Narrative:

We arrived in buf from cykz in order to clear us customs before proceeding to bgm. I was acting as second in command on the aircraft. When we landed at buf on runway 23 visibility was still better than 3 mi but beginning to deteriorate in fog. As we were taxiing into customs a fog bank began to roll across the northwest portion of the airport where the customs ramp is located. When we started up the engines on the customs ramp ATIS was still calling the RVR for runway 23 better than 2400 but visibility was greatly reduced where we were, due to the fog bank. Ground control cleared us to runway 14 for takeoff saying that it was closest to us and I acknowledged the clearance. I have only been into buf twice in the past yr and was unsure of exactly where we were to go but when ground control asked us if we needed 'progressive instructions' the PIC said no and I told ground control no. The PIC began to taxi out straight ahead down Q taxiway. He had the airport diagram on his yoke which is a little hard to read from the sic position at night. I was going through the checklist when I noticed that he had started to cross the runway in front of customs. I had assumed that was runway 14 because of the ground controller's earlier comment. I told the PIC 'you're going across the runway.' I told him that twice with no response on his part so I assumed that I must have been mistaken about the location of runway 14 and continued with the checklist. We then arrived at a second runway and the PIC held short and told me to contact ground control to see if we were cleared to cross runway 23. By that time I had finished with the pretkof checklist and was trying to look at the airport diagram on the PIC's yoke because I knew we couldn't be where we were supposed to be. Buf only has 2 runways. We shouldn't have had to cross both of them. Before calling ground control I told the PIC that we were supposed to be taking off on runway 14. He said no, we weren't, we were cleared to runway 23. I told him to contact ground control and tell them where we were. It was too foggy for ATC to see us from the tower. Ground control verified that we had been cleared to runway 14. We had xed an active runway in the fog with another aircraft in position holding for takeoff clearance on that runway. In retrospect, the whole incident could have been prevented if I had been more attentive in monitoring the PIC instead of assuming that he knew what he was doing. This particular PIC has over 12000 hours and I only have a little over 1350. He's very good at making you feel inexperienced and 'dumb'. Instead of being intimidated by that I should have made sure I knew where we were taxiing to start with instead of relying on the PIC while I was reading the checklist.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH RWY CROSSING.

Narrative: WE ARRIVED IN BUF FROM CYKZ IN ORDER TO CLR U.S. CUSTOMS BEFORE PROCEEDING TO BGM. I WAS ACTING AS SEC IN COMMAND ON THE ACFT. WHEN WE LANDED AT BUF ON RWY 23 VISIBILITY WAS STILL BETTER THAN 3 MI BUT BEGINNING TO DETERIORATE IN FOG. AS WE WERE TAXIING INTO CUSTOMS A FOG BANK BEGAN TO ROLL ACROSS THE NW PORTION OF THE ARPT WHERE THE CUSTOMS RAMP IS LOCATED. WHEN WE STARTED UP THE ENGS ON THE CUSTOMS RAMP ATIS WAS STILL CALLING THE RVR FOR RWY 23 BETTER THAN 2400 BUT VISIBILITY WAS GREATLY REDUCED WHERE WE WERE, DUE TO THE FOG BANK. GND CTL CLRED US TO RWY 14 FOR TKOF SAYING THAT IT WAS CLOSEST TO US AND I ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC. I HAVE ONLY BEEN INTO BUF TWICE IN THE PAST YR AND WAS UNSURE OF EXACTLY WHERE WE WERE TO GO BUT WHEN GND CTL ASKED US IF WE NEEDED 'PROGRESSIVE INSTRUCTIONS' THE PIC SAID NO AND I TOLD GND CTL NO. THE PIC BEGAN TO TAXI OUT STRAIGHT AHEAD DOWN Q TXWY. HE HAD THE ARPT DIAGRAM ON HIS YOKE WHICH IS A LITTLE HARD TO READ FROM THE SIC POS AT NIGHT. I WAS GOING THROUGH THE CHKLIST WHEN I NOTICED THAT HE HAD STARTED TO CROSS THE RWY IN FRONT OF CUSTOMS. I HAD ASSUMED THAT WAS RWY 14 BECAUSE OF THE GND CTLR'S EARLIER COMMENT. I TOLD THE PIC 'YOU'RE GOING ACROSS THE RWY.' I TOLD HIM THAT TWICE WITH NO RESPONSE ON HIS PART SO I ASSUMED THAT I MUST HAVE BEEN MISTAKEN ABOUT THE LOCATION OF RWY 14 AND CONTINUED WITH THE CHKLIST. WE THEN ARRIVED AT A SEC RWY AND THE PIC HELD SHORT AND TOLD ME TO CONTACT GND CTL TO SEE IF WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS RWY 23. BY THAT TIME I HAD FINISHED WITH THE PRETKOF CHKLIST AND WAS TRYING TO LOOK AT THE ARPT DIAGRAM ON THE PIC'S YOKE BECAUSE I KNEW WE COULDN'T BE WHERE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE. BUF ONLY HAS 2 RWYS. WE SHOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO CROSS BOTH OF THEM. BEFORE CALLING GND CTL I TOLD THE PIC THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE TAKING OFF ON RWY 14. HE SAID NO, WE WEREN'T, WE WERE CLRED TO RWY 23. I TOLD HIM TO CONTACT GND CTL AND TELL THEM WHERE WE WERE. IT WAS TOO FOGGY FOR ATC TO SEE US FROM THE TWR. GND CTL VERIFIED THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO RWY 14. WE HAD XED AN ACTIVE RWY IN THE FOG WITH ANOTHER ACFT IN POS HOLDING FOR TKOF CLRNC ON THAT RWY. IN RETROSPECT, THE WHOLE INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF I HAD BEEN MORE ATTENTIVE IN MONITORING THE PIC INSTEAD OF ASSUMING THAT HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING. THIS PARTICULAR PIC HAS OVER 12000 HRS AND I ONLY HAVE A LITTLE OVER 1350. HE'S VERY GOOD AT MAKING YOU FEEL INEXPERIENCED AND 'DUMB'. INSTEAD OF BEING INTIMIDATED BY THAT I SHOULD HAVE MADE SURE I KNEW WHERE WE WERE TAXIING TO START WITH INSTEAD OF RELYING ON THE PIC WHILE I WAS READING THE CHKLIST.

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.