Narrative:

At tus airport I called ground control from the transient parking area north of runways 11L&right for a VFR departure. I was cleared to hold short of runway 11L. Shortly thereafter, I was cleared to cross runway 11L and hold short of runway 11R. After crossing runway 11L, I approached a parallel surface that I idented as a taxiway for runway 11R because it was outlined by raised reflectors colored blue. I entered on this surface, made a right turn to taxi to the takeoff end of runway 11R. Shortly thereafter I observed an aircraft lined up head-on in the opposite direction. I immediately called ground control to inquire about this conflict. I was advised that I was on the runway, not on a taxiway, and that I should reverse course and exit immediately. This I did, and after completing a runup, departed without further incident. The next day after returning home, I called tus tower and spoke with a controller on duty about my experience. He asked me to hold the phone for a few seconds to look outside. After returning he stated 'the reflectors are the wrong color. Blue is a taxiway color. That is a displaced threshold area for runway 11R. I will speak to the airport manager about correcting the situation.' a review of the AFD shows a notation: 'runway 11R displaced threshold not lighting. Use during daylight hours only. At night use as taxiway only.' in my view, this is a dangerously confusing situation. With more than 30 yrs experience as an airline pilot, I associate blue lights with txwys only. I suggest that the tus international reflectors be removed or replaced with reflectors of a different color.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A MOONEY M20E INADVERTENTLY TAXIED ONTO THE ACTIVE RWY INSTEAD OF HOLDING SHORT AS INSTRUCTED BY TWR DUE TO MISIDENT OF THE RWY AREA TAXIED ON AS A TXWY SINCE IT WAS OUTLINED BY BLUE REFLECTORS. TWR CTLR ADVISED THAT HE WAS ON THE RWY SINCE IT IS USED FOR A TXWY ONLY AT NIGHT.

Narrative: AT TUS ARPT I CALLED GND CTL FROM THE TRANSIENT PARKING AREA N OF RWYS 11L&R FOR A VFR DEP. I WAS CLRED TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 11L. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, I WAS CLRED TO CROSS RWY 11L AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 11R. AFTER XING RWY 11L, I APCHED A PARALLEL SURFACE THAT I IDENTED AS A TXWY FOR RWY 11R BECAUSE IT WAS OUTLINED BY RAISED REFLECTORS COLORED BLUE. I ENTERED ON THIS SURFACE, MADE A R TURN TO TAXI TO THE TKOF END OF RWY 11R. SHORTLY THEREAFTER I OBSERVED AN ACFT LINED UP HEAD-ON IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED GND CTL TO INQUIRE ABOUT THIS CONFLICT. I WAS ADVISED THAT I WAS ON THE RWY, NOT ON A TXWY, AND THAT I SHOULD REVERSE COURSE AND EXIT IMMEDIATELY. THIS I DID, AND AFTER COMPLETING A RUNUP, DEPARTED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE NEXT DAY AFTER RETURNING HOME, I CALLED TUS TWR AND SPOKE WITH A CTLR ON DUTY ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE. HE ASKED ME TO HOLD THE PHONE FOR A FEW SECONDS TO LOOK OUTSIDE. AFTER RETURNING HE STATED 'THE REFLECTORS ARE THE WRONG COLOR. BLUE IS A TXWY COLOR. THAT IS A DISPLACED THRESHOLD AREA FOR RWY 11R. I WILL SPEAK TO THE ARPT MGR ABOUT CORRECTING THE SIT.' A REVIEW OF THE AFD SHOWS A NOTATION: 'RWY 11R DISPLACED THRESHOLD NOT LIGHTING. USE DURING DAYLIGHT HRS ONLY. AT NIGHT USE AS TXWY ONLY.' IN MY VIEW, THIS IS A DANGEROUSLY CONFUSING SIT. WITH MORE THAN 30 YRS EXPERIENCE AS AN AIRLINE PLT, I ASSOCIATE BLUE LIGHTS WITH TXWYS ONLY. I SUGGEST THAT THE TUS INTL REFLECTORS BE REMOVED OR REPLACED WITH REFLECTORS OF A DIFFERENT COLOR.

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.