Narrative:

I called ground for taxi clearance and was told to taxi runway 21, intersection takeoff at charlie. Not wanting to block runway access while I performed runup, I requested permission to do runup on taxiway delta, which was also my route to the runway. My request was granted with ground telling me that I still had a ways to taxi, and to contact tower when I was at the runway. After the runup I proceeded to taxi on delta taxiway toward runway 21. I was using an airport diagram to help monitor my position as I taxied. About 50-100' before runway 21 txwys delta, charlie and bravo intersect forming a large, flat area. I stopped the aircraft and called ground for confirmation of my position. Ground informed me that I was on part of runway 21 and to call tower. I called tower. They told me I was on runway west/O permission. I apologized and was cleared for takeoff. Human factors: I was not very familiar with the airport, although I had flown into airport before. I knew my position was between delta 3 and runway 21. I believe that when I entered the area where txwys delta, bravo and charlie intersect, along with the ground controller telling me moments before, 'I had a ways to taxi,' led me to believe the runway was still some distance ahead. I saw no taxiway or runway marking to indicate I was entering the runway. Factors affecting performance: an aircraft that size that sits low to the ground makes identing runways, large intxns and intersecting runways more difficult due to such angle between eye and object being viewed. Due to this factor, I believe I could not accurately identify taxiway bravo and runway 21. There were no signs, lights or taxiway hold lines to warn me. Corrective actions: I believe more research needs to be done to make txwys, runways and intxns easier to identify both day and night.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT DISORIENTED TAXIS ONTO RWY THINKING IT WAS TXWY.

Narrative: I CALLED GND FOR TAXI CLRNC AND WAS TOLD TO TAXI RWY 21, INTXN TKOF AT CHARLIE. NOT WANTING TO BLOCK RWY ACCESS WHILE I PERFORMED RUNUP, I REQUESTED PERMISSION TO DO RUNUP ON TXWY DELTA, WHICH WAS ALSO MY RTE TO THE RWY. MY REQUEST WAS GRANTED WITH GND TELLING ME THAT I STILL HAD A WAYS TO TAXI, AND TO CONTACT TWR WHEN I WAS AT THE RWY. AFTER THE RUNUP I PROCEEDED TO TAXI ON DELTA TXWY TOWARD RWY 21. I WAS USING AN ARPT DIAGRAM TO HELP MONITOR MY POS AS I TAXIED. ABOUT 50-100' BEFORE RWY 21 TXWYS DELTA, CHARLIE AND BRAVO INTERSECT FORMING A LARGE, FLAT AREA. I STOPPED THE ACFT AND CALLED GND FOR CONFIRMATION OF MY POS. GND INFORMED ME THAT I WAS ON PART OF RWY 21 AND TO CALL TWR. I CALLED TWR. THEY TOLD ME I WAS ON RWY W/O PERMISSION. I APOLOGIZED AND WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. HUMAN FACTORS: I WAS NOT VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT, ALTHOUGH I HAD FLOWN INTO ARPT BEFORE. I KNEW MY POS WAS BTWN DELTA 3 AND RWY 21. I BELIEVE THAT WHEN I ENTERED THE AREA WHERE TXWYS DELTA, BRAVO AND CHARLIE INTERSECT, ALONG WITH THE GND CTLR TELLING ME MOMENTS BEFORE, 'I HAD A WAYS TO TAXI,' LED ME TO BELIEVE THE RWY WAS STILL SOME DISTANCE AHEAD. I SAW NO TXWY OR RWY MARKING TO INDICATE I WAS ENTERING THE RWY. FACTORS AFFECTING PERFORMANCE: AN ACFT THAT SIZE THAT SITS LOW TO THE GND MAKES IDENTING RWYS, LARGE INTXNS AND INTERSECTING RWYS MORE DIFFICULT DUE TO SUCH ANGLE BTWN EYE AND OBJECT BEING VIEWED. DUE TO THIS FACTOR, I BELIEVE I COULD NOT ACCURATELY IDENT TXWY BRAVO AND RWY 21. THERE WERE NO SIGNS, LIGHTS OR TXWY HOLD LINES TO WARN ME. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: I BELIEVE MORE RESEARCH NEEDS TO BE DONE TO MAKE TXWYS, RWYS AND INTXNS EASIER TO IDENT BOTH DAY AND NIGHT.

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.