Narrative:

After exiting runway 30 at lgb, intersection G, ground was contacted and a VFR departure was requested. Ground responded 'turn left, taxi to 25L at delta'. We complied, but because we were unfamiliar with the airport our clearance limit was not immediately evident. We proceeded down taxiway D while looking for 25L 'at delta'. From a prior visit I knew that proceeding to 25L at delta meant crossing runway 34R-16L and that that runway was closed this day, so proceeded to cross it while continuing to look or 25L at delta. Halfway across the runway I saw an small aircraft on short final over the numbers off my left wingtip. I immediately realized I had accidentally taxied onto an active runway, and proceeded to the other side to get out of the small aircraft flight path. Upon clearing the runway ground announced 'xx are you aware you just crossed an active runway?' I replied 'affirmative, now I am. We are unfamiliar'. Ground then advised 'roger xx do a 180 and hold short at the yellow hold lines.' the small aircraft landed without evasive action, and when he got on ground frequency I heard him request my north number, then I asked for our departure, and a frequency change to tower was approved. Tower approved our departure and provided progressive taxi instructions across 34R-16L to delta on 25L, after which we departed. No further communications were received until the air traffic area boundary, over lgb harbor, where the tower asked for our full north number and a phone number was provided for the area supervisor at lgb tower, who I was requested to call. He was called, and my name was provided as requested. This incursion could have been prevented by 1) consulting the airport map more extensively prior to and during taxi, and 2) notifying ground upon initial contact that I was unfamiliar, then requesting progressive taxi instructions. Fortunately nothing happened, and no evasive action was required.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY TRANSGRESSION DURING TAXI FOR TKOF.

Narrative: AFTER EXITING RWY 30 AT LGB, INTXN G, GND WAS CONTACTED AND A VFR DEP WAS REQUESTED. GND RESPONDED 'TURN LEFT, TAXI TO 25L AT DELTA'. WE COMPLIED, BUT BECAUSE WE WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT OUR CLRNC LIMIT WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY EVIDENT. WE PROCEEDED DOWN TXWY D WHILE LOOKING FOR 25L 'AT DELTA'. FROM A PRIOR VISIT I KNEW THAT PROCEEDING TO 25L AT DELTA MEANT XING RWY 34R-16L AND THAT THAT RWY WAS CLOSED THIS DAY, SO PROCEEDED TO CROSS IT WHILE CONTINUING TO LOOK OR 25L AT DELTA. HALFWAY ACROSS THE RWY I SAW AN SMA ON SHORT FINAL OVER THE NUMBERS OFF MY LEFT WINGTIP. I IMMEDIATELY REALIZED I HAD ACCIDENTALLY TAXIED ONTO AN ACTIVE RWY, AND PROCEEDED TO THE OTHER SIDE TO GET OUT OF THE SMA FLT PATH. UPON CLEARING THE RWY GND ANNOUNCED 'XX ARE YOU AWARE YOU JUST CROSSED AN ACTIVE RWY?' I REPLIED 'AFFIRMATIVE, NOW I AM. WE ARE UNFAMILIAR'. GND THEN ADVISED 'ROGER XX DO A 180 AND HOLD SHORT AT THE YELLOW HOLD LINES.' THE SMA LANDED WITHOUT EVASIVE ACTION, AND WHEN HE GOT ON GND FREQ I HEARD HIM REQUEST MY N NUMBER, THEN I ASKED FOR OUR DEP, AND A FREQ CHANGE TO TWR WAS APPROVED. TWR APPROVED OUR DEP AND PROVIDED PROGRESSIVE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS ACROSS 34R-16L TO DELTA ON 25L, AFTER WHICH WE DEPARTED. NO FURTHER COMS WERE RECEIVED UNTIL THE ATA BOUNDARY, OVER LGB HARBOR, WHERE THE TWR ASKED FOR OUR FULL N NUMBER AND A PHONE NUMBER WAS PROVIDED FOR THE AREA SUPVR AT LGB TWR, WHO I WAS REQUESTED TO CALL. HE WAS CALLED, AND MY NAME WAS PROVIDED AS REQUESTED. THIS INCURSION COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY 1) CONSULTING THE ARPT MAP MORE EXTENSIVELY PRIOR TO AND DURING TAXI, AND 2) NOTIFYING GND UPON INITIAL CONTACT THAT I WAS UNFAMILIAR, THEN REQUESTING PROGRESSIVE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. FORTUNATELY NOTHING HAPPENED, AND NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS REQUIRED.

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.