Narrative:

My aircraft, cessna P210, was parked at FBO on the southwest side of the field. After receiving clearance for an IFR flight to sna I called ground for taxi instructions. The wind had necessitated using runway 1R which is not the normal direction at las. Also there is major taxiway construction. I was unfamiliar with the taxi and takeoff procedure for this runway. When I contacted ground he asked if I could accept an intersection departure at taxiway B. I said I could but I was unsure of where taxiway B was and 'I would need some help.' he replied with 'taxi to runway 1R at intersection B via taxiway H.' almost immediately, he then said hold short of taxiway H for traffic then taxi on taxiway H full length, cross runway 25R to runway 1R. I turned right from FBO and proceeded south but I was not sure I was on taxiway H, I could see taxiway signs but they were some distance away across some construction. I thought I was on the apron and looked for a ramp to my left to the taxiway. It was very dark and there were few signs. I passed at several blocked ramps and then turned left at a point that must have been runway 1L. I stopped behind the hold short line knowing I was confused and called ground and asked if he could see me on the field. He replied that he could and I need to do a 180 degree and return to taxiway H and proceed south. I turned around and proceeded south on what I was not sure was taxiway H because I could not find any signs at this point and I was more confused. I called once more and ground replied to proceed south and may have again said cross runway 25R to runway 1R. I went further south then taxied on to what I think was runway 25R, but I could see no signs and somehow I turned left and continued to taxi. I then saw a runway to my right and my passenger (wife) said it looks like we are on the runway. At that moment a passenger jet crossed directly over us at approximately 50 ft landing on runway 1R. I think I had inadvertently taxied to the intersection of runways 1R and 25R instead of crossing runway 25R. I called ground and proceeded to cross the runway, ground replied to proceed to the next taxiway and follow it around almost 45 degrees to a 'kind of' run-up area and hold short of runway 1R. (I think I was now on taxiway a.) I replied to ground that I 'had it now' and I would do a run-up. He then said I needed to copy a phone number to call on my arrival for a possible pilot deviation. I said I was ready to copy but I did not understand the instruction. He said I was on the runway without clearance. I did a run-up and called the tower for takeoff telling him I was holding short at taxiway Z for runway 1R. I held for about 10 mins and then was cleared for takeoff. I know all these details now because I have studied the incident thoroughly trying to understand how I got in such a dangerous position. I know I should have asked for 'progressive' taxi instructions and when I was not sure I was on taxiway H. I should have stopped until I was sure. I did not see any runway signs when I turned down the runway, I did not see any taxiway lines or lights across runway 25R. For the few seconds it took to get out on the runway I was totally confused. I crossed the hold short lines because I had clearance to cross runway 25R but why I turned onto the runway I don't know. When I arrived at sna, around XX00 PST, I called the las tower and talked to the supervisor. He was very courteous and said he needed some information because the situation would have to be investigated since it involved another aircraft and I did not have clearance to be on the runway. He took my name, address, phone number, pilot license number.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A CESSNA P210 INADVERTENTLY TAXIES ONTO ACTIVE RWY AND HAS ACR LAND OVER THE TOP. HE EXITS RWY AND GND CTLR DIRECTS TO PROPER TXWY AND CLRS FOR TKOF.

