Narrative:

The incursion happened part way through a hot, tiring and frustrating day, following a period in which I had had a total of 4 days off work in the previous 2 months. I was programmed for a particularly busy 12 hour day, including 5 instructional flts, and my schedule had been delayed due to a management oversight. At the end of my third flight my student had made a crosswind landing on runway 23 in a very untidy manner. As we cleared the runway we were told to contact ground control, and the student acknowledged, however we did not change frequency. I immediately began taxiing and debriefing the landing, and continued taxiing towards the ramp, which involved crossing runway 5/23. Maybe having been cleared to the ramp so often in the last few days I assumed we were cleared again. Although I looked both ways I did not see the light aircraft which had just been cleared for takeoff on runway 23, and I taxied onto the runway. I saw the aircraft just as ATC told him to hold his position. I had no choice at that stage but to continue across runway 23 to clear it. This was a clear case of tiredness or fatigue from overwork. Fear of being replaced or losing my status as a 'senior' instructor if I eased up in a world awash with instructors and also needing the money from a poorly paid piece-work job were the driving factors. It took the incursion to make me realize how far I had a llowed myself to be driven. I know the solution for me -- a rest. More generally, maybe the problems of mixing fatigue and flight could be aimed more publicly using actual examples -- mine, for instance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CFI WITH SPI FORGETS TO CHANGE TO GND FREQ. TAXIES ACROSS RWY WITH ACFT READY FOR TKOF.

Narrative: THE INCURSION HAPPENED PART WAY THROUGH A HOT, TIRING AND FRUSTRATING DAY, FOLLOWING A PERIOD IN WHICH I HAD HAD A TOTAL OF 4 DAYS OFF WORK IN THE PREVIOUS 2 MONTHS. I WAS PROGRAMMED FOR A PARTICULARLY BUSY 12 HR DAY, INCLUDING 5 INSTRUCTIONAL FLTS, AND MY SCHEDULE HAD BEEN DELAYED DUE TO A MGMNT OVERSIGHT. AT THE END OF MY THIRD FLT MY STUDENT HAD MADE A XWIND LNDG ON RWY 23 IN A VERY UNTIDY MANNER. AS WE CLRED THE RWY WE WERE TOLD TO CONTACT GND CTL, AND THE STUDENT ACKNOWLEDGED, HOWEVER WE DID NOT CHANGE FREQ. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TAXIING AND DEBRIEFING THE LNDG, AND CONTINUED TAXIING TOWARDS THE RAMP, WHICH INVOLVED XING RWY 5/23. MAYBE HAVING BEEN CLRED TO THE RAMP SO OFTEN IN THE LAST FEW DAYS I ASSUMED WE WERE CLRED AGAIN. ALTHOUGH I LOOKED BOTH WAYS I DID NOT SEE THE LIGHT ACFT WHICH HAD JUST BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 23, AND I TAXIED ONTO THE RWY. I SAW THE ACFT JUST AS ATC TOLD HIM TO HOLD HIS POS. I HAD NO CHOICE AT THAT STAGE BUT TO CONTINUE ACROSS RWY 23 TO CLR IT. THIS WAS A CLR CASE OF TIREDNESS OR FATIGUE FROM OVERWORK. FEAR OF BEING REPLACED OR LOSING MY STATUS AS A 'SENIOR' INSTRUCTOR IF I EASED UP IN A WORLD AWASH WITH INSTRUCTORS AND ALSO NEEDING THE MONEY FROM A POORLY PAID PIECE-WORK JOB WERE THE DRIVING FACTORS. IT TOOK THE INCURSION TO MAKE ME REALIZE HOW FAR I HAD A LLOWED MYSELF TO BE DRIVEN. I KNOW THE SOLUTION FOR ME -- A REST. MORE GENERALLY, MAYBE THE PROBS OF MIXING FATIGUE AND FLT COULD BE AIMED MORE PUBLICLY USING ACTUAL EXAMPLES -- MINE, FOR INSTANCE.

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.