Narrative:

I'm a check airman in the DC8. I was scheduled to give initial first officer IOE starting in mia on jun/mon/97. The trip departed at XA00 pm from mia to clt then, to huf. After approximately a 3 hour layover, we returned to clt, then on to mia. The trip went fine until we departed clt. On the taxi-out we were instructed to exit the ramp at A4 and taxi to runway 18L via taxiway a, left on taxiway C and hold short of runway 23. While taxiing on taxiway a, we were cleared to cross runway 23 on taxiway C. Just before reaching taxiway C there are a few turns in taxiway a. I was by this time very tired and although I didn't realize it, I had become disoriented because of these turns, and crossed runway 18L instead of turning on taxiway C and crossing runway 23. There was no other traffic involved in the incident. Although I had a very inexperienced crew, (the first officer was new in the DC8 and the flight engineer had only 1 month of experience as a DC8 flight engineer), I feel the biggest contributing factor was crew fatigue. In the 3 days prior to this trip, I did not fly. When I'm not working, I sleep normally from XB00 pm till XK00 am. Then when monday night came around, I had to fly all night instead of being able to sleep. I tried to take a nap monday before I went to work, but was unable. I feel this constant change in sleep habits is a very real problem for pilots in the freight industry. I consider myself a very conscientious pilot. I try to do the best job that I am capable of doing. I really don't believe this incident occurred because I was complacent. I think I became disoriented and didn't even realize it because I was fatigued and now I'm faced possibly with my first violation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter talked to clt ATCT which said that a report would be forwarded on to the local FSDO. The reporter had found a friend in the clt FSDO who sympathizes with the reporter. The FSDO inspector realizes that the signage at the point of incursion and the txwys are very confusing. There have been several problems at this very intersection, including 'a tire burning abort' when another aircraft made this same mistake. The FSDO inspector will probably send the reporter a letter of investigation followed by a letter of warning. The reporter understands that the FAA is looking into the diurnal and fatigue problems of airline crews, and that this scheduling was perfectly legal as the FARS are now constituted. The reporter is now aware of the FAA safety hotline.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR DC8-65 CREW TAXIED ONTO A RWY WITHOUT CLRNC. THE RPTR CLAIMS THAT THE TWXY CONFIGN AND SIGNAGE ARE VERY CONFUSING.

Narrative: I'M A CHK AIRMAN IN THE DC8. I WAS SCHEDULED TO GIVE INITIAL FO IOE STARTING IN MIA ON JUN/MON/97. THE TRIP DEPARTED AT XA00 PM FROM MIA TO CLT THEN, TO HUF. AFTER APPROX A 3 HR LAYOVER, WE RETURNED TO CLT, THEN ON TO MIA. THE TRIP WENT FINE UNTIL WE DEPARTED CLT. ON THE TAXI-OUT WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO EXIT THE RAMP AT A4 AND TAXI TO RWY 18L VIA TXWY A, L ON TXWY C AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 23. WHILE TAXIING ON TXWY A, WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS RWY 23 ON TXWY C. JUST BEFORE REACHING TXWY C THERE ARE A FEW TURNS IN TXWY A. I WAS BY THIS TIME VERY TIRED AND ALTHOUGH I DIDN'T REALIZE IT, I HAD BECOME DISORIENTED BECAUSE OF THESE TURNS, AND CROSSED RWY 18L INSTEAD OF TURNING ON TXWY C AND XING RWY 23. THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT. ALTHOUGH I HAD A VERY INEXPERIENCED CREW, (THE FO WAS NEW IN THE DC8 AND THE FE HAD ONLY 1 MONTH OF EXPERIENCE AS A DC8 FE), I FEEL THE BIGGEST CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS CREW FATIGUE. IN THE 3 DAYS PRIOR TO THIS TRIP, I DID NOT FLY. WHEN I'M NOT WORKING, I SLEEP NORMALLY FROM XB00 PM TILL XK00 AM. THEN WHEN MONDAY NIGHT CAME AROUND, I HAD TO FLY ALL NIGHT INSTEAD OF BEING ABLE TO SLEEP. I TRIED TO TAKE A NAP MONDAY BEFORE I WENT TO WORK, BUT WAS UNABLE. I FEEL THIS CONSTANT CHANGE IN SLEEP HABITS IS A VERY REAL PROB FOR PLTS IN THE FREIGHT INDUSTRY. I CONSIDER MYSELF A VERY CONSCIENTIOUS PLT. I TRY TO DO THE BEST JOB THAT I AM CAPABLE OF DOING. I REALLY DON'T BELIEVE THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED BECAUSE I WAS COMPLACENT. I THINK I BECAME DISORIENTED AND DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE IT BECAUSE I WAS FATIGUED AND NOW I'M FACED POSSIBLY WITH MY FIRST VIOLATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR TALKED TO CLT ATCT WHICH SAID THAT A RPT WOULD BE FORWARDED ON TO THE LCL FSDO. THE RPTR HAD FOUND A FRIEND IN THE CLT FSDO WHO SYMPATHIZES WITH THE RPTR. THE FSDO INSPECTOR REALIZES THAT THE SIGNAGE AT THE POINT OF INCURSION AND THE TXWYS ARE VERY CONFUSING. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL PROBS AT THIS VERY INTXN, INCLUDING 'A TIRE BURNING ABORT' WHEN ANOTHER ACFT MADE THIS SAME MISTAKE. THE FSDO INSPECTOR WILL PROBABLY SEND THE RPTR A LETTER OF INVESTIGATION FOLLOWED BY A LETTER OF WARNING. THE RPTR UNDERSTANDS THAT THE FAA IS LOOKING INTO THE DIURNAL AND FATIGUE PROBS OF AIRLINE CREWS, AND THAT THIS SCHEDULING WAS PERFECTLY LEGAL AS THE FARS ARE NOW CONSTITUTED. THE RPTR IS NOW AWARE OF THE FAA SAFETY HOTLINE.

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.