Narrative:

I was cleared by anc ground from the ramp to runway 32. I taxied out of the ramp to taxiway U, made a right turn onto taxiway U to taxiway right, made a left turn on taxiway right with the intent of taxiing to taxiway K and making a right turn on taxiway K to runway 32. I mistakenly went through the intersection of txwys right and K and continued to runway 6L and started a right turn on runway 6L thinking I was turning on taxiway K. I stopped when I realized I was on runway 6L. I came to a stop between the left edge and the centerline. Ground control called me and reclred me down runway 6L to txwys H and K to runway 32. Runway 6L was closed at the time, there was no conflict with other traffic. Anc ground told me I was the second aircraft to unintentionally enter runway 6L at the intersection of taxiway right and runway 6L that night. He also said they were averaging 3 a week. Other factors: 1) taxiway right has been extended recently. It used to be narrow after taxiway K and have a slight angle to the right. It was almost a t-intxn at txwys right and K. It is not straight. 2) the airport diagram does not depict taxiway right correctly between taxiway K and runway 6L. It shows taxiway right at a slight angle to the right. 3) I have a lot of experience on the anc airport although it has been a while since I have taxied out of the ramp. I thought I knew my way from the ramp to runway 32. 4) I remember looking at the runway lights on runway 32 to help me identify the end of runway 32 and taxiway K. I believe I confused 2 of the white edge lights of runway 6L as being an extension of runway 32. That made runway 32 look longer than it actually is. 5) the intersection of taxiway right and runway 6L was covered with ice and I was looking close into the aircraft for the turn. I was concerned the aircraft could skid and I would not be able to turn. I believe this is why I did not recognize I was entering the runway. None of the above factors are meant to be an excuse but they were factors. I should be able to handle each. I don't know what effect any of the above could have had in this incident. I am at a loss to explain how this happened. I think there was some visual illusion that caused this. There are a couple of things that need to be done. First, there should be a NOTAM put out warning pilots of the possibility of mistaking runway 6L for taxiway K. Someone should view that intersection from the flight deck of a B747 to see if there is something that is misleading. Then a human factor expert should study this for a cause and develop procedures to prevent this from happening again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION.

Narrative: I WAS CLRED BY ANC GND FROM THE RAMP TO RWY 32. I TAXIED OUT OF THE RAMP TO TXWY U, MADE A R TURN ONTO TXWY U TO TXWY R, MADE A L TURN ON TXWY R WITH THE INTENT OF TAXIING TO TXWY K AND MAKING A R TURN ON TXWY K TO RWY 32. I MISTAKENLY WENT THROUGH THE INTXN OF TXWYS R AND K AND CONTINUED TO RWY 6L AND STARTED A R TURN ON RWY 6L THINKING I WAS TURNING ON TXWY K. I STOPPED WHEN I REALIZED I WAS ON RWY 6L. I CAME TO A STOP BTWN THE L EDGE AND THE CTRLINE. GND CTL CALLED ME AND RECLRED ME DOWN RWY 6L TO TXWYS H AND K TO RWY 32. RWY 6L WAS CLOSED AT THE TIME, THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WITH OTHER TFC. ANC GND TOLD ME I WAS THE SECOND ACFT TO UNINTENTIONALLY ENTER RWY 6L AT THE INTXN OF TXWY R AND RWY 6L THAT NIGHT. HE ALSO SAID THEY WERE AVERAGING 3 A WK. OTHER FACTORS: 1) TXWY R HAS BEEN EXTENDED RECENTLY. IT USED TO BE NARROW AFTER TXWY K AND HAVE A SLIGHT ANGLE TO THE R. IT WAS ALMOST A T-INTXN AT TXWYS R AND K. IT IS NOT STRAIGHT. 2) THE ARPT DIAGRAM DOES NOT DEPICT TXWY R CORRECTLY BTWN TXWY K AND RWY 6L. IT SHOWS TXWY R AT A SLIGHT ANGLE TO THE R. 3) I HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE ON THE ANC ARPT ALTHOUGH IT HAS BEEN A WHILE SINCE I HAVE TAXIED OUT OF THE RAMP. I THOUGHT I KNEW MY WAY FROM THE RAMP TO RWY 32. 4) I REMEMBER LOOKING AT THE RWY LIGHTS ON RWY 32 TO HELP ME IDENT THE END OF RWY 32 AND TXWY K. I BELIEVE I CONFUSED 2 OF THE WHITE EDGE LIGHTS OF RWY 6L AS BEING AN EXTENSION OF RWY 32. THAT MADE RWY 32 LOOK LONGER THAN IT ACTUALLY IS. 5) THE INTXN OF TXWY R AND RWY 6L WAS COVERED WITH ICE AND I WAS LOOKING CLOSE INTO THE ACFT FOR THE TURN. I WAS CONCERNED THE ACFT COULD SKID AND I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TURN. I BELIEVE THIS IS WHY I DID NOT RECOGNIZE I WAS ENTERING THE RWY. NONE OF THE ABOVE FACTORS ARE MEANT TO BE AN EXCUSE BUT THEY WERE FACTORS. I SHOULD BE ABLE TO HANDLE EACH. I DON'T KNOW WHAT EFFECT ANY OF THE ABOVE COULD HAVE HAD IN THIS INCIDENT. I AM AT A LOSS TO EXPLAIN HOW THIS HAPPENED. I THINK THERE WAS SOME VISUAL ILLUSION THAT CAUSED THIS. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE. FIRST, THERE SHOULD BE A NOTAM PUT OUT WARNING PLTS OF THE POSSIBILITY OF MISTAKING RWY 6L FOR TXWY K. SOMEONE SHOULD VIEW THAT INTXN FROM THE FLT DECK OF A B747 TO SEE IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT IS MISLEADING. THEN A HUMAN FACTOR EXPERT SHOULD STUDY THIS FOR A CAUSE AND DEVELOP PROCS TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.

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.