Narrative:

There are 2 relevant issues: 1) runway assignment; 2) taxiway B. Does it cross runway 31R. And if so; are there runway 31R markings/signs and hold short lines? I was the PF. Because of high gas prices at psp; I decided to postpone refueling and fly to an intermediate location. Rather than activate our IFR flight plan direct to destination; I requested a VFR departure to intermediate location; along with taxi clearance. For taxi from FBO; on the east side of the field; I believed I was given runway 31L along with departure and climb instructions; departure frequency and transponder code. Reading back the series of numbers during taxi; I became confused over the transponder code and asked for it to be repeated. Apparently; I may also have confused the runway to which I was told to taxi. From my perspective; taxi to runway 31L was normal; including implied clearance to cross runway 31R. However; in retrospect; and after reviewing psp airport diagram; when turning from taxiway east to taxiway B; I saw no runway 31R signs or hold short lines. I believe on the left side of the airplane; to the southeast of taxiway B; there was only gravel. Approaching runway 31L; the ground controller asked why I had bypassed runway 31R. He then instructed me to copy a phone number to call in reference to a possible far violation. We were eventually instructed to contact tower and departed without further incident. I talked to psp ATC supervisory personnel after landing approximately 2 hours later. I was told that crossing runway 31R inappropriately has been a recurrent problem. Fortunately; in my case; there had not been a conflict with other traffic. Upon review; I would have done several things differently to avoid a repeat of this problem. 1) copying new VFR departure instructions; I would stop the aircraft rather than continuing to taxi. 2) I would write down the information; rather than relying on memory to accurately repeat all of the numbers. 3) rather than merely repeating the transponder code in question; I would repeat the entire clearance; to include runway assignment; from the beginning. 4) finally; I still have some question in my mind concerning whether or not taxiway B really crosses; or merely abuts runway 31R. This is probably just an academic question; since traffic landing on runway 31R would certainly be affected by aircraft on taxiway B. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter indicated that departure instructions and transponder code were given when taxi instructions were issued. As a result; he may have misinterpreted the taxi instructions and believed he was cleared to; 'taxi to runway 31L' which would have given the implied clearance to cross runway 31R. He further stated that he did not notice a hold-short line as he proceeded on taxiway 'B' approaching runway 31R. If he had observed a hold-short line; he believes that he may have requested confirmation before crossing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C90 INADVERTENTLY CROSSED RWY 31R AT PSP; BELIEVING THAT HE WAS CLEARED TO TAXI TO RWY 31L.

Narrative: THERE ARE 2 RELEVANT ISSUES: 1) RWY ASSIGNMENT; 2) TXWY B. DOES IT CROSS RWY 31R. AND IF SO; ARE THERE RWY 31R MARKINGS/SIGNS AND HOLD SHORT LINES? I WAS THE PF. BECAUSE OF HIGH GAS PRICES AT PSP; I DECIDED TO POSTPONE REFUELING AND FLY TO AN INTERMEDIATE LOCATION. RATHER THAN ACTIVATE OUR IFR FLT PLAN DIRECT TO DEST; I REQUESTED A VFR DEP TO INTERMEDIATE LOCATION; ALONG WITH TAXI CLRNC. FOR TAXI FROM FBO; ON THE E SIDE OF THE FIELD; I BELIEVED I WAS GIVEN RWY 31L ALONG WITH DEP AND CLB INSTRUCTIONS; DEP FREQ AND XPONDER CODE. READING BACK THE SERIES OF NUMBERS DURING TAXI; I BECAME CONFUSED OVER THE XPONDER CODE AND ASKED FOR IT TO BE REPEATED. APPARENTLY; I MAY ALSO HAVE CONFUSED THE RWY TO WHICH I WAS TOLD TO TAXI. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE; TAXI TO RWY 31L WAS NORMAL; INCLUDING IMPLIED CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 31R. HOWEVER; IN RETROSPECT; AND AFTER REVIEWING PSP ARPT DIAGRAM; WHEN TURNING FROM TXWY E TO TXWY B; I SAW NO RWY 31R SIGNS OR HOLD SHORT LINES. I BELIEVE ON THE L SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE; TO THE SE OF TXWY B; THERE WAS ONLY GRAVEL. APCHING RWY 31L; THE GND CTLR ASKED WHY I HAD BYPASSED RWY 31R. HE THEN INSTRUCTED ME TO COPY A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL IN REF TO A POSSIBLE FAR VIOLATION. WE WERE EVENTUALLY INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT TWR AND DEPARTED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I TALKED TO PSP ATC SUPERVISORY PERSONNEL AFTER LNDG APPROX 2 HRS LATER. I WAS TOLD THAT XING RWY 31R INAPPROPRIATELY HAS BEEN A RECURRENT PROB. FORTUNATELY; IN MY CASE; THERE HAD NOT BEEN A CONFLICT WITH OTHER TFC. UPON REVIEW; I WOULD HAVE DONE SEVERAL THINGS DIFFERENTLY TO AVOID A REPEAT OF THIS PROB. 1) COPYING NEW VFR DEP INSTRUCTIONS; I WOULD STOP THE ACFT RATHER THAN CONTINUING TO TAXI. 2) I WOULD WRITE DOWN THE INFO; RATHER THAN RELYING ON MEMORY TO ACCURATELY REPEAT ALL OF THE NUMBERS. 3) RATHER THAN MERELY REPEATING THE XPONDER CODE IN QUESTION; I WOULD REPEAT THE ENTIRE CLRNC; TO INCLUDE RWY ASSIGNMENT; FROM THE BEGINNING. 4) FINALLY; I STILL HAVE SOME QUESTION IN MY MIND CONCERNING WHETHER OR NOT TXWY B REALLY CROSSES; OR MERELY ABUTS RWY 31R. THIS IS PROBABLY JUST AN ACADEMIC QUESTION; SINCE TFC LNDG ON RWY 31R WOULD CERTAINLY BE AFFECTED BY ACFT ON TXWY B. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER INDICATED THAT DEPARTURE INSTRUCTIONS AND TRANSPONDER CODE WERE GIVEN WHEN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WERE ISSUED. AS A RESULT; HE MAY HAVE MISINTERPRETED THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND BELIEVED HE WAS CLEARED TO; 'TAXI TO RWY 31L' WHICH WOULD HAVE GIVEN THE IMPLIED CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 31R. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE DID NOT NOTICE A HOLD-SHORT LINE AS HE PROCEEDED ON TXWY 'B' APPROACHING RWY 31R. IF HE HAD OBSERVED A HOLD-SHORT LINE; HE BELIEVES THAT HE MAY HAVE REQUESTED CONFIRMATION BEFORE CROSSING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.