Narrative:

After receiving clearance and instructions to taxi to runway 1L via the inner on terminal taxiway captain and copilot completed checklists and pwred up. In blizzard conditions with visibility near zero in blowing snow we made our way slowly through 10-14 inches of fresh drifting snow. Progress was impaired often by deep snowdrifts and stuck aircraft that we had to make our way around. As our taxi continued outside visibility was impaired further by snow on the side windows allowing us to only see forward. Snow was also sticking to taxiway signs making them unreadable. From the inner taxiway we transitioned to what we thought was the romeo taxiway and crossed runway 7R. After the crossing we discovered that we were not on romeo but on microphone taxiway and had crossed 1L, the active runway. We notified ground of our predicament and were cleared back across the active runway and on our way with no further problems. In retrospect I cannot attribute this incident to fatigue as we were both fresh after a full weekend rest. However, there was a certain amount of frustration involved with all the curves the WX was throwing our way and the fact that the airport would be closing shortly making it a sort of race to get out of there. This certainly didn't help the situation but doesn't account for my disorientation. I've been flying into this airport for almost 2 yrs and am very familiar with all taxiways. It was very hard for me to admit my mistake. I had turned one intersection too soon, about 400 ft early. The best course of action would have been either to slow down or not go at all! Supplemental information from acn 196328. We were cleared to taxi from our ramp on northwest corner of the mke airport via taxiways C, B, aa, and right to runway 1L. I was not very familiar with the layout of the airport, the captain assured me he knew where he was going and was taxiing at approximately 1 1/2 times normal taxi speed to keep the aircraft from getting stuck. The captain was also taxiing fast because we were approximately 1 hour late. The captain compromised safety with his 'must go' attitude. This particular captain is very hard to work with because of his huge ego. In order to work in peace with the man I have to be overly submissive to his authority as captain. He seems to feel that the first officer is not really needed and resents it when I point out his mistakes. It does not matter how big or small, or how nicely it is pointed out to him, he just can't deal with it and gets angry. I am still on probation with this company and this captain is well liked by management. This catch 22 situation causes me to have to choose between doing my job and keeping peace with this captain. I feel that I would have noticed and prevented the runway incursion if I was not so worried about stepping on this man's very sensitive toes. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter gave more detail on taxi route. Was given 'taxi to' runway 1L clearance. Airport was scheduled to close in about 15 min for snow removal. Type aircraft has problem with snow getting into brakes and freezing need some contact between drums and linings. Had to keep moving to avoid getting stuck, but also had to make numerous turns to get around other stuck aircraft on ramp areas. Reporter is very familiar with airport but still got disorientated and made turn at wrong taxiway. First officer was not familiar with airport. Airport surface markings and signs were snow covered. Actually crossed both runway 1L and 1R before getting new taxi clearance from tower.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH RWY XING BY COMMUTER.

