Narrative:

Reporter was PIC of a private aircraft that landed on runway 25 at sba. We exited the runway, contacted ground control and taxied back toward transient parking on taxiway a. When my aircraft reached intersecting runways 15L and 15R, ground control directed me to cross both runways and turn right on taxiway B to reach the FBO. I crossed runway 15R, but turned right onto runway 15L instead of taxiway B. Ground control quickly advised me that we had turned onto the runway and directed me to taxi to and exit at taxiway K, the next intersection. This incident occurred on a quiet sunday evening at dusk when there was very little traffic. At the time of this incident I do not believe that there were any other aircraft taxiing on the airport. Runway 25 was the active landing runway. I did not observe any other aircraft land. Factors contributing to this incident were darkness, pilot's fatigue and unfamiliarity with the airport, the smaller size of runway 15L (75 ft) compared to runway 15R (100 ft) and the nature and confign of the runway and taxiway signs. From the western hold short markings on taxiway a for runways 15R and 15L, it is several hundred feet across these parallel runways to the taxiway sign next to runway 15R which says 'a...B.' from the hold short marker on taxiway a this signage can be misread as indicating that runway 15R is taxiway B. Taxiway B makes a dogleg on the other side of runway 15L and it is not clear from the vantage point of the hold short mark on taxiway a on the southwest side of runways 15L. At dusk, there were no lights to help sort things out. When I landed I was not at my best. I was tired, thirsty, and hungry. I was confused as to where the FBO was located. As I taxied up taxiway a in the gloom of dusk, I was searching intensely for it. There was distracting conversation with passenger. My alertness and guard concerning runway incursions was probably unconsciously lowered by the fact that there was no other traffic at the airport. I momentarily forgot that there were 2 parallel runways. After crossing the bigger runway, without thinking, it seemed 'logical' (and in hindsight nearly habitual) to turn right into the smaller paved parallel expanse. Up until the moment I turned into the runway, I had no consciousness that I had made a mistake. After turning right onto runway 15L, however, I knew something was wrong. In 2 seconds, I began to debate how to best fix the problem. I was taxiing swiftly down runway 15L. There were 3 choices 1) stop dead, confess, and await instructions, 2) make a u-turn and go back to taxiway a, or 3) taxi quickly to the next intersection, K, which was quite close, and exit. The latter option was clearly the quickest and safest remedy. I elected this choice as ground control came on the frequency and directed me to do just that. The whole incident probably left me on the runway no more than 20 seconds. Because I consider runway incursions to be serious I decided to report myself. I take pride in my flying skills and try very hard to be conscientious about all aspects of piloting. Like most pilots, I consider runway incursions to be the kind of mistake that only 'bad' pilots make and I have held those who violate these standards in low esteem. That I could 'space out' and make a mistake like this has shaken me and I am resolved to never let it happen again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF PA46 TAXIED ONTO RWY 