Narrative: MY ACFT, CESSNA P210, WAS PARKED AT FBO ON THE SW SIDE OF THE FIELD. AFTER RECEIVING CLRNC FOR AN IFR FLT TO SNA I CALLED GND FOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. THE WIND HAD NECESSITATED USING RWY 1R WHICH IS NOT THE NORMAL DIRECTION AT LAS. ALSO THERE IS MAJOR TXWY CONSTRUCTION. I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE TAXI AND TKOF PROC FOR THIS RWY. WHEN I CONTACTED GND HE ASKED IF I COULD ACCEPT AN INTXN DEP AT TXWY B. I SAID I COULD BUT I WAS UNSURE OF WHERE TXWY B WAS AND 'I WOULD NEED SOME HELP.' HE REPLIED WITH 'TAXI TO RWY 1R AT INTXN B VIA TXWY H.' ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, HE THEN SAID HOLD SHORT OF TXWY H FOR TFC THEN TAXI ON TXWY H FULL LENGTH, CROSS RWY 25R TO RWY 1R. I TURNED R FROM FBO AND PROCEEDED S BUT I WAS NOT SURE I WAS ON TXWY H, I COULD SEE TXWY SIGNS BUT THEY WERE SOME DISTANCE AWAY ACROSS SOME CONSTRUCTION. I THOUGHT I WAS ON THE APRON AND LOOKED FOR A RAMP TO MY L TO THE TXWY. IT WAS VERY DARK AND THERE WERE FEW SIGNS. I PASSED AT SEVERAL BLOCKED RAMPS AND THEN TURNED L AT A POINT THAT MUST HAVE BEEN RWY 1L. I STOPPED BEHIND THE HOLD SHORT LINE KNOWING I WAS CONFUSED AND CALLED GND AND ASKED IF HE COULD SEE ME ON THE FIELD. HE REPLIED THAT HE COULD AND I NEED TO DO A 180 DEG AND RETURN TO TXWY H AND PROCEED S. I TURNED AROUND AND PROCEEDED S ON WHAT I WAS NOT SURE WAS TXWY H BECAUSE I COULD NOT FIND ANY SIGNS AT THIS POINT AND I WAS MORE CONFUSED. I CALLED ONCE MORE AND GND REPLIED TO PROCEED S AND MAY HAVE AGAIN SAID CROSS RWY 25R TO RWY 1R. I WENT FURTHER S THEN TAXIED ON TO WHAT I THINK WAS RWY 25R, BUT I COULD SEE NO SIGNS AND SOMEHOW I TURNED L AND CONTINUED TO TAXI. I THEN SAW A RWY TO MY R AND MY PAX (WIFE) SAID IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE ON THE RWY. AT THAT MOMENT A PAX JET CROSSED DIRECTLY OVER US AT APPROX 50 FT LNDG ON RWY 1R. I THINK I HAD INADVERTENTLY TAXIED TO THE INTXN OF RWYS 1R AND 25R INSTEAD OF XING RWY 25R. I CALLED GND AND PROCEEDED TO CROSS THE RWY, GND REPLIED TO PROCEED TO THE NEXT TXWY AND FOLLOW IT AROUND ALMOST 45 DEGS TO A 'KIND OF' RUN-UP AREA AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 1R. (I THINK I WAS NOW ON TXWY A.) I REPLIED TO GND THAT I 'HAD IT NOW' AND I WOULD DO A RUN-UP. HE THEN SAID I NEEDED TO COPY A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL ON MY ARR FOR A POSSIBLE PLTDEV. I SAID I WAS READY TO COPY BUT I DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE INSTRUCTION. HE SAID I WAS ON THE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC. I DID A RUN-UP AND CALLED THE TWR FOR TKOF TELLING HIM I WAS HOLDING SHORT AT TXWY Z FOR RWY 1R. I HELD FOR ABOUT 10 MINS AND THEN WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. I KNOW ALL THESE DETAILS NOW BECAUSE I HAVE STUDIED THE INCIDENT THOROUGHLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW I GOT IN SUCH A DANGEROUS POS. I KNOW I SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR 'PROGRESSIVE' TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND WHEN I WAS NOT SURE I WAS ON TXWY H. I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED UNTIL I WAS SURE. I DID NOT SEE ANY RWY SIGNS WHEN I TURNED DOWN THE RWY, I DID NOT SEE ANY TXWY LINES OR LIGHTS ACROSS RWY 25R. FOR THE FEW SECONDS IT TOOK TO GET OUT ON THE RWY I WAS TOTALLY CONFUSED. I CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINES BECAUSE I HAD CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 25R BUT WHY I TURNED ONTO THE RWY I DON'T KNOW. WHEN I ARRIVED AT SNA, AROUND XX00 PST, I CALLED THE LAS TWR AND TALKED TO THE SUPVR. HE WAS VERY COURTEOUS AND SAID HE NEEDED SOME INFO BECAUSE THE SIT WOULD HAVE TO BE INVESTIGATED SINCE IT INVOLVED ANOTHER ACFT AND I DID NOT HAVE CLRNC TO BE ON THE RWY. HE TOOK MY NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER, PLT LICENSE NUMBER.

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.