Narrative:

After obtaining our IFR departure clearance, I contacted pbi ground control and was instructed to taxi to runway 27L. My airplane was parked on the west side of the ramp. I incorrectly identified the runway as the parallel taxiway and made a right (east) turn onto the runway. Within 3 or 4 seconds I realized that I had taxied onto the runway and immediately taxied off the right edge of the runway onto the surrounding grass. Simultaneously with this I notified ground control that I believed I had mistakenly taxied onto the runway. Ground control then informed me that a landing plane was performing a go around. I was then able to see the other plane (a single-engine small aircraft) at an altitude of 4-500' and 1/2-3/4 mi from the approach end of the runway. Ground control instructed me to taxi up the runway and turn off at the next turnoff and proceed to the runup area. The rest of the taxi, takeoff and flight were uneventful. Turning onto the runway (mistaking it for a taxiway) was a definite human error on my part. The layout of txwys, etc at pbi is complex and I misinterpreted the airport diagram. Unfortunately ground control did not notice the problem until I reported it. Obviously, this does not constitute an excuse for the error. Aside from better vigilance on my part, the main way I could see to prevent a recurrence would be to clearly mark the runway with a 'white on red' sign at each taxiway turnoff. Although many of the txwys at pbi are so marked, this one wasn't.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA TAXIING OUT AT PBI MISTAKENLY TURNS ONTO RWY 27L THINKING THAT IT IS THE PARALLEL TXWY. LNDG ACFT INITIATED A GO AROUND.

Narrative: AFTER OBTAINING OUR IFR DEP CLRNC, I CONTACTED PBI GND CTL AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO RWY 27L. MY AIRPLANE WAS PARKED ON THE W SIDE OF THE RAMP. I INCORRECTLY IDENTIFIED THE RWY AS THE PARALLEL TXWY AND MADE A RIGHT (E) TURN ONTO THE RWY. WITHIN 3 OR 4 SECONDS I REALIZED THAT I HAD TAXIED ONTO THE RWY AND IMMEDIATELY TAXIED OFF THE RIGHT EDGE OF THE RWY ONTO THE SURROUNDING GRASS. SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THIS I NOTIFIED GND CTL THAT I BELIEVED I HAD MISTAKENLY TAXIED ONTO THE RWY. GND CTL THEN INFORMED ME THAT A LNDG PLANE WAS PERFORMING A GO AROUND. I WAS THEN ABLE TO SEE THE OTHER PLANE (A SINGLE-ENGINE SMA) AT AN ALT OF 4-500' AND 1/2-3/4 MI FROM THE APCH END OF THE RWY. GND CTL INSTRUCTED ME TO TAXI UP THE RWY AND TURN OFF AT THE NEXT TURNOFF AND PROCEED TO THE RUNUP AREA. THE REST OF THE TAXI, TKOF AND FLT WERE UNEVENTFUL. TURNING ONTO THE RWY (MISTAKING IT FOR A TXWY) WAS A DEFINITE HUMAN ERROR ON MY PART. THE LAYOUT OF TXWYS, ETC AT PBI IS COMPLEX AND I MISINTERPRETED THE ARPT DIAGRAM. UNFORTUNATELY GND CTL DID NOT NOTICE THE PROBLEM UNTIL I REPORTED IT. OBVIOUSLY, THIS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN EXCUSE FOR THE ERROR. ASIDE FROM BETTER VIGILANCE ON MY PART, THE MAIN WAY I COULD SEE TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE WOULD BE TO CLEARLY MARK THE RWY WITH A 'WHITE ON RED' SIGN AT EACH TXWY TURNOFF. ALTHOUGH MANY OF THE TXWYS AT PBI ARE SO MARKED, THIS ONE WASN'T.

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