15L AT SBA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: RPTR WAS PIC OF A PVT ACFT THAT LANDED ON RWY 25 AT SBA. WE EXITED THE RWY, CONTACTED GND CTL AND TAXIED BACK TOWARD TRANSIENT PARKING ON TXWY A. WHEN MY ACFT REACHED INTERSECTING RWYS 15L AND 15R, GND CTL DIRECTED ME TO CROSS BOTH RWYS AND TURN R ON TXWY B TO REACH THE FBO. I CROSSED RWY 15R, BUT TURNED R ONTO RWY 15L INSTEAD OF TXWY B. GND CTL QUICKLY ADVISED ME THAT WE HAD TURNED ONTO THE RWY AND DIRECTED ME TO TAXI TO AND EXIT AT TXWY K, THE NEXT INTXN. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED ON A QUIET SUNDAY EVENING AT DUSK WHEN THERE WAS VERY LITTLE TFC. AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THERE WERE ANY OTHER ACFT TAXIING ON THE ARPT. RWY 25 WAS THE ACTIVE LNDG RWY. I DID NOT OBSERVE ANY OTHER ACFT LAND. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS INCIDENT WERE DARKNESS, PLT'S FATIGUE AND UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE ARPT, THE SMALLER SIZE OF RWY 15L (75 FT) COMPARED TO RWY 15R (100 FT) AND THE NATURE AND CONFIGN OF THE RWY AND TXWY SIGNS. FROM THE WESTERN HOLD SHORT MARKINGS ON TXWY A FOR RWYS 15R AND 15L, IT IS SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET ACROSS THESE PARALLEL RWYS TO THE TXWY SIGN NEXT TO RWY 15R WHICH SAYS 'A...B.' FROM THE HOLD SHORT MARKER ON TXWY A THIS SIGNAGE CAN BE MISREAD AS INDICATING THAT RWY 15R IS TXWY B. TXWY B MAKES A DOGLEG ON THE OTHER SIDE OF RWY 15L AND IT IS NOT CLR FROM THE VANTAGE POINT OF THE HOLD SHORT MARK ON TXWY A ON THE SW SIDE OF RWYS 15L. AT DUSK, THERE WERE NO LIGHTS TO HELP SORT THINGS OUT. WHEN I LANDED I WAS NOT AT MY BEST. I WAS TIRED, THIRSTY, AND HUNGRY. I WAS CONFUSED AS TO WHERE THE FBO WAS LOCATED. AS I TAXIED UP TXWY A IN THE GLOOM OF DUSK, I WAS SEARCHING INTENSELY FOR IT. THERE WAS DISTRACTING CONVERSATION WITH PAX. MY ALERTNESS AND GUARD CONCERNING RWY INCURSIONS WAS PROBABLY UNCONSCIOUSLY LOWERED BY THE FACT THAT THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC AT THE ARPT. I MOMENTARILY FORGOT THAT THERE WERE 2 PARALLEL RWYS. AFTER XING THE BIGGER RWY, WITHOUT THINKING, IT SEEMED 'LOGICAL' (AND IN HINDSIGHT NEARLY HABITUAL) TO TURN R INTO THE SMALLER PAVED PARALLEL EXPANSE. UP UNTIL THE MOMENT I TURNED INTO THE RWY, I HAD NO CONSCIOUSNESS THAT I HAD MADE A MISTAKE. AFTER TURNING R ONTO RWY 15L, HOWEVER, I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG. IN 2 SECONDS, I BEGAN TO DEBATE HOW TO BEST FIX THE PROB. I WAS TAXIING SWIFTLY DOWN RWY 15L. THERE WERE 3 CHOICES 1) STOP DEAD, CONFESS, AND AWAIT INSTRUCTIONS, 2) MAKE A U-TURN AND GO BACK TO TXWY A, OR 3) TAXI QUICKLY TO THE NEXT INTXN, K, WHICH WAS QUITE CLOSE, AND EXIT. THE LATTER OPTION WAS CLRLY THE QUICKEST AND SAFEST REMEDY. I ELECTED THIS CHOICE AS GND CTL CAME ON THE FREQ AND DIRECTED ME TO DO JUST THAT. THE WHOLE INCIDENT PROBABLY LEFT ME ON THE RWY NO MORE THAN 20 SECONDS. BECAUSE I CONSIDER RWY INCURSIONS TO BE SERIOUS I DECIDED TO RPT MYSELF. I TAKE PRIDE IN MY FLYING SKILLS AND TRY VERY HARD TO BE CONSCIENTIOUS ABOUT ALL ASPECTS OF PILOTING. LIKE MOST PLTS, I CONSIDER RWY INCURSIONS TO BE THE KIND OF MISTAKE THAT ONLY 'BAD' PLTS MAKE AND I HAVE HELD THOSE WHO VIOLATE THESE STANDARDS IN LOW ESTEEM. THAT I COULD 'SPACE OUT' AND MAKE A MISTAKE LIKE THIS HAS SHAKEN ME AND I AM RESOLVED TO NEVER LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN.

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.