Air carrier X unauthorized runway entry. Runway incursion.

Attributes
ACN	295532
Time
Date	199502
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sat
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A310
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time total : 18000
ASRS Report	295532
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Upon arrival at sat, the entire field and approach control was being operated by individual in tower taxiing in on the same frequency as you arrive on. After blockout, the operation had changed due to shift change and we were blocked out by tower and then given taxi instructions which were not the normal we usually receive at our normal departure time. The runway was different and we misunderstood the controller's taxi instructions. We left our gate area and proceeded to the to the runway in front of us (runway 3/21), and crossed the runway to proceed to the runway 12/30. After crossing, the tower controller asked us to switch to ground control. Ground control told us we had crossed a runway 21 without clearance. The tower controller who had us on his radio made no attempt to call us and stop us approaching the runway 21 for crossing. We then received ground control's instructions to proceed to runway 21 for departure. Nothing was indicated as to a violation. Departure was normal. Field operations are confusing when only 1 individual in tower is the sole controller. It leaves areas to question as to clrncs, and who is in charge. This should be changed at large airports during late hours, because it does not transition properly when the change comes during the morning shift change.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X UNAUTH RWY ENTRY. RWY INCURSION.

Narrative: UPON ARR AT SAT, THE ENTIRE FIELD AND APCH CTL WAS BEING OPERATED BY INDIVIDUAL IN TWR TAXIING IN ON THE SAME FREQ AS YOU ARRIVE ON. AFTER BLOCKOUT, THE OP HAD CHANGED DUE TO SHIFT CHANGE AND WE WERE BLOCKED OUT BY TWR AND THEN GIVEN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WHICH WERE NOT THE NORMAL WE USUALLY RECEIVE AT OUR NORMAL DEP TIME. THE RWY WAS DIFFERENT AND WE MISUNDERSTOOD THE CTLR'S TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. WE LEFT OUR GATE AREA AND PROCEEDED TO THE TO THE RWY IN FRONT OF US (RWY 3/21), AND CROSSED THE RWY TO PROCEED TO THE RWY 12/30. AFTER XING, THE TWR CTLR ASKED US TO SWITCH TO GND CTL. GND CTL TOLD US WE HAD CROSSED A RWY 21 WITHOUT CLRNC. THE TWR CTLR WHO HAD US ON HIS RADIO MADE NO ATTEMPT TO CALL US AND STOP US APCHING THE RWY 21 FOR XING. WE THEN RECEIVED GND CTL'S INSTRUCTIONS TO PROCEED TO RWY 21 FOR DEP. NOTHING WAS INDICATED AS TO A VIOLATION. DEP WAS NORMAL. FIELD OPS ARE CONFUSING WHEN ONLY 1 INDIVIDUAL IN TWR IS THE SOLE CTLR. IT LEAVES AREAS TO QUESTION AS TO CLRNCS, AND WHO IS IN CHARGE. THIS SHOULD BE CHANGED AT LARGE ARPTS DURING LATE HRS, BECAUSE IT DOES NOT TRANSITION PROPERLY WHEN THE CHANGE COMES DURING THE MORNING SHIFT CHANGE.

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.