Runway incursion by an SA227 cargo pilot with a C172 on final at cyyc, ab.

Attributes
ACN	542450
Time
Date	200203
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cyyc.airport
State Reference	AB
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cyyc.tower tower : ipt.tower
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	SA-227 AC Metro III
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : cyyc.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 4200 flight time type : 1700
ASRS Report	542450
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 4200 flight time type : 1700
ASRS Report	542450
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe incursion : runway non adherence : clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I operated a part 135 cargo flight from sea to cyyc. I landed on runway 16 and turned right and exited onto taxiway A3. I was instructed to contact ground on a new frequency of 124.95. I contacted them and advised them that I wanted to taxi to customs, which was straight ahead on taxiway a just south of runway 25. I was instructed to taxi south on taxiway a and hold short of runway 25. I don't remember if I read back the hold short instruction or not. But it did not stick in my mind. I started taxiing and asked ground if 124.95 is the new frequency. They said it wasn't, there was a stuck microphone on 121.9. Approaching runway 25 I wasn't really sure whether I was cleared to cross it. I saw a cessna 172 on short final for runway 25. However I recalled a C172 being cleared to land on runway 25 and to hold short of runway 16 as I was about to land on runway 16. Taxiway a is west of runway 16 so since there was no conflict I assumed I was cleared to cross runway 25. I then taxied across runway 25. 3 items played a factor in this incursion. First of all I was distracted by the different ground frequency and then I distracted myself more by asking ground. Second, I recalled that the C172 was cleared to land on runway 25 and hold short of runway 16. And finally third, the last few times I flew into calgary I exited on A3 and had been instructed to taxi on taxiway a to customs and cross runway 25. The incident would probably not have happened if I had not been distracted by the different ground frequency. It would probably also not have happened if I had not been to calgary before or had not gotten the same taxi instructions several times in a row. It would definitely not have happened if I had not remembered the cessna being cleared to land on runway 25 and hold short of runway 16. I would have seen the cessna on short final for runway 25 and would have held short until ground would have instructed me to cross. The only sure way I think of to prevent incursions like this one is to verify a crossing clearance when reaching a hold short line every time if there is even one ounce of uncertainty.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION BY AN SA227 CARGO PLT WITH A C172 ON FINAL AT CYYC, AB.

Narrative: I OPERATED A PART 135 CARGO FLT FROM SEA TO CYYC. I LANDED ON RWY 16 AND TURNED R AND EXITED ONTO TXWY A3. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT GND ON A NEW FREQ OF 124.95. I CONTACTED THEM AND ADVISED THEM THAT I WANTED TO TAXI TO CUSTOMS, WHICH WAS STRAIGHT AHEAD ON TXWY A JUST S OF RWY 25. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAXI S ON TXWY A AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 25. I DON'T REMEMBER IF I READ BACK THE HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTION OR NOT. BUT IT DID NOT STICK IN MY MIND. I STARTED TAXIING AND ASKED GND IF 124.95 IS THE NEW FREQ. THEY SAID IT WASN'T, THERE WAS A STUCK MIKE ON 121.9. APCHING RWY 25 I WASN'T REALLY SURE WHETHER I WAS CLRED TO CROSS IT. I SAW A CESSNA 172 ON SHORT FINAL FOR RWY 25. HOWEVER I RECALLED A C172 BEING CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 25 AND TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 16 AS I WAS ABOUT TO LAND ON RWY 16. TXWY A IS W OF RWY 16 SO SINCE THERE WAS NO CONFLICT I ASSUMED I WAS CLRED TO CROSS RWY 25. I THEN TAXIED ACROSS RWY 25. 3 ITEMS PLAYED A FACTOR IN THIS INCURSION. FIRST OF ALL I WAS DISTRACTED BY THE DIFFERENT GND FREQ AND THEN I DISTRACTED MYSELF MORE BY ASKING GND. SECOND, I RECALLED THAT THE C172 WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 25 AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 16. AND FINALLY THIRD, THE LAST FEW TIMES I FLEW INTO CALGARY I EXITED ON A3 AND HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO TAXI ON TXWY A TO CUSTOMS AND CROSS RWY 25. THE INCIDENT WOULD PROBABLY NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF I HAD NOT BEEN DISTRACTED BY THE DIFFERENT GND FREQ. IT WOULD PROBABLY ALSO NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF I HAD NOT BEEN TO CALGARY BEFORE OR HAD NOT GOTTEN THE SAME TAXI INSTRUCTIONS SEVERAL TIMES IN A ROW. IT WOULD DEFINITELY NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF I HAD NOT REMEMBERED THE CESSNA BEING CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 25 AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 16. I WOULD HAVE SEEN THE CESSNA ON SHORT FINAL FOR RWY 25 AND WOULD HAVE HELD SHORT UNTIL GND WOULD HAVE INSTRUCTED ME TO CROSS. THE ONLY SURE WAY I THINK OF TO PREVENT INCURSIONS LIKE THIS ONE IS TO VERIFY A XING CLRNC WHEN REACHING A HOLD SHORT LINE EVERY TIME IF THERE IS EVEN ONE OUNCE OF UNCERTAINTY.

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.