didn't realize the txwys G, D and runway 31/13 intersected. When I taxied down taxiway D, I thought I needed to cross runway 31/13. I taxied onto runway 35. When I was turning back to clear the runway. Tower/ground asked if I knew I had entered runway 35. I started a reply and I was cleared for takeoff. I should have had the diagram of the airport better lit and I should have followed my progress more closely with it. I was preoccupied by the snow drifts. The hold lines were covered by snow. I was expecting to see runway 31/13 for the runway sign. When I crossed runway 13/31 I was looking for the taxiway D. As well as following the diagram I should have asked for a progressive taxi.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CARGO METRO III PLT INADVERTENTLY TAXIED ONTO THE RWY CLRED TO DUE TO THE ARPT RWY TXWY SIGNS AND MARKINGS COVERED UP BY SNOW. IN ADDITION, THE INABILITY FOR THE SINGLE PLT TO MONITOR THE ARPT DIAGRAM DUE TO THE LACK OF INADEQUATE LIGHTING CAUSED HIM TO NOT RECOGNIZE THAT HE WAS TAXIING ONTO THE RWY.

Narrative: I TAXIED ON THE S RAMP ON THE FARGO ARPT THROUGH SEVERAL SIGNIFICANT SNOW DRIFTS. I WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 35 BUT WAS UNSURE IF THE TXWYS WERE CLRED WELL ENOUGH FOR ME TO PROCEED. I ASKED THE GND CTLR WHAT RTE WOULD BE BEST. HE REPLIED TXWY G, L ON TXWY D. I REFERRED TO MY ARPT DIAGRAM AND CONTINUED THE TAXI. THERE WERE DRIFTS OF SNOW ACROSS THE TXWYS THAT I WAS TRYING TO AVOID HITTING WITH THE PROPS. I DIDN'T REALIZE THE TXWYS G, D AND RWY 31/13 INTERSECTED. WHEN I TAXIED DOWN TXWY D, I THOUGHT I NEEDED TO CROSS RWY 31/13. I TAXIED ONTO RWY 35. WHEN I WAS TURNING BACK TO CLR THE RWY. TWR/GND ASKED IF I KNEW I HAD ENTERED RWY 35. I STARTED A REPLY AND I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. I SHOULD HAVE HAD THE DIAGRAM OF THE ARPT BETTER LIT AND I SHOULD HAVE FOLLOWED MY PROGRESS MORE CLOSELY WITH IT. I WAS PREOCCUPIED BY THE SNOW DRIFTS. THE HOLD LINES WERE COVERED BY SNOW. I WAS EXPECTING TO SEE RWY 31/13 FOR THE RWY SIGN. WHEN I CROSSED RWY 13/31 I WAS LOOKING FOR THE TXWY D. AS WELL AS FOLLOWING THE DIAGRAM I SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR A PROGRESSIVE TAXI.

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.