Early morning part 135 cargo flight activity results in dal runway incursion.

Attributes
ACN	615277
Time
Date	200404
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dal.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Weather Elements	Fog
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : stl.tower
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Cessna 401
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : private pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	615277
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local controller : combined ground
Events
Anomaly	incursion : taxiway incursion : runway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On wednesday morning, I was taxiing a C401 for a part 135 single pilot cargo flight at dal. I was on tower frequency. Leaving an FBO ramp by runway 31R I was directed to taxi to runway 18, which is rarely used for noise reasons. I was also somewhat fatigued due to the hour of day and flight schedule. The usual taxi process is across runway 18 to runway 13L. I repeated back taxi to runway 18, but due to fatigue and habit, I taxied on taxiway a across runway 18 and stopped in the runway 13L run-up area. Realizing what I had done by accident, I told tower (who was running ground also) where I was when I stopped and they just said hold short runway 13L. No further mention from tower was made. After a run-up, I departed runway 13L without further incident. There were no aircraft on final to either runway 18 or runway 13L during this entire period, nor were there any conflicting aircraft on the txwys in the vicinity. This occurrence is due to pilot fatigue and the dark, late hour. This could be prevented by supplying pilots doing single pilot night 135 cargo with additional sleep periods.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EARLY MORNING PART 135 CARGO FLT ACTIVITY RESULTS IN DAL RWY INCURSION.

Narrative: ON WEDNESDAY MORNING, I WAS TAXIING A C401 FOR A PART 135 SINGLE PLT CARGO FLT AT DAL. I WAS ON TWR FREQ. LEAVING AN FBO RAMP BY RWY 31R I WAS DIRECTED TO TAXI TO RWY 18, WHICH IS RARELY USED FOR NOISE REASONS. I WAS ALSO SOMEWHAT FATIGUED DUE TO THE HR OF DAY AND FLT SCHEDULE. THE USUAL TAXI PROCESS IS ACROSS RWY 18 TO RWY 13L. I REPEATED BACK TAXI TO RWY 18, BUT DUE TO FATIGUE AND HABIT, I TAXIED ON TXWY A ACROSS RWY 18 AND STOPPED IN THE RWY 13L RUN-UP AREA. REALIZING WHAT I HAD DONE BY ACCIDENT, I TOLD TWR (WHO WAS RUNNING GND ALSO) WHERE I WAS WHEN I STOPPED AND THEY JUST SAID HOLD SHORT RWY 13L. NO FURTHER MENTION FROM TWR WAS MADE. AFTER A RUN-UP, I DEPARTED RWY 13L WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THERE WERE NO ACFT ON FINAL TO EITHER RWY 18 OR RWY 13L DURING THIS ENTIRE PERIOD, NOR WERE THERE ANY CONFLICTING ACFT ON THE TXWYS IN THE VICINITY. THIS OCCURRENCE IS DUE TO PLT FATIGUE AND THE DARK, LATE HR. THIS COULD BE PREVENTED BY SUPPLYING PLTS DOING SINGLE PLT NIGHT 135 CARGO WITH ADDITIONAL SLEEP PERIODS.

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.