Narrative:

Runway incursion at non twred field while another pilot on final. Problem arose when I turned from the southern taxiway to the right onto runway 10/28. (Wind was 220 degrees at 10 KTS, so I had turned towards 100 degrees, the approach end.) I had thought this was the taxiway. What I should have done was taxied straight across and taken the north side taxiway to the run-up area. There were runway hold short markings on the taxiway, though faded, and no good red runway signs. The runway is lightly colored gray. The taxiway was more recently paved blacktop. I'd been mostly flying from larger airports with fairly descent runways. However wrong it may have been, in thinking about my thought process at the time, I realize I just thought the blacker pavement must be the runway. That seems foolish and was clearly wrong, but that was part of the issue. The approaching pilot asked 'who's that on runway?' and went around, even though I cleared the runway onto the grass and had gone back to taxiway once I'd realized my mistake. He made a safe decision based on what he saw. Contributing factors: rush to get to run-up area. I've taken the AOPA on-line runway course and been to safety seminars. Lack of training and knowledge did not cause this -- inattn and impatience did. I had a runway/airport diagram. I should have taken another look before taxiing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION AT A NON TWR ARPT BY A PA28 PVT PLT MAKES A CESSNA TYPE GA ACFT ON FINAL GO AROUND DURING APCH TO RWY 28 AT PTW.

Narrative: RWY INCURSION AT NON TWRED FIELD WHILE ANOTHER PLT ON FINAL. PROB AROSE WHEN I TURNED FROM THE SOUTHERN TXWY TO THE R ONTO RWY 10/28. (WIND WAS 220 DEGS AT 10 KTS, SO I HAD TURNED TOWARDS 100 DEGS, THE APCH END.) I HAD THOUGHT THIS WAS THE TXWY. WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE WAS TAXIED STRAIGHT ACROSS AND TAKEN THE N SIDE TXWY TO THE RUN-UP AREA. THERE WERE RWY HOLD SHORT MARKINGS ON THE TXWY, THOUGH FADED, AND NO GOOD RED RWY SIGNS. THE RWY IS LIGHTLY COLORED GRAY. THE TXWY WAS MORE RECENTLY PAVED BLACKTOP. I'D BEEN MOSTLY FLYING FROM LARGER ARPTS WITH FAIRLY DESCENT RWYS. HOWEVER WRONG IT MAY HAVE BEEN, IN THINKING ABOUT MY THOUGHT PROCESS AT THE TIME, I REALIZE I JUST THOUGHT THE BLACKER PAVEMENT MUST BE THE RWY. THAT SEEMS FOOLISH AND WAS CLRLY WRONG, BUT THAT WAS PART OF THE ISSUE. THE APCHING PLT ASKED 'WHO'S THAT ON RWY?' AND WENT AROUND, EVEN THOUGH I CLRED THE RWY ONTO THE GRASS AND HAD GONE BACK TO TXWY ONCE I'D REALIZED MY MISTAKE. HE MADE A SAFE DECISION BASED ON WHAT HE SAW. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: RUSH TO GET TO RUN-UP AREA. I'VE TAKEN THE AOPA ON-LINE RWY COURSE AND BEEN TO SAFETY SEMINARS. LACK OF TRAINING AND KNOWLEDGE DID NOT CAUSE THIS -- INATTN AND IMPATIENCE DID. I HAD A RWY/ARPT DIAGRAM. I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN ANOTHER LOOK BEFORE TAXIING.

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.