Narrative:

During taxi after a night landing, we were told to hold short of a crossing runway. I then inadvertently crossed that active runway, and never even realized it until we were on the other side. During the following conversation with ground control, they agreed that that corner of the airport was very dark. Looking back, since I was unfamiliar with the surroundings, I should have asked for help from my co-captain or ground control prior to taxiing. I still wonder, however, how 2 very experienced professional pilots with perfect safety records could both miss the crossing of an active runway. I feel that a large part of the incident had to do with insufficient night lighting and markings at that intersection. Supplemental information from acn 571192: after clearing runway, I contacted ground control. Was told to taxi on taxiway D and hold short of runway 25R. Runway 25R signage was not visible until we were on runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GLF4 CREW HAD A RWY INCURSION AFTER LNDG AT LGB.

Narrative: DURING TAXI AFTER A NIGHT LNDG, WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD SHORT OF A XING RWY. I THEN INADVERTENTLY CROSSED THAT ACTIVE RWY, AND NEVER EVEN REALIZED IT UNTIL WE WERE ON THE OTHER SIDE. DURING THE FOLLOWING CONVERSATION WITH GND CTL, THEY AGREED THAT THAT CORNER OF THE ARPT WAS VERY DARK. LOOKING BACK, SINCE I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE SURROUNDINGS, I SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR HELP FROM MY CO-CAPT OR GND CTL PRIOR TO TAXIING. I STILL WONDER, HOWEVER, HOW 2 VERY EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONAL PLTS WITH PERFECT SAFETY RECORDS COULD BOTH MISS THE XING OF AN ACTIVE RWY. I FEEL THAT A LARGE PART OF THE INCIDENT HAD TO DO WITH INSUFFICIENT NIGHT LIGHTING AND MARKINGS AT THAT INTXN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 571192: AFTER CLRING RWY, I CONTACTED GND CTL. WAS TOLD TO TAXI ON TXWY D AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 25R. RWY 25R SIGNAGE WAS NOT VISIBLE UNTIL WE WERE ON RWY.

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.