Narrative:

After landing on runway 27, completing a circle-to-land ILS approach, the tower instructed me to 'make a left turn off the runway and taxi to sierra, then hold short runway 1.' attempting to follow these instructions, I proceeded on a taxiway to an unmarked intersection. This appeared to be a taxiway intersection on my airport diagram, wilmington, de. The absence of any signs and the absence of any yellow holding line also convinced me that I was continuing on a taxiway. After looking for traffic, I continued to taxi. In reality, I was crossing runway 1. After discovering this, I hastened to the opposite side, clearing the runway, and I answered the tower's call asking who was crossing runway 1. I apologized, mentioned the absence of signs, and remained stationary off the edge of runway 1. I was then given further taxiing instructions, and I proceeded without incident. After parking, I called the tower to discuss the incident. I was told that airport renovations are occurring and that some signs have not yet been put up. I was also told that in any case I should have stopped unless absolutely certain of my position. In answer to my query, I was also assured that the incident would not be reported as a violation. I believe the following were all contributing factors in this incident: absence of signs and markings: most intxns between txwys and runways at this airport have both signs indicating the crossing runway as one nears it as well as standard yellow holding lines prior to the runway. I believe this intersection has neither. I actively searched for and did not see such markings. Pilot's partial unfamiliarity with airport: I have been flying out of this airport for a few weeks, but I was not familiar with this part of the airport. I have flown in and out of a number of larger airports (eg national, dulles, honolulu), but I would rate the wilmington airport among the most confusing in layout. Pilot's continuing to taxi without absolute certainty of position: I agree with the controller's phone assessment that I was not absolutely certain of my position and should have stopped and asked for guidance. I was, however, reasonably convinced that I was continuing on a taxiway, based on the absence of appropriate signs. Possible inaccuracy of airport diagram: I am not certain, but I think there are discrepancies between the current taxiway layout and the layout shown on my chart. Human performance considerations - expectations: I believe that the near-universal use of signs and markings (in most parts of this airport and in most airports) sets up the expectation that runway xings will be appropriately marked. In short, exceptions are dangerous. Perception: it may not be obvious from the air or from a control tower, but near ground-level runways and wide txwys do not look very different. Illusion of familiarity: I have many times stopped and requested guidance while taxiing at unfamiliar airports. It is perhaps the case that I did not do so in this situation because I was familiar with other parts of the airport, making me feel that guidance should have been unnecessary.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA INADVERTENTLY CROSSED AN ACTIVE RWY.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 27, COMPLETING A CIRCLE-TO-LAND ILS APCH, THE TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO 'MAKE A LEFT TURN OFF THE RWY AND TAXI TO SIERRA, THEN HOLD SHORT RWY 1.' ATTEMPTING TO FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS, I PROCEEDED ON A TXWY TO AN UNMARKED INTXN. THIS APPEARED TO BE A TXWY INTXN ON MY ARPT DIAGRAM, WILMINGTON, DE. THE ABSENCE OF ANY SIGNS AND THE ABSENCE OF ANY YELLOW HOLDING LINE ALSO CONVINCED ME THAT I WAS CONTINUING ON A TXWY. AFTER LOOKING FOR TFC, I CONTINUED TO TAXI. IN REALITY, I WAS XING RWY 1. AFTER DISCOVERING THIS, I HASTENED TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE, CLEARING THE RWY, AND I ANSWERED THE TWR'S CALL ASKING WHO WAS XING RWY 1. I APOLOGIZED, MENTIONED THE ABSENCE OF SIGNS, AND REMAINED STATIONARY OFF THE EDGE OF RWY 1. I WAS THEN GIVEN FURTHER TAXIING INSTRUCTIONS, AND I PROCEEDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTER PARKING, I CALLED THE TWR TO DISCUSS THE INCIDENT. I WAS TOLD THAT ARPT RENOVATIONS ARE OCCURRING AND THAT SOME SIGNS HAVE NOT YET BEEN PUT UP. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT IN ANY CASE I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED UNLESS ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN OF MY POSITION. IN ANSWER TO MY QUERY, I WAS ALSO ASSURED THAT THE INCIDENT WOULD NOT BE REPORTED AS A VIOLATION. I BELIEVE THE FOLLOWING WERE ALL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN THIS INCIDENT: ABSENCE OF SIGNS AND MARKINGS: MOST INTXNS BETWEEN TXWYS AND RWYS AT THIS ARPT HAVE BOTH SIGNS INDICATING THE XING RWY AS ONE NEARS IT AS WELL AS STANDARD YELLOW HOLDING LINES PRIOR TO THE RWY. I BELIEVE THIS INTXN HAS NEITHER. I ACTIVELY SEARCHED FOR AND DID NOT SEE SUCH MARKINGS. PLT'S PARTIAL UNFAMILIARITY WITH ARPT: I HAVE BEEN FLYING OUT OF THIS ARPT FOR A FEW WEEKS, BUT I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS PART OF THE ARPT. I HAVE FLOWN IN AND OUT OF A NUMBER OF LARGER ARPTS (EG NATIONAL, DULLES, HONOLULU), BUT I WOULD RATE THE WILMINGTON ARPT AMONG THE MOST CONFUSING IN LAYOUT. PLT'S CONTINUING TO TAXI WITHOUT ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY OF POSITION: I AGREE WITH THE CTLR'S PHONE ASSESSMENT THAT I WAS NOT ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN OF MY POSITION AND SHOULD HAVE STOPPED AND ASKED FOR GUIDANCE. I WAS, HOWEVER, REASONABLY CONVINCED THAT I WAS CONTINUING ON A TXWY, BASED ON THE ABSENCE OF APPROPRIATE SIGNS. POSSIBLE INACCURACY OF ARPT DIAGRAM: I AM NOT CERTAIN, BUT I THINK THERE ARE DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN THE CURRENT TXWY LAYOUT AND THE LAYOUT SHOWN ON MY CHART. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS - EXPECTATIONS: I BELIEVE THAT THE NEAR-UNIVERSAL USE OF SIGNS AND MARKINGS (IN MOST PARTS OF THIS ARPT AND IN MOST ARPTS) SETS UP THE EXPECTATION THAT RWY XINGS WILL BE APPROPRIATELY MARKED. IN SHORT, EXCEPTIONS ARE DANGEROUS. PERCEPTION: IT MAY NOT BE OBVIOUS FROM THE AIR OR FROM A CTL TWR, BUT NEAR GND-LEVEL RWYS AND WIDE TXWYS DO NOT LOOK VERY DIFFERENT. ILLUSION OF FAMILIARITY: I HAVE MANY TIMES STOPPED AND REQUESTED GUIDANCE WHILE TAXIING AT UNFAMILIAR ARPTS. IT IS PERHAPS THE CASE THAT I DID NOT DO SO IN THIS SITUATION BECAUSE I WAS FAMILIAR WITH OTHER PARTS OF THE ARPT, MAKING ME FEEL THAT GUIDANCE SHOULD HAVE BEEN UNNECESSARY.

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.