Narrative:

Night WX, visibility 1 1/4 mi in snow, mist with winds reported at 090 degrees/08 KTS. Snow plowing was in progress and aircraft was running 30 mins behind schedule. The ithaca ramp was exited at taxiway G via taxiway C en route to runway 14. At the txwys G and C intersection was a snowplow south of that intersection with lights on facing north. After being alerted by the tower the snowplow was noted by the crew to be stationary and a wide left turn was initiated. This wide turn resulted in my being unknowingly aligned with taxiway C which is almost immediate access to runway 14. With the reduced visibility in blowing snow and the 2 inches of unplowed snow obscuring the taxi lines, I did not realize I was on taxiway C until seeing the hold short and runway lighting. I was then abeam the hold short when tower called advising I was entering runway 14. A 180 degree turn was executed to clear the runway intersection. An aircraft was on the VOR approach to runway 14 at approximately 4 mi. That aircraft landed without deviation after I had exited at taxiway C and was northbound on taxiway a, the originally intended taxi route. Corrective actions: 1) rather than taxi during reduced visibility with heading (EFIS) display in wide sector, go to HSI presentation for orientation. 2) delay checklist accomplishment until maneuvering is complete and orientation during reduced visibility is certain. 3) for tower personnel, when aircraft are observed in critical areas and headed the wrong direction, a 'stop taxi' be issued or crew alerted prior to allowing the crew to cross a 'hold short' or approach runway entry. Supplemental information from acn 360834: recommendation: under low visual conditions, configure heading system to HSI to assist in orientation and hold checklist accomplishment until established on known (visible) taxiway routing. Note: I felt the tower could have been much more aggressive in helping to provide direction under these types of conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BEECH 1900 ATX CLRED TO RWY 14 VIA TXWY G. BLOWING SNOW AND SNOW PLOWING IN PROGRESS RESTRICTING VISIBILITY. MISSED THE TURN ON TXWY G AND ENDED NEAR RWY 14. TWR REQUESTED 180 DEGS AND WAS ABLE TO CLR RWY PRIOR TO INTERFERING WITH ACFT ON 4 MI FINAL.

Narrative: NIGHT WX, VISIBILITY 1 1/4 MI IN SNOW, MIST WITH WINDS RPTED AT 090 DEGS/08 KTS. SNOW PLOWING WAS IN PROGRESS AND ACFT WAS RUNNING 30 MINS BEHIND SCHEDULE. THE ITHACA RAMP WAS EXITED AT TXWY G VIA TXWY C ENRTE TO RWY 14. AT THE TXWYS G AND C INTXN WAS A SNOWPLOW S OF THAT INTXN WITH LIGHTS ON FACING N. AFTER BEING ALERTED BY THE TWR THE SNOWPLOW WAS NOTED BY THE CREW TO BE STATIONARY AND A WIDE L TURN WAS INITIATED. THIS WIDE TURN RESULTED IN MY BEING UNKNOWINGLY ALIGNED WITH TXWY C WHICH IS ALMOST IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO RWY 14. WITH THE REDUCED VISIBILITY IN BLOWING SNOW AND THE 2 INCHES OF UNPLOWED SNOW OBSCURING THE TAXI LINES, I DID NOT REALIZE I WAS ON TXWY C UNTIL SEEING THE HOLD SHORT AND RWY LIGHTING. I WAS THEN ABEAM THE HOLD SHORT WHEN TWR CALLED ADVISING I WAS ENTERING RWY 14. A 180 DEG TURN WAS EXECUTED TO CLR THE RWY INTXN. AN ACFT WAS ON THE VOR APCH TO RWY 14 AT APPROX 4 MI. THAT ACFT LANDED WITHOUT DEV AFTER I HAD EXITED AT TXWY C AND WAS NBOUND ON TXWY A, THE ORIGINALLY INTENDED TAXI RTE. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: 1) RATHER THAN TAXI DURING REDUCED VISIBILITY WITH HEADING (EFIS) DISPLAY IN WIDE SECTOR, GO TO HSI PRESENTATION FOR ORIENTATION. 2) DELAY CHKLIST ACCOMPLISHMENT UNTIL MANEUVERING IS COMPLETE AND ORIENTATION DURING REDUCED VISIBILITY IS CERTAIN. 3) FOR TWR PERSONNEL, WHEN ACFT ARE OBSERVED IN CRITICAL AREAS AND HEADED THE WRONG DIRECTION, A 'STOP TAXI' BE ISSUED OR CREW ALERTED PRIOR TO ALLOWING THE CREW TO CROSS A 'HOLD SHORT' OR APCH RWY ENTRY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 360834: RECOMMENDATION: UNDER LOW VISUAL CONDITIONS, CONFIGURE HEADING SYS TO HSI TO ASSIST IN ORIENTATION AND HOLD CHKLIST ACCOMPLISHMENT UNTIL ESTABLISHED ON KNOWN (VISIBLE) TXWY ROUTING. NOTE: I FELT THE TWR COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE IN HELPING TO PROVIDE DIRECTION UNDER THESE TYPES OF CONDITIONS.

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.