Narrative:

Prior to arrival; I spent several mins studying the taxi rtes and knew where customs was. I flew a normal ILS approach to runway 3R; cleared the runway at W-3; and was instructed by tower to turn northbound onto taxiway west and contact ground. I informed ground that I was unfamiliar with the airport and needed to go to customs. I had the taxi diagram on my lap at the time. Ground instructed me to taxi north on taxiway west; hold short of taxiway V. I complied as instructed; but probably stopped just past the sign marking the intersection of txwys west; V; and P-4; in an attempt to taxi past the off duty runways 9L/27R. While holding short of taxiway V; ground cleared me to taxi north on P-4 to taxiway P; and call a visual on the mcdonald's sign. Ground informed me somewhere in the process that P-4 was wide and an ex-runway; in order to help me with the identify. Nevertheless; I did not see any markings for P-4; missed the turn; and continued north on taxiway west. Next; I came to a right turn at the end of taxiway west and realized that I had missed the turn onto P-4. I proceeded to turn around to the right and; knowing that I had just taxied across off duty runways 9L/27R; assumed that the runway in front of me was runways 9L/27R; which I proceeded to cross. I was obviously confused at this point. In fact; I crossed runways 3R/27L; an active runway at the departure end; and ended up on taxiway V on the east side of runway 3R. This was when I first realized that I had crossed runway 3R. I called ground; told him I had missed the turn; and was instructed to hold short of runway 3R; which I complied with. Ground next cleared me across runway 3R; to P-4; which I saw this time; and the remainder of the taxi in was uneventful. I called the tower as instructed after customs. On that call; the controller advised that they had no conflict alerts in the tower. Contributing factors were: 1) unfamiliar airport; with complex taxi rtes and high traffic volumes. 2) single pilot operation. 3) previous high workload due to low WX. 4) failure to report missing the turn onto P-4 immediately to ground. 5) taxiway P-4 was not marked separately at the intersection past taxiway V; but was grouped together with the taxiway V intersection on the south side of taxiway V. A separate sign north of taxiway V between taxiway V and P-4 could be installed; making it easier to identify the turn. Corrective actions include: 1) I chose dtw as a destination based on customs availability. We were importing the airplane and the customs broker was located near dtw. I elected to use that airport for customs convenience. I should have had the customs broker set it up for detroit city or willow run; which don't have the traffic density and are better suited to single pilot operations. I have flown into high traffic airports in the past; but always as part of a 2 pilot crew. I will not fly single pilot into airports such as dtw or ord or jfk again. Frankly; taxiing at these complex airports is the most difficult thing I've had to perform in aviation. 2) once I missed the turn for P-4; I should have stopped and asked for help. 3) prior to taxiing across runway 3R; a simple check of the compass would have confirmed that the runway was not runways 9L/27R. 4) if I was not absolutely certain of the runway I was facing (no assumptions); I should have stopped and asked for clearance. 5) rejecting the 'macho' reaction ('I can deal with this') would have prevented the incursion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MU-2 PLT TAXIES ACROSS ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC. NO TRAFFIC CONFLICT.

