Narrative:

After routine pushback and start, flight was cleared to taxi to runway 15R. No specific taxi (routing) instructions were provided. Taxi operation commenced from area of pier east and, right turn was made onto taxiway a, sebound. This captain had not operated in or out of bwi for at least 2 yrs. First officer also had made only infrequent flts at this airport. Approaching runway 4/22 on 'a' I mistook the runway for the outer 'O', which looked like a good clear routing to take towards 15R. Very soon after we lined up sebound on runway 4/22, I discovered the error (noting white runway lights) and instructed my first officer (copilot) to tell bwi ground control we had made an error and were on a runway. With no particular concern being expressed, the controller instructed our flight to turn right at C, left onto the outer and continue to 15R. Fortunately, runway 4/22 was not in use as an active runway at this time. Apparently there was no conflict with other traffic -- on ground or in the air. My first officer was 'heads up' during this incursion and didn't realize the error -- that we had entered a runway without specific clearance. Charts depicting the airport layout were studied before taxi operation commenced. The lack of obvious signs or lights marking the transition from the very wide taxiway a to runway 4/22 was a contributing factor, and was my lack of familiarity with bwi's layout and near darkness of the hour. I should have requested some hand-holding from bwi ground control, turn-by-turn directions to 15R. ATC often assumes all air carrier pilots are familiar with all airports. If use of the runway 4/22 was ok for taxiing to 15R, ATC should have specifically approved its use. It is too easy, at too many airports, to inadvertently blunder onto runways -- especially active ones. Lighting and painted markings need to be enhanced/improved at many airports. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter participated in structured callback for runway incursion study. There is very wide paved area where taxiway a meets runway 22, and if aircraft is not near edge of this paved area the flight crew could not see any runway designation signs. This flight crew did not realize they were approaching a runway. Says tower controller did not seem to care if they taxied on runway 22 rather than on taxiway O. Did not see any other traffic, and tower did not mention any traffic involved. Reporter had not flown with that first officer before. Reporter had commuted from long island to originate flight at bwi. Has not been into bwi since incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTHORIZED RWY ENTRY BY ACR.

Narrative: AFTER ROUTINE PUSHBACK AND START, FLT WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 15R. NO SPECIFIC TAXI (RTING) INSTRUCTIONS WERE PROVIDED. TAXI OP COMMENCED FROM AREA OF PIER E AND, R TURN WAS MADE ONTO TAXIWAY A, SEBOUND. THIS CAPT HAD NOT OPERATED IN OR OUT OF BWI FOR AT LEAST 2 YRS. FO ALSO HAD MADE ONLY INFREQUENT FLTS AT THIS ARPT. APCHING RWY 4/22 ON 'A' I MISTOOK THE RWY FOR THE OUTER 'O', WHICH LOOKED LIKE A GOOD CLR RTING TO TAKE TOWARDS 15R. VERY SOON AFTER WE LINED UP SEBOUND ON RWY 4/22, I DISCOVERED THE ERROR (NOTING WHITE RWY LIGHTS) AND INSTRUCTED MY FO (COPLT) TO TELL BWI GND CTL WE HAD MADE AN ERROR AND WERE ON A RWY. WITH NO PARTICULAR CONCERN BEING EXPRESSED, THE CTLR INSTRUCTED OUR FLT TO TURN R AT C, L ONTO THE OUTER AND CONTINUE TO 15R. FORTUNATELY, RWY 4/22 WAS NOT IN USE AS AN ACTIVE RWY AT THIS TIME. APPARENTLY THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WITH OTHER TFC -- ON GND OR IN THE AIR. MY FO WAS 'HEADS UP' DURING THIS INCURSION AND DIDN'T REALIZE THE ERROR -- THAT WE HAD ENTERED A RWY WITHOUT SPECIFIC CLRNC. CHARTS DEPICTING THE ARPT LAYOUT WERE STUDIED BEFORE TAXI OP COMMENCED. THE LACK OF OBVIOUS SIGNS OR LIGHTS MARKING THE TRANSITION FROM THE VERY WIDE TAXIWAY A TO RWY 4/22 WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR, AND WAS MY LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH BWI'S LAYOUT AND NEAR DARKNESS OF THE HR. I SHOULD HAVE REQUESTED SOME HAND-HOLDING FROM BWI GND CTL, TURN-BY-TURN DIRECTIONS TO 15R. ATC OFTEN ASSUMES ALL ACR PLTS ARE FAMILIAR WITH ALL ARPTS. IF USE OF THE RWY 4/22 WAS OK FOR TAXIING TO 15R, ATC SHOULD HAVE SPECIFICALLY APPROVED ITS USE. IT IS TOO EASY, AT TOO MANY ARPTS, TO INADVERTENTLY BLUNDER ONTO RWYS -- ESPECIALLY ACTIVE ONES. LIGHTING AND PAINTED MARKINGS NEED TO BE ENHANCED/IMPROVED AT MANY ARPTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR PARTICIPATED IN STRUCTURED CALLBACK FOR RWY INCURSION STUDY. THERE IS VERY WIDE PAVED AREA WHERE TAXIWAY A MEETS RWY 22, AND IF ACFT IS NOT NEAR EDGE OF THIS PAVED AREA THE FLC COULD NOT SEE ANY RWY DESIGNATION SIGNS. THIS FLC DID NOT REALIZE THEY WERE APCHING A RWY. SAYS TWR CTLR DID NOT SEEM TO CARE IF THEY TAXIED ON RWY 22 RATHER THAN ON TAXIWAY O. DID NOT SEE ANY OTHER TFC, AND TWR DID NOT MENTION ANY TFC INVOLVED. RPTR HAD NOT FLOWN WITH THAT FO BEFORE. RPTR HAD COMMUTED FROM LONG ISLAND TO ORIGINATE FLT AT BWI. HAS NOT BEEN INTO BWI SINCE INCIDENT.

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.