Narrative:

I was on the ramp (non movement area) in front of and just south of the ATC tower. I observed an aircraft taxiing along taxiway a, back from the run-up area of runway 32. I observed the pilot of that aircraft secure the airplane and then hurriedly proceed to a grassy area adjacent to taxiway a. I saw the pilot reach down and retrieve some papers from the ground. The actions I observed were unusual, so I called to the pilot and inquired of his actions. The pilot stated that while he was taxiing his aircraft, a gust of wind blew the aircraft's documents (airworthiness certificate, registration, etc) from the open cockpit. He stated that he had just retrieved all of the documents except the airworthiness certificate from that immediate area. I, and one other pilot, walked from our position on the ramp approximately 15-20 ft away to assist in possibly recovering the remaining document. In doing so, I inadvertently entered the controled movement area of the ground without prior permission from ATC. There were no aircraft operating on the surface in the area at the time, but my entry to that area constituted an incursion, by definition. This incident was caused by inattn on my part to my location on the airport surface, combined with my desire to quickly recover the lost document before it was lost to the wind. The incident would not have occurred had the documents been properly secured in the aircraft. Further, some sort of sign (similar to a roadway sign) depicting that no pedestrians or vehicles are allowed beyond this point, posted on the grass, may have served as a reminder to me that the area was part of the controled movement area. I was not aware of the incursion until 10-15 mins later when, as I taxied an aircraft, the ground controller inquired what I had been looking for out near the taxiway. After I replied to his query, he reminded me that the area that I was previously in was part of the controled movement area. I realized then that he was correct, and apologized for the transgression.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT INSTRUCTOR WALKS OUT ON TXWY TO HELP ANOTHER PLT RETRIEVE ACFT DOCUMENTS THAT WERE BLOWN OUT OF HIS OPEN COCKPIT WHILE TAXIING.

Narrative: I WAS ON THE RAMP (NON MOVEMENT AREA) IN FRONT OF AND JUST S OF THE ATC TWR. I OBSERVED AN ACFT TAXIING ALONG TXWY A, BACK FROM THE RUN-UP AREA OF RWY 32. I OBSERVED THE PLT OF THAT ACFT SECURE THE AIRPLANE AND THEN HURRIEDLY PROCEED TO A GRASSY AREA ADJACENT TO TXWY A. I SAW THE PLT REACH DOWN AND RETRIEVE SOME PAPERS FROM THE GND. THE ACTIONS I OBSERVED WERE UNUSUAL, SO I CALLED TO THE PLT AND INQUIRED OF HIS ACTIONS. THE PLT STATED THAT WHILE HE WAS TAXIING HIS ACFT, A GUST OF WIND BLEW THE ACFT'S DOCUMENTS (AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE, REGISTRATION, ETC) FROM THE OPEN COCKPIT. HE STATED THAT HE HAD JUST RETRIEVED ALL OF THE DOCUMENTS EXCEPT THE AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE FROM THAT IMMEDIATE AREA. I, AND ONE OTHER PLT, WALKED FROM OUR POS ON THE RAMP APPROX 15-20 FT AWAY TO ASSIST IN POSSIBLY RECOVERING THE REMAINING DOCUMENT. IN DOING SO, I INADVERTENTLY ENTERED THE CTLED MOVEMENT AREA OF THE GND WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION FROM ATC. THERE WERE NO ACFT OPERATING ON THE SURFACE IN THE AREA AT THE TIME, BUT MY ENTRY TO THAT AREA CONSTITUTED AN INCURSION, BY DEFINITION. THIS INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY INATTN ON MY PART TO MY LOCATION ON THE ARPT SURFACE, COMBINED WITH MY DESIRE TO QUICKLY RECOVER THE LOST DOCUMENT BEFORE IT WAS LOST TO THE WIND. THE INCIDENT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED HAD THE DOCUMENTS BEEN PROPERLY SECURED IN THE ACFT. FURTHER, SOME SORT OF SIGN (SIMILAR TO A ROADWAY SIGN) DEPICTING THAT NO PEDESTRIANS OR VEHICLES ARE ALLOWED BEYOND THIS POINT, POSTED ON THE GRASS, MAY HAVE SERVED AS A REMINDER TO ME THAT THE AREA WAS PART OF THE CTLED MOVEMENT AREA. I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE INCURSION UNTIL 10-15 MINS LATER WHEN, AS I TAXIED AN ACFT, THE GND CTLR INQUIRED WHAT I HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR OUT NEAR THE TXWY. AFTER I REPLIED TO HIS QUERY, HE REMINDED ME THAT THE AREA THAT I WAS PREVIOUSLY IN WAS PART OF THE CTLED MOVEMENT AREA. I REALIZED THEN THAT HE WAS CORRECT, AND APOLOGIZED FOR THE TRANSGRESSION.

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.