A corporate pilot in a king air crosses runway 23L at tys in a night operation. He had failed to see...

Attributes
ACN	398933
Time
Date	199804
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tys
State Reference	TN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dvt
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	King Air 100 A/B
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : go around
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 9600 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	398933
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical incursion : runway non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment other
Consequence	faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 800
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility
Airport	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

On apr/xa/98 at XA15, I left the cargo ramp at mcghee- tyson airport. As I taxied out on taxiway R4, I missed the turn for taxiway a and taxied onto the edge of runway 23L. I knew there was traffic because ground, tower, and approach were on the same frequency. I recognized the runway edge line and immediately checked for traffic. It was off the end of the runway at 200 ft AGL. I immediately advanced the throttles to full power to clear the runway as fast as possible. The other plane initiated a go around and I was clear of the runway when it reached my position as it accelerated. The ground/tower/approach was not aware of a problem until the go around. I missed the turn for taxiway a because the taxiway sign and 300 ft of taxiway lights are blocked by cargo containers that are permanently stored on the ramp. I had continued into the area where txwys A5 and A6 join and meet the runway. This is a very wide, unlighted area of concrete with the hold short lights spread far apart and no runway lights visible. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter said that he is still awaiting a letter from the FSDO. The FSDO has said that he wanted a full report from the pilot and pictures related to this situation on the ramp by taxiway R4. The reporter had talked with the tower chief who is aware of the problem. The reason the tower did not know he was even near the runway is that the tower cabin attendant is too low. The tower chief also mentioned that they have numerous problems with this area. Not just because of the lights and signs being blocked by the cargo containers but that the taxiway edge line on taxiway a is also the hold short line for crossing runway 23L at taxiway A5-A6. He said that isn't legal. The reporter is a retired military pilot and feels that when he makes a mistake such as this, there is really something wrong.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CORPORATE PLT IN A KING AIR CROSSES RWY 23L AT TYS IN A NIGHT OP. HE HAD FAILED TO SEE THE TXWY SIGN, TXWY LIGHTS FOR TXWY A AND THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS. THE RWY HOLD SHORT LINE WAS BLENDED IN WITH THE TXWY A EDGE MARKINGS. 300 FT OF TXWY BLUE LIGHTS ON TXWY A AND THE TXWY SIGN HAD BEEN BLOCKED BY CARGO CONTAINERS. THE TWR IS ALLEGED TO BE TOO LOW FOR RWY VISION AT TXWY A6.

Narrative: ON APR/XA/98 AT XA15, I LEFT THE CARGO RAMP AT MCGHEE- TYSON ARPT. AS I TAXIED OUT ON TXWY R4, I MISSED THE TURN FOR TXWY A AND TAXIED ONTO THE EDGE OF RWY 23L. I KNEW THERE WAS TFC BECAUSE GND, TWR, AND APCH WERE ON THE SAME FREQ. I RECOGNIZED THE RWY EDGE LINE AND IMMEDIATELY CHKED FOR TFC. IT WAS OFF THE END OF THE RWY AT 200 FT AGL. I IMMEDIATELY ADVANCED THE THROTTLES TO FULL PWR TO CLR THE RWY AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. THE OTHER PLANE INITIATED A GAR AND I WAS CLR OF THE RWY WHEN IT REACHED MY POS AS IT ACCELERATED. THE GND/TWR/APCH WAS NOT AWARE OF A PROB UNTIL THE GAR. I MISSED THE TURN FOR TXWY A BECAUSE THE TXWY SIGN AND 300 FT OF TXWY LIGHTS ARE BLOCKED BY CARGO CONTAINERS THAT ARE PERMANENTLY STORED ON THE RAMP. I HAD CONTINUED INTO THE AREA WHERE TXWYS A5 AND A6 JOIN AND MEET THE RWY. THIS IS A VERY WIDE, UNLIGHTED AREA OF CONCRETE WITH THE HOLD SHORT LIGHTS SPREAD FAR APART AND NO RWY LIGHTS VISIBLE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID THAT HE IS STILL AWAITING A LETTER FROM THE FSDO. THE FSDO HAS SAID THAT HE WANTED A FULL RPT FROM THE PLT AND PICTURES RELATED TO THIS SIT ON THE RAMP BY TXWY R4. THE RPTR HAD TALKED WITH THE TWR CHIEF WHO IS AWARE OF THE PROB. THE REASON THE TWR DID NOT KNOW HE WAS EVEN NEAR THE RWY IS THAT THE TWR CAB IS TOO LOW. THE TWR CHIEF ALSO MENTIONED THAT THEY HAVE NUMEROUS PROBS WITH THIS AREA. NOT JUST BECAUSE OF THE LIGHTS AND SIGNS BEING BLOCKED BY THE CARGO CONTAINERS BUT THAT THE TXWY EDGE LINE ON TXWY A IS ALSO THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR XING RWY 23L AT TXWY A5-A6. HE SAID THAT ISN'T LEGAL. THE RPTR IS A RETIRED MIL PLT AND FEELS THAT WHEN HE MAKES A MISTAKE SUCH AS THIS, THERE IS REALLY SOMETHING WRONG.

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.