Narrative:

While on a VFR dual x-country flight, my student and I stopped at tus for fuel. After being refueled, I called clearance delivery for a VFR clearance back to ffz. I then had my student call ground while I was writing down a clearance and putting the proper VOR radio we were going to be tracking outbnd on. I looked up and we were on a taxiway with blue lights on both sides. I glanced down at the copied clearance and set the squawk code in the transponder. I looked up just as we turned onto a runway. I was not sure what was the best procedure to exit the runway, so we elected the quickest possible way--a 180 degree turn. Ground controller called us and told us to continue down the runway to the next exit. I think there were a lot of contributing factors adding to such a severe violation. One was definitely complacency on my part. I was doing too many duties that did not have to be done immediately and not paying enough attention to what was happening at this moment. A second contributing factor was fatigue. This was the end of a 14-hour work day--only 7.5 hours of flight time, but along day nonetheless, and it was the last leg. This is a scenario that unfortunately I have heard about a lot, and now I realize it can happen to anyone, even in an small aircraft and even on the ground. The particular small aircraft that we were flying was not equipped with a taxi light. We did have a landing light on while taxiing, but since the light shines into the air more than on the ground, it was difficult to see the hold short lines and taxi lines. Since most airports have parallel taxiway with blue lights on both sides, we were looking for that type of taxiway. However at tus, the ramp is a part of the taxiway. Enclosed is a diagram of the airport, where we were located and where we taxied. If txwys were outlined with blue lights on both sides (if necessary, in the ground lights), it might help eliminate some of the confusion. Lighting hold short lines and runway signs at intxns (not just taxiway signs) would also mark the runway clearer since it is difficult to see the runway lights at a perpendicular angle. We were extremely lucky that there was no one on the approach to 11L. I realize that it is not the controller's responsibility to ensure that you adhere to his instructions, but the PIC's, and there is no excuse for complacency and lack of attention in a cockpit, on the ground or in the air.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR WITH STUDENT PLT TAXI ONTO ACTIVE RWY WHILE LOOKING FOR TXWY AT NIGHT.

Narrative: WHILE ON A VFR DUAL X-COUNTRY FLT, MY STUDENT AND I STOPPED AT TUS FOR FUEL. AFTER BEING REFUELED, I CALLED CLRNC DELIVERY FOR A VFR CLRNC BACK TO FFZ. I THEN HAD MY STUDENT CALL GND WHILE I WAS WRITING DOWN A CLRNC AND PUTTING THE PROPER VOR RADIO WE WERE GOING TO BE TRACKING OUTBND ON. I LOOKED UP AND WE WERE ON A TXWY WITH BLUE LIGHTS ON BOTH SIDES. I GLANCED DOWN AT THE COPIED CLRNC AND SET THE SQUAWK CODE IN THE XPONDER. I LOOKED UP JUST AS WE TURNED ONTO A RWY. I WAS NOT SURE WHAT WAS THE BEST PROC TO EXIT THE RWY, SO WE ELECTED THE QUICKEST POSSIBLE WAY--A 180 DEG TURN. GND CTLR CALLED US AND TOLD US TO CONTINUE DOWN THE RWY TO THE NEXT EXIT. I THINK THERE WERE A LOT OF CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ADDING TO SUCH A SEVERE VIOLATION. ONE WAS DEFINITELY COMPLACENCY ON MY PART. I WAS DOING TOO MANY DUTIES THAT DID NOT HAVE TO BE DONE IMMEDIATELY AND NOT PAYING ENOUGH ATTN TO WHAT WAS HAPPENING AT THIS MOMENT. A SECOND CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS FATIGUE. THIS WAS THE END OF A 14-HR WORK DAY--ONLY 7.5 HRS OF FLT TIME, BUT ALONG DAY NONETHELESS, AND IT WAS THE LAST LEG. THIS IS A SCENARIO THAT UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE HEARD ABOUT A LOT, AND NOW I REALIZE IT CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE, EVEN IN AN SMA AND EVEN ON THE GND. THE PARTICULAR SMA THAT WE WERE FLYING WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH A TAXI LIGHT. WE DID HAVE A LNDG LIGHT ON WHILE TAXIING, BUT SINCE THE LIGHT SHINES INTO THE AIR MORE THAN ON THE GND, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE THE HOLD SHORT LINES AND TAXI LINES. SINCE MOST ARPTS HAVE PARALLEL TXWY WITH BLUE LIGHTS ON BOTH SIDES, WE WERE LOOKING FOR THAT TYPE OF TXWY. HOWEVER AT TUS, THE RAMP IS A PART OF THE TXWY. ENCLOSED IS A DIAGRAM OF THE ARPT, WHERE WE WERE LOCATED AND WHERE WE TAXIED. IF TXWYS WERE OUTLINED WITH BLUE LIGHTS ON BOTH SIDES (IF NECESSARY, IN THE GND LIGHTS), IT MIGHT HELP ELIMINATE SOME OF THE CONFUSION. LIGHTING HOLD SHORT LINES AND RWY SIGNS AT INTXNS (NOT JUST TXWY SIGNS) WOULD ALSO MARK THE RWY CLEARER SINCE IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE THE RWY LIGHTS AT A PERPENDICULAR ANGLE. WE WERE EXTREMELY LUCKY THAT THERE WAS NO ONE ON THE APCH TO 11L. I REALIZE THAT IT IS NOT THE CTLR'S RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT YOU ADHERE TO HIS INSTRUCTIONS, BUT THE PIC'S, AND THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR COMPLACENCY AND LACK OF ATTN IN A COCKPIT, ON THE GND OR IN THE AIR.

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.