Narrative: AFTER RECEIVING CLRNC AND INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI TO RWY 1L VIA THE INNER ON TERMINAL TAXIWAY CAPT AND COPLT COMPLETED CHKLISTS AND PWRED UP. IN BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WITH VISIBILITY NEAR ZERO IN BLOWING SNOW WE MADE OUR WAY SLOWLY THROUGH 10-14 INCHES OF FRESH DRIFTING SNOW. PROGRESS WAS IMPAIRED OFTEN BY DEEP SNOWDRIFTS AND STUCK ACFT THAT WE HAD TO MAKE OUR WAY AROUND. AS OUR TAXI CONTINUED OUTSIDE VISIBILITY WAS IMPAIRED FURTHER BY SNOW ON THE SIDE WINDOWS ALLOWING US TO ONLY SEE FORWARD. SNOW WAS ALSO STICKING TO TAXIWAY SIGNS MAKING THEM UNREADABLE. FROM THE INNER TAXIWAY WE TRANSITIONED TO WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS THE ROMEO TAXIWAY AND CROSSED RWY 7R. AFTER THE XING WE DISCOVERED THAT WE WERE NOT ON ROMEO BUT ON MIKE TAXIWAY AND HAD CROSSED 1L, THE ACTIVE RWY. WE NOTIFIED GND OF OUR PREDICAMENT AND WERE CLRED BACK ACROSS THE ACTIVE RWY AND ON OUR WAY WITH NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. IN RETROSPECT I CANNOT ATTRIBUTE THIS INCIDENT TO FATIGUE AS WE WERE BOTH FRESH AFTER A FULL WEEKEND REST. HOWEVER, THERE WAS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF FRUSTRATION INVOLVED WITH ALL THE CURVES THE WX WAS THROWING OUR WAY AND THE FACT THAT THE AIRPORT WOULD BE CLOSING SHORTLY MAKING IT A SORT OF RACE TO GET OUT OF THERE. THIS CERTAINLY DIDN'T HELP THE SITUATION BUT DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR MY DISORIENTATION. I'VE BEEN FLYING INTO THIS ARPT FOR ALMOST 2 YRS AND AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH ALL TAXIWAYS. IT WAS VERY HARD FOR ME TO ADMIT MY MISTAKE. I HAD TURNED ONE INTXN TOO SOON, ABOUT 400 FT EARLY. THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION WOULD HAVE BEEN EITHER TO SLOW DOWN OR NOT GO AT ALL! SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 196328. WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI FROM OUR RAMP ON NW CORNER OF THE MKE ARPT VIA TAXIWAYS C, B, AA, AND R TO RWY 1L. I WAS NOT VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE LAYOUT OF THE ARPT, THE CAPT ASSURED ME HE KNEW WHERE HE WAS GOING AND WAS TAXIING AT APPROX 1 1/2 TIMES NORMAL TAXI SPD TO KEEP THE ACFT FROM GETTING STUCK. THE CAPT WAS ALSO TAXIING FAST BECAUSE WE WERE APPROX 1 HR LATE. THE CAPT COMPROMISED SAFETY WITH HIS 'MUST GO' ATTITUDE. THIS PARTICULAR CAPT IS VERY HARD TO WORK WITH BECAUSE OF HIS HUGE EGO. IN ORDER TO WORK IN PEACE WITH THE MAN I HAVE TO BE OVERLY SUBMISSIVE TO HIS AUTHORITY AS CAPT. HE SEEMS TO FEEL THAT THE FO IS NOT REALLY NEEDED AND RESENTS IT WHEN I POINT OUT HIS MISTAKES. IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW BIG OR SMALL, OR HOW NICELY IT IS POINTED OUT TO HIM, HE JUST CAN'T DEAL WITH IT AND GETS ANGRY. I AM STILL ON PROBATION WITH THIS COMPANY AND THIS CAPT IS WELL LIKED BY MGMNT. THIS CATCH 22 SITUATION CAUSES ME TO HAVE TO CHOOSE BTWN DOING MY JOB AND KEEPING PEACE WITH THIS CAPT. I FEEL THAT I WOULD HAVE NOTICED AND PREVENTED THE RWY INCURSION IF I WAS NOT SO WORRIED ABOUT STEPPING ON THIS MAN'S VERY SENSITIVE TOES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR GAVE MORE DETAIL ON TAXI RTE. WAS GIVEN 'TAXI TO' RWY 1L CLRNC. ARPT WAS SCHEDULED TO CLOSE IN ABOUT 15 MIN FOR SNOW REMOVAL. TYPE ACFT HAS PROBLEM WITH SNOW GETTING INTO BRAKES AND FREEZING NEED SOME CONTACT BTWN DRUMS AND LININGS. HAD TO KEEP MOVING TO AVOID GETTING STUCK, BUT ALSO HAD TO MAKE NUMEROUS TURNS TO GET AROUND OTHER STUCK ACFT ON RAMP AREAS. RPTR IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH ARPT BUT STILL GOT DISORIENTATED AND MADE TURN AT WRONG TAXIWAY. FO WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH ARPT. ARPT SURFACE MARKINGS AND SIGNS WERE SNOW COVERED. ACTUALLY CROSSED BOTH RWY 1L AND 1R BEFORE GETTING NEW TAXI CLRNC FROM TWR.

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.