Narrative:

My flight instructor and I arrived at publication at approximately XA45 local time and performed several instrument approaches prior to landing. I parked the airplane on the ramp according to direction received from FBO personnel. We fueled the airplane; ate lunch at the airport cafe; filed an IFR flight for return to ZZZ and were ready to depart at approximately XD30 hours local. After receiving IFR clearance; I was instructed by ATC to taxi to runway 26R. My airplane was parked facing south. The active runways were north of the airplane. I turned the airplane around and proceeded to taxi north and then east on what appeared to be the ramp. ATC then contacted me by radio and stated; 'nxxxxx; publication tower; you are actually on the runway. The ramp is just to your right. Turn right and resume taxi via the ramp.' I immediately turned right to resume taxi via the ramp and apologized to ATC via radio. ATC responded; 'no problem; you are not the first; sir.' the remainder of my taxi and flight were uneventful. I believe my runway incursion occurred because I was unfamiliar with the airport layout and the runway 8R/26L is essentially an extension of a long ramp area separately distinguished only by the yellow runway edge markings which were very faded and not easily distinguished from other yellow taxiway markings. I believe that my runway incursion would not have occurred had I been more familiar with the airport layout or if the runway edge had been distinguished from the ramp by upright white/red runway signs as I am accustomed to seeing at my home airport. I will better familiarize myself with destination airports in the future.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was quite busy during taxi with preparations for an IFR departure and was relying on the instructor to help with the taxi route. Neither pilot noticed the error.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT RPTS RWY INCURSION AT PUB RWY 26L; CLAIMING THAT FADED YELLOW RWY EDGE LIGHTS CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCIDENT.

Narrative: MY FLT INSTRUCTOR AND I ARRIVED AT PUB AT APPROX XA45 LOCAL TIME AND PERFORMED SEVERAL INSTRUMENT APPROACHES PRIOR TO LNDG. I PARKED THE AIRPLANE ON THE RAMP ACCORDING TO DIRECTION RECEIVED FROM FBO PERSONNEL. WE FUELED THE AIRPLANE; ATE LUNCH AT THE ARPT CAFE; FILED AN IFR FLT FOR RETURN TO ZZZ AND WERE READY TO DEPART AT APPROX XD30 HOURS LOCAL. AFTER RECEIVING IFR CLRNC; I WAS INSTRUCTED BY ATC TO TAXI TO RWY 26R. MY AIRPLANE WAS PARKED FACING S. THE ACTIVE RWYS WERE N OF THE AIRPLANE. I TURNED THE AIRPLANE AROUND AND PROCEEDED TO TAXI N AND THEN E ON WHAT APPEARED TO BE THE RAMP. ATC THEN CONTACTED ME BY RADIO AND STATED; 'NXXXXX; PUB TWR; YOU ARE ACTUALLY ON THE RWY. THE RAMP IS JUST TO YOUR R. TURN R AND RESUME TAXI VIA THE RAMP.' I IMMEDIATELY TURNED R TO RESUME TAXI VIA THE RAMP AND APOLOGIZED TO ATC VIA RADIO. ATC RESPONDED; 'NO PROB; YOU ARE NOT THE FIRST; SIR.' THE REMAINDER OF MY TAXI AND FLT WERE UNEVENTFUL. I BELIEVE MY RWY INCURSION OCCURRED BECAUSE I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT LAYOUT AND THE RWY 8R/26L IS ESSENTIALLY AN EXTENSION OF A LONG RAMP AREA SEPARATELY DISTINGUISHED ONLY BY THE YELLOW RWY EDGE MARKINGS WHICH WERE VERY FADED AND NOT EASILY DISTINGUISHED FROM OTHER YELLOW TXWY MARKINGS. I BELIEVE THAT MY RWY INCURSION WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED HAD I BEEN MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT LAYOUT OR IF THE RWY EDGE HAD BEEN DISTINGUISHED FROM THE RAMP BY UPRIGHT WHITE/RED RWY SIGNS AS I AM ACCUSTOMED TO SEEING AT MY HOME ARPT. I WILL BETTER FAMILIARIZE MYSELF WITH DEST ARPTS IN THE FUTURE.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS QUITE BUSY DURING TAXI WITH PREPARATIONS FOR AN IFR DEP AND WAS RELYING ON THE INSTRUCTOR TO HELP WITH THE TAXI RTE. NEITHER PLT NOTICED THE ERROR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.