Narrative:

I had just landed on runway 17R and had taxied clear of the runway. The taxiway was at the far end of the runway. When I cleared the runway the controller stated to taxi down the bravo taxiway and hold short of the parallel runway at alpha four. While clearing the runway I did not notice a sign for the bravo taxi area so I went to the parallel runway and held short at the alpha 8 intersection. This is where I sat for several minutes. I did not change to ground control because the tower wanted me to stay on this frequency. I called the tower and had no response. This is when I looked at the tower for light gun signals. There were no light gun signals from the tower and at this time the engines on the aircraft started heating up. I then glanced back up at the tower and saw nothing. There were no light gun signals from the tower. I then called the tower and stated that I was waiting at alpha 8 to cross the active runway. Furthermore, this is when I looked down the runway. When I cleared the runway, I noticed an aircraft fly behind me. I then checked the frequencys and reached ground control and I was instructed to taxi to the gate. Ground control then told me to contact the tower by telephone. When I reached the controller he stated that he could not see my aircraft at alpha 8. This I couldn't clearly understand because I could see the tower very well. He also stated that I was still on the runway when the aircraft flew by. I asked him how he could make such a statement if he couldn't see me holding short 15' away. The controller said, and I agreed, that I should not have crossed an active runway without permission. I know that this should not have been done, however, I do believe that there could have been some alternative so that this incident would not have occurred. The taxiway off of runway 17R could and should have an arrow pointing to the bravo taxi area. There should also be a sign at alpha 8 stating not to hold in this area because the control tower cannot see aircraft at the location. Also, the tower, knowing that visual contact at alpha 8 has been lost, should contact the aircraft by light gun signals.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMT CROSSED ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION WHEN UNABLE TO CONTACT TWR. TWR CTLR ALLEGEDLY UNABLE TO SEE SMT ACFT IN THAT POSITION ON ARPT.

Narrative: I HAD JUST LANDED ON RWY 17R AND HAD TAXIED CLEAR OF THE RWY. THE TXWY WAS AT THE FAR END OF THE RWY. WHEN I CLRED THE RWY THE CTLR STATED TO TAXI DOWN THE BRAVO TXWY AND HOLD SHORT OF THE PARALLEL RWY AT ALPHA FOUR. WHILE CLEARING THE RWY I DID NOT NOTICE A SIGN FOR THE BRAVO TAXI AREA SO I WENT TO THE PARALLEL RWY AND HELD SHORT AT THE ALPHA 8 INTERSECTION. THIS IS WHERE I SAT FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. I DID NOT CHANGE TO GND CTL BECAUSE THE TWR WANTED ME TO STAY ON THIS FREQ. I CALLED THE TWR AND HAD NO RESPONSE. THIS IS WHEN I LOOKED AT THE TWR FOR LIGHT GUN SIGNALS. THERE WERE NO LIGHT GUN SIGNALS FROM THE TWR AND AT THIS TIME THE ENGINES ON THE ACFT STARTED HEATING UP. I THEN GLANCED BACK UP AT THE TWR AND SAW NOTHING. THERE WERE NO LIGHT GUN SIGNALS FROM THE TWR. I THEN CALLED THE TWR AND STATED THAT I WAS WAITING AT ALPHA 8 TO CROSS THE ACTIVE RWY. FURTHERMORE, THIS IS WHEN I LOOKED DOWN THE RWY. WHEN I CLRED THE RWY, I NOTICED AN ACFT FLY BEHIND ME. I THEN CHECKED THE FREQS AND REACHED GND CTL AND I WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO THE GATE. GND CTL THEN TOLD ME TO CONTACT THE TWR BY TELEPHONE. WHEN I REACHED THE CTLR HE STATED THAT HE COULD NOT SEE MY ACFT AT ALPHA 8. THIS I COULDN'T CLEARLY UNDERSTAND BECAUSE I COULD SEE THE TWR VERY WELL. HE ALSO STATED THAT I WAS STILL ON THE RWY WHEN THE ACFT FLEW BY. I ASKED HIM HOW HE COULD MAKE SUCH A STATEMENT IF HE COULDN'T SEE ME HOLDING SHORT 15' AWAY. THE CTLR SAID, AND I AGREED, THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE CROSSED AN ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT PERMISSION. I KNOW THAT THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DONE, HOWEVER, I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE COULD HAVE BEEN SOME ALTERNATIVE SO THAT THIS INCIDENT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. THE TXWY OFF OF RWY 17R COULD AND SHOULD HAVE AN ARROW POINTING TO THE BRAVO TAXI AREA. THERE SHOULD ALSO BE A SIGN AT ALPHA 8 STATING NOT TO HOLD IN THIS AREA BECAUSE THE CTL TWR CANNOT SEE ACFT AT THE LOCATION. ALSO, THE TWR, KNOWING THAT VISUAL CONTACT AT ALPHA 8 HAS BEEN LOST, SHOULD CONTACT THE ACFT BY LIGHT GUN SIGNALS.

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.