Narrative:

I was practicing night landing with my wife on board. The new runway 12L/30R has only been open a short time and I have not had much experience using the new configuration. In addition, where we had txwys a thru C, we now have txwys a thru left. I have spent a lot of time studying the new arrangement, but it still is not familiar to me or to many on the airport. I had completed a landing on runway 12R. The controller directed me to turn left at the next taxiway and taxi to runway 12L. I think he may have said, 'turn left at delta and taxi to runway 12L.' what I did, therefore, was turn left onto 'H' thinking it was 'D' and proceeded straight ahead to the intersection of runway 12L and 'H.' my wife heard the same instruction and believes I did exactly as instructed. We further expected a 'cross runway' clearance to 'a' at that point. I called the tower and said I was at runway 12L/30R. He then told me to go back to delta, turn right, and proceed to runway 12L. Since I was at the clearance line, I assumed this was a clearance to enter the runway and make a u-turn. I started fwd and informed the controller what I was doing. He told me I should have waited for a clearance to enter the runway. I realize that he did not tell me to 'enter' or to 'cross' the runway. However, since I was sitting at the clearance line, and since, even had I been well behind the line, the taxiway is not wide enough for my aircraft to make a u-turn, I believed, as I said above, his instruction to 'go back to 'D'' was, in effect, a clearance to proceed. This is a trying time for everyone at vgt. As we and the controllers become familiar with the procedures and configuration, problems will become fewer. For my own part, I will never again cross a clearance line without specific instruction. However, I believe the controllers need to be clearer in their instructions and must, at all costs, resist the temptation to leave important parts out of their clrncs until everyone is completely familiar with the new operations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA32 PLT, AFTER LNDG AT VGT, MISINTERPRETED A CLRNC AND ENTERED AN ACTIVE RWY WHILE MAKING A 180 DEG TURN.

Narrative: I WAS PRACTICING NIGHT LNDG WITH MY WIFE ON BOARD. THE NEW RWY 12L/30R HAS ONLY BEEN OPEN A SHORT TIME AND I HAVE NOT HAD MUCH EXPERIENCE USING THE NEW CONFIGURATION. IN ADDITION, WHERE WE HAD TXWYS A THRU C, WE NOW HAVE TXWYS A THRU L. I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME STUDYING THE NEW ARRANGEMENT, BUT IT STILL IS NOT FAMILIAR TO ME OR TO MANY ON THE ARPT. I HAD COMPLETED A LNDG ON RWY 12R. THE CTLR DIRECTED ME TO TURN LEFT AT THE NEXT TXWY AND TAXI TO RWY 12L. I THINK HE MAY HAVE SAID, 'TURN LEFT AT DELTA AND TAXI TO RWY 12L.' WHAT I DID, THEREFORE, WAS TURN LEFT ONTO 'H' THINKING IT WAS 'D' AND PROCEEDED STRAIGHT AHEAD TO THE INTXN OF RWY 12L AND 'H.' MY WIFE HEARD THE SAME INSTRUCTION AND BELIEVES I DID EXACTLY AS INSTRUCTED. WE FURTHER EXPECTED A 'CROSS RWY' CLRNC TO 'A' AT THAT POINT. I CALLED THE TWR AND SAID I WAS AT RWY 12L/30R. HE THEN TOLD ME TO GO BACK TO DELTA, TURN RIGHT, AND PROCEED TO RWY 12L. SINCE I WAS AT THE CLRNC LINE, I ASSUMED THIS WAS A CLRNC TO ENTER THE RWY AND MAKE A U-TURN. I STARTED FWD AND INFORMED THE CTLR WHAT I WAS DOING. HE TOLD ME I SHOULD HAVE WAITED FOR A CLRNC TO ENTER THE RWY. I REALIZE THAT HE DID NOT TELL ME TO 'ENTER' OR TO 'CROSS' THE RWY. HOWEVER, SINCE I WAS SITTING AT THE CLRNC LINE, AND SINCE, EVEN HAD I BEEN WELL BEHIND THE LINE, THE TXWY IS NOT WIDE ENOUGH FOR MY ACFT TO MAKE A U-TURN, I BELIEVED, AS I SAID ABOVE, HIS INSTRUCTION TO 'GO BACK TO 'D'' WAS, IN EFFECT, A CLRNC TO PROCEED. THIS IS A TRYING TIME FOR EVERYONE AT VGT. AS WE AND THE CTLRS BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE PROCS AND CONFIGURATION, PROBS WILL BECOME FEWER. FOR MY OWN PART, I WILL NEVER AGAIN CROSS A CLRNC LINE WITHOUT SPECIFIC INSTRUCTION. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THE CTLRS NEED TO BE CLEARER IN THEIR INSTRUCTIONS AND MUST, AT ALL COSTS, RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO LEAVE IMPORTANT PARTS OUT OF THEIR CLRNCS UNTIL EVERYONE IS COMPLETELY FAMILIAR WITH THE NEW 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.