An LJ31 crew inadvertently taxied across runway 19R at mke without a clearance.

Attributes
ACN	630055
Time
Date	200409
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mke.airport
State Reference	WI
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Learjet 31
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 106 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	630055
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Airport Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Ground control cleared us to taxi from the FBO ramp to a non-active runway (19R). Very dark nighttime conditions. The first officer (PNF) was heads-down reading the taxi pretkof checklist. The PF was looking for runway 19R. We believe the lighting system was either out or not turned on since runway 19R was not the active runway at that time. We did have our transponder 'on' however ground control also missed the fact that we taxied across the runway 19R threshold before we realized the error. There was no traffic conflict since runway 19R was not the primary runway in use at that time. Ground control did help us to return to runway 19R and tower cleared us for departure with no comment. Probable cause -- no lights and no ground control radar in use at the time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN LJ31 CREW INADVERTENTLY TAXIED ACROSS RWY 19R AT MKE WITHOUT A CLRNC.

Narrative: GND CTL CLRED US TO TAXI FROM THE FBO RAMP TO A NON-ACTIVE RWY (19R). VERY DARK NIGHTTIME CONDITIONS. THE FO (PNF) WAS HEADS-DOWN READING THE TAXI PRETKOF CHKLIST. THE PF WAS LOOKING FOR RWY 19R. WE BELIEVE THE LIGHTING SYS WAS EITHER OUT OR NOT TURNED ON SINCE RWY 19R WAS NOT THE ACTIVE RWY AT THAT TIME. WE DID HAVE OUR XPONDER 'ON' HOWEVER GND CTL ALSO MISSED THE FACT THAT WE TAXIED ACROSS THE RWY 19R THRESHOLD BEFORE WE REALIZED THE ERROR. THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT SINCE RWY 19R WAS NOT THE PRIMARY RWY IN USE AT THAT TIME. GND CTL DID HELP US TO RETURN TO RWY 19R AND TWR CLRED US FOR DEP WITH NO COMMENT. PROBABLE CAUSE -- NO LIGHTS AND NO GND CTL RADAR IN USE AT THE TIME.

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.