Narrative:

On jan/sat/94 I was assigned captain on a lear jet (LR55). After dropping off 1 passenger and acquiring fuel we began taxiing out of the FBO. The time was approximately XL26Z. Approximately 4 inches of snow had fallen that morning. Snow removal operations were in progress only on the airline and customs ramps. All other txwys were 100 percent snow covered. Taxiing was difficult because the yellow and while painted lines were covered and boundaries were difficult to determine. We were instructed to taxi via juliet to hold short of runway 15. We held short at approximately XL39Z. Many airline departures were ahead of us and we held for a lengthy period. The sic was the PF. During the holding period, my attention was diverted inside the cockpit to review the toronto 7 departure and to load the global navigation system. At approximately XL12Z we were instructed to turn right, taxi to B2 and hold short of runway 24R. The sic questioned if he should turn right, and I impulsively said 'yes' and he inadvertently taxied onto runway 15. After I looked up we both became confused of our position and we immediately stopped. Before we could transmit and ask for a 180 degree turn back for progressive assistance, the ground controller called us and told us that we had made a wrong turn. He instructed us to turn around and hold short of runway 24R. Runway 24R was never penetrated at XL49Z. I asked if a problem existed and was told to stand by. 1 min later, I was asked over the radio for my name an license number. I said I would call the supervisor over the phone when I arrived at my destination. At XL20Z after arriving at kmdw, I called the supervisor on duty and gave him the information he needed. He told me I would be contacted in about 3 months. My standing in this situation is that if I had adequate runway and taxiway centerline and borderline markings, meaning if the airport authority/authorized would have plowed the assigned txwys and runways, this whole episode would not have happened. This action was inadvertent and unintentional.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN LTT CPR JET ACFT INADVERTENTLY TAXIED ONTO A RWY AND TWR GND CTLR INTERVENED TO RERTE THE ACFT TO THAT ORIGINALLY CLRED RTE.

Narrative: ON JAN/SAT/94 I WAS ASSIGNED CAPT ON A LEAR JET (LR55). AFTER DROPPING OFF 1 PAX AND ACQUIRING FUEL WE BEGAN TAXIING OUT OF THE FBO. THE TIME WAS APPROX XL26Z. APPROX 4 INCHES OF SNOW HAD FALLEN THAT MORNING. SNOW REMOVAL OPS WERE IN PROGRESS ONLY ON THE AIRLINE AND CUSTOMS RAMPS. ALL OTHER TXWYS WERE 100 PERCENT SNOW COVERED. TAXIING WAS DIFFICULT BECAUSE THE YELLOW AND WHILE PAINTED LINES WERE COVERED AND BOUNDARIES WERE DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI VIA JULIET TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 15. WE HELD SHORT AT APPROX XL39Z. MANY AIRLINE DEPS WERE AHEAD OF US AND WE HELD FOR A LENGTHY PERIOD. THE SIC WAS THE PF. DURING THE HOLDING PERIOD, MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED INSIDE THE COCKPIT TO REVIEW THE TORONTO 7 DEP AND TO LOAD THE GLOBAL NAV SYS. AT APPROX XL12Z WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TURN R, TAXI TO B2 AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 24R. THE SIC QUESTIONED IF HE SHOULD TURN R, AND I IMPULSIVELY SAID 'YES' AND HE INADVERTENTLY TAXIED ONTO RWY 15. AFTER I LOOKED UP WE BOTH BECAME CONFUSED OF OUR POS AND WE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED. BEFORE WE COULD XMIT AND ASK FOR A 180 DEG TURN BACK FOR PROGRESSIVE ASSISTANCE, THE GND CTLR CALLED US AND TOLD US THAT WE HAD MADE A WRONG TURN. HE INSTRUCTED US TO TURN AROUND AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 24R. RWY 24R WAS NEVER PENETRATED AT XL49Z. I ASKED IF A PROB EXISTED AND WAS TOLD TO STAND BY. 1 MIN LATER, I WAS ASKED OVER THE RADIO FOR MY NAME AN LICENSE NUMBER. I SAID I WOULD CALL THE SUPVR OVER THE PHONE WHEN I ARRIVED AT MY DEST. AT XL20Z AFTER ARRIVING AT KMDW, I CALLED THE SUPVR ON DUTY AND GAVE HIM THE INFO HE NEEDED. HE TOLD ME I WOULD BE CONTACTED IN ABOUT 3 MONTHS. MY STANDING IN THIS SIT IS THAT IF I HAD ADEQUATE RWY AND TXWY CTRLINE AND BORDERLINE MARKINGS, MEANING IF THE ARPT AUTH WOULD HAVE PLOWED THE ASSIGNED TXWYS AND RWYS, THIS WHOLE EPISODE WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. THIS ACTION WAS INADVERTENT AND UNINTENTIONAL.

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.