Narrative:

This incident involved taxiing onto an active runway without proper clearance from ATC. The event took place at ilm airport, nc. As is often the case in a situation of this type, it was at night, and the last leg of a long duty day. The aircraft was cleared by ilm ground to taxi to runway 17. Ilm has 1 runway (runway 24) that requires an aircraft to taxi onto runway 17 to reach the parallel taxiway C for runway 24. This pilot had been into the airport on the previous day, using runway 24. It was this runway that he began to incorrectly taxi toward. Reaching runway 17, the aircraft was taxied onto runway 17 at the intersection of taxiway F and runway 17. The ground controller saw the mistake, but since there was no conflict, simply instructed the aircraft to 'back-taxi on the runway.' it was then that the flight crew realized their error. The runway incursion was caused mostly by carelessness, with fatigue being a factor. The long flight hours and duty days that the FAA allows under part 135 would seem to make commuter flcs prone to such errors. In addition, any airport, such as new hanover, that uses a runway as a taxiway, is ripe for such an error as this one.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLC DISORIENTED, TAXIES ONTO ACTIVE RWY.

Narrative: THIS INCIDENT INVOLVED TAXIING ONTO AN ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT PROPER CLRNC FROM ATC. THE EVENT TOOK PLACE AT ILM ARPT, NC. AS IS OFTEN THE CASE IN A SIT OF THIS TYPE, IT WAS AT NIGHT, AND THE LAST LEG OF A LONG DUTY DAY. THE ACFT WAS CLRED BY ILM GND TO TAXI TO RWY 17. ILM HAS 1 RWY (RWY 24) THAT REQUIRES AN ACFT TO TAXI ONTO RWY 17 TO REACH THE PARALLEL TXWY C FOR RWY 24. THIS PLT HAD BEEN INTO THE ARPT ON THE PREVIOUS DAY, USING RWY 24. IT WAS THIS RWY THAT HE BEGAN TO INCORRECTLY TAXI TOWARD. REACHING RWY 17, THE ACFT WAS TAXIED ONTO RWY 17 AT THE INTXN OF TXWY F AND RWY 17. THE GND CTLR SAW THE MISTAKE, BUT SINCE THERE WAS NO CONFLICT, SIMPLY INSTRUCTED THE ACFT TO 'BACK-TAXI ON THE RWY.' IT WAS THEN THAT THE FLC REALIZED THEIR ERROR. THE RWY INCURSION WAS CAUSED MOSTLY BY CARELESSNESS, WITH FATIGUE BEING A FACTOR. THE LONG FLT HRS AND DUTY DAYS THAT THE FAA ALLOWS UNDER PART 135 WOULD SEEM TO MAKE COMMUTER FLCS PRONE TO SUCH ERRORS. IN ADDITION, ANY ARPT, SUCH AS NEW HANOVER, THAT USES A RWY AS A TXWY, IS RIPE FOR SUCH AN ERROR AS THIS ONE.

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.