Narrative: PRIOR TO ARR; I SPENT SEVERAL MINS STUDYING THE TAXI RTES AND KNEW WHERE CUSTOMS WAS. I FLEW A NORMAL ILS APCH TO RWY 3R; CLRED THE RWY AT W-3; AND WAS INSTRUCTED BY TWR TO TURN NBOUND ONTO TXWY W AND CONTACT GND. I INFORMED GND THAT I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT AND NEEDED TO GO TO CUSTOMS. I HAD THE TAXI DIAGRAM ON MY LAP AT THE TIME. GND INSTRUCTED ME TO TAXI N ON TXWY W; HOLD SHORT OF TXWY V. I COMPLIED AS INSTRUCTED; BUT PROBABLY STOPPED JUST PAST THE SIGN MARKING THE INTXN OF TXWYS W; V; AND P-4; IN AN ATTEMPT TO TAXI PAST THE OFF DUTY RWYS 9L/27R. WHILE HOLDING SHORT OF TXWY V; GND CLRED ME TO TAXI N ON P-4 TO TXWY P; AND CALL A VISUAL ON THE MCDONALD'S SIGN. GND INFORMED ME SOMEWHERE IN THE PROCESS THAT P-4 WAS WIDE AND AN EX-RWY; IN ORDER TO HELP ME WITH THE IDENT. NEVERTHELESS; I DID NOT SEE ANY MARKINGS FOR P-4; MISSED THE TURN; AND CONTINUED N ON TXWY W. NEXT; I CAME TO A R TURN AT THE END OF TXWY W AND REALIZED THAT I HAD MISSED THE TURN ONTO P-4. I PROCEEDED TO TURN AROUND TO THE R AND; KNOWING THAT I HAD JUST TAXIED ACROSS OFF DUTY RWYS 9L/27R; ASSUMED THAT THE RWY IN FRONT OF ME WAS RWYS 9L/27R; WHICH I PROCEEDED TO CROSS. I WAS OBVIOUSLY CONFUSED AT THIS POINT. IN FACT; I CROSSED RWYS 3R/27L; AN ACTIVE RWY AT THE DEP END; AND ENDED UP ON TXWY V ON THE E SIDE OF RWY 3R. THIS WAS WHEN I FIRST REALIZED THAT I HAD CROSSED RWY 3R. I CALLED GND; TOLD HIM I HAD MISSED THE TURN; AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 3R; WHICH I COMPLIED WITH. GND NEXT CLRED ME ACROSS RWY 3R; TO P-4; WHICH I SAW THIS TIME; AND THE REMAINDER OF THE TAXI IN WAS UNEVENTFUL. I CALLED THE TWR AS INSTRUCTED AFTER CUSTOMS. ON THAT CALL; THE CTLR ADVISED THAT THEY HAD NO CONFLICT ALERTS IN THE TWR. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: 1) UNFAMILIAR ARPT; WITH COMPLEX TAXI RTES AND HIGH TFC VOLUMES. 2) SINGLE PLT OP. 3) PREVIOUS HIGH WORKLOAD DUE TO LOW WX. 4) FAILURE TO RPT MISSING THE TURN ONTO P-4 IMMEDIATELY TO GND. 5) TXWY P-4 WAS NOT MARKED SEPARATELY AT THE INTXN PAST TXWY V; BUT WAS GROUPED TOGETHER WITH THE TXWY V INTXN ON THE S SIDE OF TXWY V. A SEPARATE SIGN N OF TXWY V BTWN TXWY V AND P-4 COULD BE INSTALLED; MAKING IT EASIER TO IDENT THE TURN. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS INCLUDE: 1) I CHOSE DTW AS A DEST BASED ON CUSTOMS AVAILABILITY. WE WERE IMPORTING THE AIRPLANE AND THE CUSTOMS BROKER WAS LOCATED NEAR DTW. I ELECTED TO USE THAT ARPT FOR CUSTOMS CONVENIENCE. I SHOULD HAVE HAD THE CUSTOMS BROKER SET IT UP FOR DETROIT CITY OR WILLOW RUN; WHICH DON'T HAVE THE TFC DENSITY AND ARE BETTER SUITED TO SINGLE PLT OPS. I HAVE FLOWN INTO HIGH TFC ARPTS IN THE PAST; BUT ALWAYS AS PART OF A 2 PLT CREW. I WILL NOT FLY SINGLE PLT INTO ARPTS SUCH AS DTW OR ORD OR JFK AGAIN. FRANKLY; TAXIING AT THESE COMPLEX ARPTS IS THE MOST DIFFICULT THING I'VE HAD TO PERFORM IN AVIATION. 2) ONCE I MISSED THE TURN FOR P-4; I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED AND ASKED FOR HELP. 3) PRIOR TO TAXIING ACROSS RWY 3R; A SIMPLE CHK OF THE COMPASS WOULD HAVE CONFIRMED THAT THE RWY WAS NOT RWYS 9L/27R. 4) IF I WAS NOT ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN OF THE RWY I WAS FACING (NO ASSUMPTIONS); I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED AND ASKED FOR CLRNC. 5) REJECTING THE 'MACHO' REACTION ('I CAN DEAL WITH THIS') WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE INCURSION.

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.