Narrative:

I had just landed at smx and dropped off a passenger. Ready to taxi after listening to smx ATIS announcing runway 30 in use, I contacted ground control with current ATIS and requested taxi clearance. I said, 'santa maria ground, aircraft X ready to taxi with information? (Do not remember)'. Smx ground: 'aircraft X we had a wind shift, taxi to runway 2.' I said: 'X taxi to runway 2.' after checking the airport diagram in the airport book published by abc publications, I decided to taxi via the shortest route which xed runway 30. After crossing runway 30, I was called by ground control. The ground controller informed me that there was no access to runway 2 via the taxiway I was on. Surprised, I asked the controller if there was an access to runway 2 in the past using the taxiway I was on. I received a negative answer. I then told the controller that I was looking at a chart that showed a taxiway to runway 2. The controller directed me to runway 2. I was then given a phone number and asked to contact the tower when reaching my destination. At destination I called the tower. The tower manager proceeded to tell me that I was instructed to taxi to runway 2 hold short of runway 20, and that I commited a very serious infraction by crossing an active runway. I attempted to explain that I did not receive the instruction to hold short and that I was looking at an airport diagram that showed a taxiway to runway 2 via runway 30 crossing. The tower chief was not willing to listen to any of my explanation. I still do not know for sure but I do not remember receiving a 'hold short.' I did acknowledge what I heard, 'taxi to runway 2.' I have attached a photocopy of the diagram I was looking at. (I did contact abc publications to report the error which they are suppose to correct by the next edition). I believe that in the interest of safety it would have been reasonable to let me discuss the incident with the tower chief and to give me a chance of explaining what I was doing and why I was doing it instead of shutting me up to threaten me with an infraction. To me, preventing a similar incident from happening is more important. There is still a possibility of a similar incident at smx because of the erroneous diagram, still in circulation and current, at this time. The tower should be aware of it. Any aircraft parked by FBO or the hotel and instructed to taxi to runway 2 may cross runway 30 when the ground controller may not expect it, because it is the shortest way to it. Even if I was instructed to taxi to runway 2 and hold short of runway 20, I did not cross runway 20 but runway 30.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION BY SMT.

Narrative: I HAD JUST LANDED AT SMX AND DROPPED OFF A PAX. READY TO TAXI AFTER LISTENING TO SMX ATIS ANNOUNCING RWY 30 IN USE, I CONTACTED GND CTL WITH CURRENT ATIS AND REQUESTED TAXI CLRNC. I SAID, 'SANTA MARIA GND, ACFT X READY TO TAXI WITH INFO? (DO NOT REMEMBER)'. SMX GND: 'ACFT X WE HAD A WIND SHIFT, TAXI TO RWY 2.' I SAID: 'X TAXI TO RWY 2.' AFTER CHKING THE ARPT DIAGRAM IN THE ARPT BOOK PUBLISHED BY ABC PUBLICATIONS, I DECIDED TO TAXI VIA THE SHORTEST RTE WHICH XED RWY 30. AFTER XING RWY 30, I WAS CALLED BY GND CTL. THE GND CTLR INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS NO ACCESS TO RWY 2 VIA THE TXWY I WAS ON. SURPRISED, I ASKED THE CTLR IF THERE WAS AN ACCESS TO RWY 2 IN THE PAST USING THE TXWY I WAS ON. I RECEIVED A NEGATIVE ANSWER. I THEN TOLD THE CTLR THAT I WAS LOOKING AT A CHART THAT SHOWED A TXWY TO RWY 2. THE CTLR DIRECTED ME TO RWY 2. I WAS THEN GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER AND ASKED TO CONTACT THE TWR WHEN REACHING MY DEST. AT DEST I CALLED THE TWR. THE TWR MGR PROCEEDED TO TELL ME THAT I WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO RWY 2 HOLD SHORT OF RWY 20, AND THAT I COMMITED A VERY SERIOUS INFRACTION BY XING AN ACTIVE RWY. I ATTEMPTED TO EXPLAIN THAT I DID NOT RECEIVE THE INSTRUCTION TO HOLD SHORT AND THAT I WAS LOOKING AT AN ARPT DIAGRAM THAT SHOWED A TXWY TO RWY 2 VIA RWY 30 XING. THE TWR CHIEF WAS NOT WILLING TO LISTEN TO ANY OF MY EXPLANATION. I STILL DO NOT KNOW FOR SURE BUT I DO NOT REMEMBER RECEIVING A 'HOLD SHORT.' I DID ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT I HEARD, 'TAXI TO RWY 2.' I HAVE ATTACHED A PHOTOCOPY OF THE DIAGRAM I WAS LOOKING AT. (I DID CONTACT ABC PUBLICATIONS TO RPT THE ERROR WHICH THEY ARE SUPPOSE TO CORRECT BY THE NEXT EDITION). I BELIEVE THAT IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY IT WOULD HAVE BEEN REASONABLE TO LET ME DISCUSS THE INCIDENT WITH THE TWR CHIEF AND TO GIVE ME A CHANCE OF EXPLAINING WHAT I WAS DOING AND WHY I WAS DOING IT INSTEAD OF SHUTTING ME UP TO THREATEN ME WITH AN INFRACTION. TO ME, PREVENTING A SIMILAR INCIDENT FROM HAPPENING IS MORE IMPORTANT. THERE IS STILL A POSSIBILITY OF A SIMILAR INCIDENT AT SMX BECAUSE OF THE ERRONEOUS DIAGRAM, STILL IN CIRCULATION AND CURRENT, AT THIS TIME. THE TWR SHOULD BE AWARE OF IT. ANY ACFT PARKED BY FBO OR THE HOTEL AND INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO RWY 2 MAY CROSS RWY 30 WHEN THE GND CTLR MAY NOT EXPECT IT, BECAUSE IT IS THE SHORTEST WAY TO IT. EVEN IF I WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO RWY 2 AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 20, I DID NOT CROSS RWY 20 BUT RWY 30.

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.