Narrative:

I was instructed by ground to taxi from FBO to runway 36C via txwys C, east, and J. I was unfamiliar with the airport, and new to the aircraft, having just bought it. I had a taxiway map in my lap at the time. My error was to take a left onto taxiway C rather than a right. That took me across runway 27 into a construction zone. When I realized my error, ground instructed me to reverse course and call the supervisor. He told me that runway 27 was officially active at the time, although I observed no operations from that runway. To prevent such incidents in the future, I will always ask for a full progressive clearance when at an unfamiliar airport, and will not cross any runways unless explicitly told to do so. Had I requested a progressive the incident would not have occurred. I am from the northeast, and am often told to taxi via rtes that take me across runways. I often call back to request confirmation that I can cross the runway. I should have done so this day, but perhaps inhibited from doing so because the frequency was so busy. The error was certainly mine. Another way to prevent these incidents would be to make it a rule that any time a runway is to be crossed, ground will either say to hold short, or give explicit instructions to cross. If there were an absolute rule that this is always done, that any runway along the taxi route will be mentioned either as a 'proceed across' or as a 'hold short of,' I would have realized my error before crossing runway 27 and would have called for clarification.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA32 PLT TAXIED WRONG DIRECTION AND CROSSED AN ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT A CLRNC.

Narrative: I WAS INSTRUCTED BY GND TO TAXI FROM FBO TO RWY 36C VIA TXWYS C, E, AND J. I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT, AND NEW TO THE ACFT, HAVING JUST BOUGHT IT. I HAD A TXWY MAP IN MY LAP AT THE TIME. MY ERROR WAS TO TAKE A L ONTO TXWY C RATHER THAN A R. THAT TOOK ME ACROSS RWY 27 INTO A CONSTRUCTION ZONE. WHEN I REALIZED MY ERROR, GND INSTRUCTED ME TO REVERSE COURSE AND CALL THE SUPVR. HE TOLD ME THAT RWY 27 WAS OFFICIALLY ACTIVE AT THE TIME, ALTHOUGH I OBSERVED NO OPS FROM THAT RWY. TO PREVENT SUCH INCIDENTS IN THE FUTURE, I WILL ALWAYS ASK FOR A FULL PROGRESSIVE CLRNC WHEN AT AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT, AND WILL NOT CROSS ANY RWYS UNLESS EXPLICITLY TOLD TO DO SO. HAD I REQUESTED A PROGRESSIVE THE INCIDENT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. I AM FROM THE NE, AND AM OFTEN TOLD TO TAXI VIA RTES THAT TAKE ME ACROSS RWYS. I OFTEN CALL BACK TO REQUEST CONFIRMATION THAT I CAN CROSS THE RWY. I SHOULD HAVE DONE SO THIS DAY, BUT PERHAPS INHIBITED FROM DOING SO BECAUSE THE FREQ WAS SO BUSY. THE ERROR WAS CERTAINLY MINE. ANOTHER WAY TO PREVENT THESE INCIDENTS WOULD BE TO MAKE IT A RULE THAT ANY TIME A RWY IS TO BE CROSSED, GND WILL EITHER SAY TO HOLD SHORT, OR GIVE EXPLICIT INSTRUCTIONS TO CROSS. IF THERE WERE AN ABSOLUTE RULE THAT THIS IS ALWAYS DONE, THAT ANY RWY ALONG THE TAXI RTE WILL BE MENTIONED EITHER AS A 'PROCEED ACROSS' OR AS A 'HOLD SHORT OF,' I WOULD HAVE REALIZED MY ERROR BEFORE XING RWY 27 AND WOULD HAVE CALLED FOR CLARIFICATION.

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.