Narrative:

I was the PF and in the left seat of the aircraft. We were cleared by ground control to taxi from tucson executive terminal the runway 11L via taxiway a at tus. As we approached runway 3-21 I asked the PNF if we were cleared to taxi across 3-21. He stated that we were cleared to taxi to runway 11L which meant that we were cleared to cross all intersecting runways. We both agreed. I looked to the left and right as far as I could see and asked the PNF if it was clear to the right. I didn't see any traffic and the PNF didn't see any traffic. We then proceeded across the runway (3-21). When we got on the other side ground control called us and told us to stop. He then informed us that we had crossed an active runway west/O a clearance. He then cleared us to do a 180 degree turn and taxi to the approach end of 11L. West/O having looked at the taxi chart and visually taxiing nwbnd, it appeared to us that the approach end of 11L was past runway 3-21. It used to be, but now it is not. We unknowingly taxied across an active runway west/O a clearance. After returning to den I called tus tower and talked to the supervisor who was on duty when this happened. She informed me that this 'happens all the time' at tus. She said that usually they catch people before they cross 3-21, but in our case the ground controller was busy doing something else and didn't see us. She said that it was the tower controller who finally spotted us. She also stated that there was an small aircraft Y on final for runway 21 which had to go around. We did not see him. If we had looked at the airport diagram before we taxied, we would have seen a note warning us that the end of the runway was before 3-21. We didn't. If we had verbally verified with the ground controller that we were cleared to cross 3-21 instead of just talking among ourselves, our error could have been stopped. If the ground controller could have seen us instead of being busy doing something else, he could have stopped us. If the end of the runway was marked with some highly visible signs denoting the end of the runway, our error could have possibly been stopped. Supplemental information from acn 167412: although 11L ends just short of 3/21, its paved surface does not. This very much creates the impression that the end of the runway must be several thousand ft more distant than it actually is. Although the approach plate shows this not to be true and there is a small sign marking the access to 11L, the general layout of the paved surfaces leads to another conclusion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR FLT CREW TAXIES ACROSS ACTIVE RWY AT TUS WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I WAS THE PF AND IN THE LEFT SEAT OF THE ACFT. WE WERE CLRED BY GND CTL TO TAXI FROM TUCSON EXECUTIVE TERMINAL THE RWY 11L VIA TXWY A AT TUS. AS WE APCHED RWY 3-21 I ASKED THE PNF IF WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI ACROSS 3-21. HE STATED THAT WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 11L WHICH MEANT THAT WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS ALL INTERSECTING RWYS. WE BOTH AGREED. I LOOKED TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT AS FAR AS I COULD SEE AND ASKED THE PNF IF IT WAS CLR TO THE RIGHT. I DIDN'T SEE ANY TFC AND THE PNF DIDN'T SEE ANY TFC. WE THEN PROCEEDED ACROSS THE RWY (3-21). WHEN WE GOT ON THE OTHER SIDE GND CTL CALLED US AND TOLD US TO STOP. HE THEN INFORMED US THAT WE HAD CROSSED AN ACTIVE RWY W/O A CLRNC. HE THEN CLRED US TO DO A 180 DEG TURN AND TAXI TO THE APCH END OF 11L. W/O HAVING LOOKED AT THE TAXI CHART AND VISUALLY TAXIING NWBND, IT APPEARED TO US THAT THE APCH END OF 11L WAS PAST RWY 3-21. IT USED TO BE, BUT NOW IT IS NOT. WE UNKNOWINGLY TAXIED ACROSS AN ACTIVE RWY W/O A CLRNC. AFTER RETURNING TO DEN I CALLED TUS TWR AND TALKED TO THE SUPVR WHO WAS ON DUTY WHEN THIS HAPPENED. SHE INFORMED ME THAT THIS 'HAPPENS ALL THE TIME' AT TUS. SHE SAID THAT USUALLY THEY CATCH PEOPLE BEFORE THEY CROSS 3-21, BUT IN OUR CASE THE GND CTLR WAS BUSY DOING SOMETHING ELSE AND DIDN'T SEE US. SHE SAID THAT IT WAS THE TWR CTLR WHO FINALLY SPOTTED US. SHE ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS AN SMA Y ON FINAL FOR RWY 21 WHICH HAD TO GO AROUND. WE DID NOT SEE HIM. IF WE HAD LOOKED AT THE ARPT DIAGRAM BEFORE WE TAXIED, WE WOULD HAVE SEEN A NOTE WARNING US THAT THE END OF THE RWY WAS BEFORE 3-21. WE DIDN'T. IF WE HAD VERBALLY VERIFIED WITH THE GND CTLR THAT WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS 3-21 INSTEAD OF JUST TALKING AMONG OURSELVES, OUR ERROR COULD HAVE BEEN STOPPED. IF THE GND CTLR COULD HAVE SEEN US INSTEAD OF BEING BUSY DOING SOMETHING ELSE, HE COULD HAVE STOPPED US. IF THE END OF THE RWY WAS MARKED WITH SOME HIGHLY VISIBLE SIGNS DENOTING THE END OF THE RWY, OUR ERROR COULD HAVE POSSIBLY BEEN STOPPED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 167412: ALTHOUGH 11L ENDS JUST SHORT OF 3/21, ITS PAVED SURFACE DOES NOT. THIS VERY MUCH CREATES THE IMPRESSION THAT THE END OF THE RWY MUST BE SEVERAL THOUSAND FT MORE DISTANT THAN IT ACTUALLY IS. ALTHOUGH THE APCH PLATE SHOWS THIS NOT TO BE TRUE AND THERE IS A SMALL SIGN MARKING THE ACCESS TO 11L, THE GENERAL LAYOUT OF THE PAVED SURFACES LEADS TO ANOTHER CONCLUSION.

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.