GA small aircraft at unfamiliar airport misses assigned taxiway and transgresses intersecting runway...

Attributes
ACN	103105
Time
Date	198901
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lgb
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 100 flight time type : 4
ASRS Report	103105
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Deviation Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Contacted lgb west for landing and informed on initial contact that pilot was unfamiliar. Was instructed to enter right downwind for 25R. Landed and during rollout was instructed, 'left next taxiway,' but at this point was unable to positively identify the next opening as a taxiway (it was very narrow and had no yellow stripe leading to it from the runway centerline). Immediately after receiving this instruction, another aircraft (which was already holding in position on 25R) was cleared for takeoff 25R. Hearing this caused me to panic. I was afraid of crossing runway 30 which I had been given landing instructions to hold short of, but with the plane behind me cleared for takeoff I didn't have enough time to verify my position with the tower and so took the next left to clear the runway, which turned out to be the approach end of 16R. I realized this as soon as I turned and immediately informed the tower. I stayed all the way to the left ot 16L, almost on the grass. The tower said, 'turn left! Taxi across the grass! Across the grass!' I did turn left and at near full throttle was immediately onto taxiway kilo, but partially entered runway 30 in the process. This situation occurred partly due to my lack of experience as a pilot, and limited experience with unfamiliar airports. Contributing factors also include: non uniform taxiway markings and dimensions at different airports; non uniform terminology--sometimes it's 'left this taxiway,' sometimes it's 'left next taxiway,' which if you are very close to a taxiway (as I was) might be construed as the taxiway after the one you have almost passed; planes being cleared onto the runway during another aircraft's final approach and planes being cleared for takeoff before the plane which landed previously is actually off the runway (as in this case); and controllers should take heed when a pilot landing at an airport as complex as lgb informs that they are unfamiliar.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA AT UNFAMILIAR ARPT MISSES ASSIGNED TXWY AND TRANSGRESSES INTERSECTING RWY. ATCT LCL CTLR OPERATIONAL DEVIATION, CLEARING ACFT FOR TKOF WHEN ANOTHER ACFT STILL ON RWY.

Narrative: CONTACTED LGB W FOR LNDG AND INFORMED ON INITIAL CONTACT THAT PLT WAS UNFAMILIAR. WAS INSTRUCTED TO ENTER RIGHT DOWNWIND FOR 25R. LANDED AND DURING ROLLOUT WAS INSTRUCTED, 'LEFT NEXT TXWY,' BUT AT THIS POINT WAS UNABLE TO POSITIVELY IDENT THE NEXT OPENING AS A TXWY (IT WAS VERY NARROW AND HAD NO YELLOW STRIPE LEADING TO IT FROM THE RWY CENTERLINE). IMMEDIATELY AFTER RECEIVING THIS INSTRUCTION, ANOTHER ACFT (WHICH WAS ALREADY HOLDING IN POS ON 25R) WAS CLRED FOR TKOF 25R. HEARING THIS CAUSED ME TO PANIC. I WAS AFRAID OF XING RWY 30 WHICH I HAD BEEN GIVEN LNDG INSTRUCTIONS TO HOLD SHORT OF, BUT WITH THE PLANE BEHIND ME CLRED FOR TKOF I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO VERIFY MY POS WITH THE TWR AND SO TOOK THE NEXT LEFT TO CLR THE RWY, WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE THE APCH END OF 16R. I REALIZED THIS AS SOON AS I TURNED AND IMMEDIATELY INFORMED THE TWR. I STAYED ALL THE WAY TO THE LEFT OT 16L, ALMOST ON THE GRASS. THE TWR SAID, 'TURN LEFT! TAXI ACROSS THE GRASS! ACROSS THE GRASS!' I DID TURN LEFT AND AT NEAR FULL THROTTLE WAS IMMEDIATELY ONTO TXWY KILO, BUT PARTIALLY ENTERED RWY 30 IN THE PROCESS. THIS SITUATION OCCURRED PARTLY DUE TO MY LACK OF EXPERIENCE AS A PLT, AND LIMITED EXPERIENCE WITH UNFAMILIAR ARPTS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ALSO INCLUDE: NON UNIFORM TXWY MARKINGS AND DIMENSIONS AT DIFFERENT ARPTS; NON UNIFORM TERMINOLOGY--SOMETIMES IT'S 'LEFT THIS TXWY,' SOMETIMES IT'S 'LEFT NEXT TXWY,' WHICH IF YOU ARE VERY CLOSE TO A TXWY (AS I WAS) MIGHT BE CONSTRUED AS THE TXWY AFTER THE ONE YOU HAVE ALMOST PASSED; PLANES BEING CLRED ONTO THE RWY DURING ANOTHER ACFT'S FINAL APCH AND PLANES BEING CLRED FOR TKOF BEFORE THE PLANE WHICH LANDED PREVIOUSLY IS ACTUALLY OFF THE RWY (AS IN THIS CASE); AND CTLRS SHOULD TAKE HEED WHEN A PLT LNDG AT AN ARPT AS COMPLEX AS LGB INFORMS THAT THEY ARE UNFAMILIAR.

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

GA small aircraft at unfamiliar airport misses assigned taxiway and transgresses intersecting runway. ATCT local controller operational deviation, clearing aircraft for takeoff when another aircraft still on runway.