Narrative:

Chain of events: after landing on runway 31R at dal, I picked up freight on the northeast side of the field. I was then informed that I had additional freight at a different location. Since it was my first trip to dal for this company, I told ground that I was unfamiliar with the airport several times. The ground controller told me to taxi, hold short of runway 13L, which I read back to the controller. During the time that it took to load several bags of cargo, the tower had switched runways from runway 31R/left to runway 13R/left. After crossing the active runway, I realized my error and was shortly thereafter informed by ground control. Contributing factors: 1) being unfamiliar with cargo areas at the airport. 2) having just landed on runway 31R, although I read back '13L,' in my mind I was saying '31L.' 3) being unfamiliar with where I was to go, much of my attention was focused outside of the cockpit, looking for the freight handlers, I did not see any traffic arriving or departing on the runway. Since I observed no traffic, and did not see why I would be holding, leading me to believe that I still had a long way to taxi and was to hold short of runway '31L.' human performance considerations: the FAA has produced a booklet entitled 'judgement training for student pilots' which outlines 'mental set.' that means that when you think of a situation in a certain way it forms an almost unshakable impression, and influences the way you view a situation. Since I landed on runway 31R, I was thinking that to get to the freight location I would need to cross runway 31R&left. Additionally, the similar sounding runway names didn't help to clarify the situation. Corrective actions: many times when ATC issues an altitude such as 10000 ft they use the phase 'one zero thousand, ten thousand.' ground controllers could say 'one three left, thirteen left' to help pilots understand and prevent confusion. Controllers could also say the clearance in a different way rather than just repeating the same phrase, especially if it appears that the pilot is making an error or not understanding the situation. Pilots could also listen to ATIS before taxiing to doublechk the airport situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CHARTER PLT FLYING AN SMT WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH ARPT AND DID NOT PICK UP ON RWY CHANGE FROM RWY 31 TO RWY 13. TAXIED ACROSS ACTIVE RWY.

Narrative: CHAIN OF EVENTS: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 31R AT DAL, I PICKED UP FREIGHT ON THE NE SIDE OF THE FIELD. I WAS THEN INFORMED THAT I HAD ADDITIONAL FREIGHT AT A DIFFERENT LOCATION. SINCE IT WAS MY FIRST TRIP TO DAL FOR THIS COMPANY, I TOLD GND THAT I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT SEVERAL TIMES. THE GND CTLR TOLD ME TO TAXI, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 13L, WHICH I READ BACK TO THE CTLR. DURING THE TIME THAT IT TOOK TO LOAD SEVERAL BAGS OF CARGO, THE TWR HAD SWITCHED RWYS FROM RWY 31R/L TO RWY 13R/L. AFTER XING THE ACTIVE RWY, I REALIZED MY ERROR AND WAS SHORTLY THEREAFTER INFORMED BY GND CTL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH CARGO AREAS AT THE ARPT. 2) HAVING JUST LANDED ON RWY 31R, ALTHOUGH I READ BACK '13L,' IN MY MIND I WAS SAYING '31L.' 3) BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH WHERE I WAS TO GO, MUCH OF MY ATTN WAS FOCUSED OUTSIDE OF THE COCKPIT, LOOKING FOR THE FREIGHT HANDLERS, I DID NOT SEE ANY TFC ARRIVING OR DEPARTING ON THE RWY. SINCE I OBSERVED NO TFC, AND DID NOT SEE WHY I WOULD BE HOLDING, LEADING ME TO BELIEVE THAT I STILL HAD A LONG WAY TO TAXI AND WAS TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY '31L.' HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: THE FAA HAS PRODUCED A BOOKLET ENTITLED 'JUDGEMENT TRAINING FOR STUDENT PLTS' WHICH OUTLINES 'MENTAL SET.' THAT MEANS THAT WHEN YOU THINK OF A SIT IN A CERTAIN WAY IT FORMS AN ALMOST UNSHAKABLE IMPRESSION, AND INFLUENCES THE WAY YOU VIEW A SIT. SINCE I LANDED ON RWY 31R, I WAS THINKING THAT TO GET TO THE FREIGHT LOCATION I WOULD NEED TO CROSS RWY 31R&L. ADDITIONALLY, THE SIMILAR SOUNDING RWY NAMES DIDN'T HELP TO CLARIFY THE SIT. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: MANY TIMES WHEN ATC ISSUES AN ALT SUCH AS 10000 FT THEY USE THE PHASE 'ONE ZERO THOUSAND, TEN THOUSAND.' GND CTLRS COULD SAY 'ONE THREE L, THIRTEEN L' TO HELP PLTS UNDERSTAND AND PREVENT CONFUSION. CTLRS COULD ALSO SAY THE CLRNC IN A DIFFERENT WAY RATHER THAN JUST REPEATING THE SAME PHRASE, ESPECIALLY IF IT APPEARS THAT THE PLT IS MAKING AN ERROR OR NOT UNDERSTANDING THE SIT. PLTS COULD ALSO LISTEN TO ATIS BEFORE TAXIING TO DOUBLECHK THE ARPT SIT.

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.