Private pilot of an small aircraft sel took the wrong taxi route after receiving taxi clearance.

Attributes
ACN	270740
Time
Date	199405
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hpn
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 550 flight time type : 450
ASRS Report	270740
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

As a transient pilot, I was relatively unfamiliar with airport. When calling for taxiing instructions and IFR clearance, I was told to taxi from FBO (adjacent to runway 16/34) via the auxiliary taxiway, tango, to runway 34, cleared to cross runway 29. (The controller expected me to turn right on tango and proceed towards the runway 11 departure area.) since I was holding short of 16/34, and tango was right in front of me, and ground control was combined with delivery on the tower frequency, and no other aircraft were in operation on the active (no inbound ILS traffic or position and holds), and the most direct route (in my opinion) was to turn left on tango and proceed (across runway 16/34, immediately in front of my position) down tango and echo, with clearance to cross runway 11/29. The controller was anticipating the other route to runway 34. I believed that I was cleared across 34 via tango. Obviously, there was some confusion. Ways to have possibly avoided the incident: a clearance as 'via the auxiliary taxiway, right turn on tango...' or 'via auxiliary taxiway, tango, hotel, expect intersection departure from hotel... (Which would have made me look for hotel, affirming that he wanted me to take the long way around). From FBO, according to the nos airport diagram, the only exit is via runway 16/34. The auxiliary taxiway is actually a dirt path off of the south taxiway. However, this taxiway is not shown on the chart. As an unfamiliar pilot taxiing by the nos airport diagram, I assume any valid clearance must include permission to cross runway 16/34. Adjusting the diagram to include the auxiliary taxiway might have made me assume that I stayed to the south of the active runway. I must admit, it felt weird crossing the active, but I was talking on tower frequency. For me, I have learned that if at all unfamiliar with the airport, I should ask for progressive taxiing instructions. Although at a busy airport like hpn, the controllers were curt and unpleasant when asking for progressives in the past at hpn. I guess for safety's sake we are better off with a progressive (rather than a runway incursion).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF AN SMA SEL TOOK THE WRONG TAXI RTE AFTER RECEIVING TAXI CLRNC.

Narrative: AS A TRANSIENT PLT, I WAS RELATIVELY UNFAMILIAR WITH ARPT. WHEN CALLING FOR TAXIING INSTRUCTIONS AND IFR CLRNC, I WAS TOLD TO TAXI FROM FBO (ADJACENT TO RWY 16/34) VIA THE AUX TXWY, TANGO, TO RWY 34, CLRED TO CROSS RWY 29. (THE CTLR EXPECTED ME TO TURN R ON TANGO AND PROCEED TOWARDS THE RWY 11 DEP AREA.) SINCE I WAS HOLDING SHORT OF 16/34, AND TANGO WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, AND GND CTL WAS COMBINED WITH DELIVERY ON THE TWR FREQ, AND NO OTHER ACFT WERE IN OP ON THE ACTIVE (NO INBOUND ILS TFC OR POS AND HOLDS), AND THE MOST DIRECT RTE (IN MY OPINION) WAS TO TURN L ON TANGO AND PROCEED (ACROSS RWY 16/34, IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF MY POS) DOWN TANGO AND ECHO, WITH CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 11/29. THE CTLR WAS ANTICIPATING THE OTHER RTE TO RWY 34. I BELIEVED THAT I WAS CLRED ACROSS 34 VIA TANGO. OBVIOUSLY, THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION. WAYS TO HAVE POSSIBLY AVOIDED THE INCIDENT: A CLRNC AS 'VIA THE AUX TXWY, R TURN ON TANGO...' OR 'VIA AUX TXWY, TANGO, HOTEL, EXPECT INTXN DEP FROM HOTEL... (WHICH WOULD HAVE MADE ME LOOK FOR HOTEL, AFFIRMING THAT HE WANTED ME TO TAKE THE LONG WAY AROUND). FROM FBO, ACCORDING TO THE NOS ARPT DIAGRAM, THE ONLY EXIT IS VIA RWY 16/34. THE AUX TXWY IS ACTUALLY A DIRT PATH OFF OF THE S TXWY. HOWEVER, THIS TXWY IS NOT SHOWN ON THE CHART. AS AN UNFAMILIAR PLT TAXIING BY THE NOS ARPT DIAGRAM, I ASSUME ANY VALID CLRNC MUST INCLUDE PERMISSION TO CROSS RWY 16/34. ADJUSTING THE DIAGRAM TO INCLUDE THE AUX TXWY MIGHT HAVE MADE ME ASSUME THAT I STAYED TO THE S OF THE ACTIVE RWY. I MUST ADMIT, IT FELT WEIRD XING THE ACTIVE, BUT I WAS TALKING ON TWR FREQ. FOR ME, I HAVE LEARNED THAT IF AT ALL UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT, I SHOULD ASK FOR PROGRESSIVE TAXIING INSTRUCTIONS. ALTHOUGH AT A BUSY ARPT LIKE HPN, THE CTLRS WERE CURT AND UNPLEASANT WHEN ASKING FOR PROGRESSIVES IN THE PAST AT HPN. I GUESS FOR SAFETY'S SAKE WE ARE BETTER OFF WITH A PROGRESSIVE (RATHER THAN A RWY INCURSION).

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.