Narrative:

I was flying from abbotsford, back course, to bellingham, wa (bli) to check in at customs. My airplane has no electrical system, so I was using a hand-held radio for communications. I called the bli tower inbound. The tower was having difficulty receiving my transmission, and told me that my signal was garbled. I could not make out everything the tower said, but it sounded like they wanted me to proceed inbound. So I continued toward the airport. I believe that I was within the air traffic area by the time clear 2-WAY communications was established. I did not believe that there was an alternate (uncontrolled) airport with a telephone close enough to land at and close my flight plan in time. I was also eager to get to customs during their normal working hours, to avoid the overtime fee. After completing customs, I spent approximately 1/2 hour resting in the customs parking area before continuing my flight home. I informed the ground facility that I was ready to taxi. Ground cleared me to the active runway (runway 34). While taxiing, I tuned my radio to the tower frequency. As soon as I had switched frequency, I heard the controller call my north number, and ask me if I knew that I had crossed the hold line onto the active runway. I stopped immediately. (I had not been aware of my error until being told by the controller, however, I believe that I responded 'yes' after thinking a moment and looking over my shoulder to ascertain my position). The controller informed me of the seriousness of my error, and cleared me to depart. There are several factors which contributed to this incident. I had had little recent experience at controled airports. My airplane has no electrical system, and I use a borrowed hand-held communications radio only on rare occasions when I fly to a controled airport. I was uncomfortable with my relative lack of currency concerning radio and clearance procedures. I was also somewhat absorbed in the physical process of operating the radio, taking the radio from its holder, balancing it on my lap to enter the tower frequency, and replacing it in its holder. Another significant factor is stress. I had spent the preceding several days preparing for a trip to alaska, via B.C. I had made a prior commitment to be in alaska, but had changed my mind and curtailed the trip in abbotsford. I had made this decision due to fatigue and a general feeling of doubt about my present condition and ability to complete the trip successfully. I knew that I was preoccupied with thoughts about the cancelled trip and its consequences. Finally, my physical condition was a factor. I had recently recovered from an illness, for which I was still taking antibiotic medication. I realize that I had not yet fully regained my strength. This, combined with the unusually high heat and humidity of the day, contributed to my fatigue.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT CROSSES ACTIVE RWY ON TAXI OUT FOR TKOF.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING FROM ABBOTSFORD, BC, TO BELLINGHAM, WA (BLI) TO CHK IN AT CUSTOMS. MY AIRPLANE HAS NO ELECTRICAL SYS, SO I WAS USING A HAND-HELD RADIO FOR COMS. I CALLED THE BLI TWR INBOUND. THE TWR WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY RECEIVING MY XMISSION, AND TOLD ME THAT MY SIGNAL WAS GARBLED. I COULD NOT MAKE OUT EVERYTHING THE TWR SAID, BUT IT SOUNDED LIKE THEY WANTED ME TO PROCEED INBOUND. SO I CONTINUED TOWARD THE ARPT. I BELIEVE THAT I WAS WITHIN THE ATA BY THE TIME CLR 2-WAY COMS WAS ESTABLISHED. I DID NOT BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS AN ALTERNATE (UNCTLED) ARPT WITH A TELEPHONE CLOSE ENOUGH TO LAND AT AND CLOSE MY FLT PLAN IN TIME. I WAS ALSO EAGER TO GET TO CUSTOMS DURING THEIR NORMAL WORKING HRS, TO AVOID THE OVERTIME FEE. AFTER COMPLETING CUSTOMS, I SPENT APPROX 1/2 HR RESTING IN THE CUSTOMS PARKING AREA BEFORE CONTINUING MY FLT HOME. I INFORMED THE GND FACILITY THAT I WAS READY TO TAXI. GND CLRED ME TO THE ACTIVE RWY (RWY 34). WHILE TAXIING, I TUNED MY RADIO TO THE TWR FREQ. AS SOON AS I HAD SWITCHED FREQ, I HEARD THE CTLR CALL MY N NUMBER, AND ASK ME IF I KNEW THAT I HAD CROSSED THE HOLD LINE ONTO THE ACTIVE RWY. I STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. (I HAD NOT BEEN AWARE OF MY ERROR UNTIL BEING TOLD BY THE CTLR, HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THAT I RESPONDED 'YES' AFTER THINKING A MOMENT AND LOOKING OVER MY SHOULDER TO ASCERTAIN MY POS). THE CTLR INFORMED ME OF THE SERIOUSNESS OF MY ERROR, AND CLRED ME TO DEPART. THERE ARE SEVERAL FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT. I HAD HAD LITTLE RECENT EXPERIENCE AT CTLED ARPTS. MY AIRPLANE HAS NO ELECTRICAL SYS, AND I USE A BORROWED HAND-HELD COMS RADIO ONLY ON RARE OCCASIONS WHEN I FLY TO A CTLED ARPT. I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH MY RELATIVE LACK OF CURRENCY CONCERNING RADIO AND CLRNC PROCS. I WAS ALSO SOMEWHAT ABSORBED IN THE PHYSICAL PROCESS OF OPERATING THE RADIO, TAKING THE RADIO FROM ITS HOLDER, BALANCING IT ON MY LAP TO ENTER THE TWR FREQ, AND REPLACING IT IN ITS HOLDER. ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IS STRESS. I HAD SPENT THE PRECEDING SEVERAL DAYS PREPARING FOR A TRIP TO ALASKA, VIA B.C. I HAD MADE A PRIOR COMMITMENT TO BE IN ALASKA, BUT HAD CHANGED MY MIND AND CURTAILED THE TRIP IN ABBOTSFORD. I HAD MADE THIS DECISION DUE TO FATIGUE AND A GENERAL FEELING OF DOUBT ABOUT MY PRESENT CONDITION AND ABILITY TO COMPLETE THE TRIP SUCCESSFULLY. I KNEW THAT I WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH THOUGHTS ABOUT THE CANCELLED TRIP AND ITS CONSEQUENCES. FINALLY, MY PHYSICAL CONDITION WAS A FACTOR. I HAD RECENTLY RECOVERED FROM AN ILLNESS, FOR WHICH I WAS STILL TAKING ANTIBIOTIC MEDICATION. I REALIZE THAT I HAD NOT YET FULLY REGAINED MY STRENGTH. THIS, COMBINED WITH THE UNUSUALLY HIGH HEAT AND HUMIDITY OF THE DAY, CONTRIBUTED TO MY FATIGUE.

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.