Pilot of small aircraft atx taxiing at night at unfamiliar cae airport taxied onto runway.

Attributes
ACN	155827
Time
Date	199008
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cae
State Reference	SC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 260 flight time total : 1012 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	155827
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway
Independent Detector	other controllera other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Contacted cae ground prior to taxi. Received clearance to taxi to runway 11. Had to stop and ask directions when exiting ramp area, then made a mistake about 1/4 mi further down and ended up taxiing onto the runway. Quickly realized mistake and ground called at this point also. Turned and taxied quickly off, then asked for more instructions to get to end of runway 11. This mistake resulted in no conflicts as there was no landing traffic, but could have been prevented by requesting detailed taxi instructions. That was the major mistake since it was very dark and the airport was unfamiliar to me. Lighted signs for taxi directions were not sufficient at this airport and ground control was not of too much help until after the mistake was made.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA ATX TAXIING AT NIGHT AT UNFAMILIAR CAE ARPT TAXIED ONTO RWY.

Narrative: CONTACTED CAE GND PRIOR TO TAXI. RECEIVED CLRNC TO TAXI TO RWY 11. HAD TO STOP AND ASK DIRECTIONS WHEN EXITING RAMP AREA, THEN MADE A MISTAKE ABOUT 1/4 MI FURTHER DOWN AND ENDED UP TAXIING ONTO THE RWY. QUICKLY REALIZED MISTAKE AND GND CALLED AT THIS POINT ALSO. TURNED AND TAXIED QUICKLY OFF, THEN ASKED FOR MORE INSTRUCTIONS TO GET TO END OF RWY 11. THIS MISTAKE RESULTED IN NO CONFLICTS AS THERE WAS NO LNDG TFC, BUT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY REQUESTING DETAILED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. THAT WAS THE MAJOR MISTAKE SINCE IT WAS VERY DARK AND THE ARPT WAS UNFAMILIAR TO ME. LIGHTED SIGNS FOR TAXI DIRECTIONS WERE NOT SUFFICIENT AT THIS ARPT AND GND CTL WAS NOT OF TOO MUCH HELP UNTIL AFTER THE MISTAKE WAS MADE.

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.