Narrative:

The clearance was to taxi to approach end of runway 17. I taxied out of the GA ramp and took a left on the taxiway headed most toward the runway. A mooney had exited the runway and was headed toward me. I radioed ground that I had the mooney in sight and I would keep well to the right. The ground controller didn't respond to my transmission, which isn't completely out of the ordinary, and the mooney and I passed and continued our respective ways. A few seconds later I crossed the departure end of runway 17 (the taxiway for runway 17/35 is on the west side of the runway) and continued northbound for the departure end. About 1/3 of the way up the taxiway, ground called wondering where I was and I told him. He then inquired as to how I got there and that is when I discovered the miscom. He informed me that he assumed I was familiar with the field procedures (my airplane is a regular at the field but I was not and while I made myself knowledgeable about runways, etc, it is impossible to know all unpublished procedures. Contributing factors: in the approach plates there is no runway map except what is on the inset of the plates themselves. This inset does not show much detail and, while better than nothing, is what I used for taxiway navigation. Because of the specific instructions not to overfly the taxiway, I was under the understanding that those txwys and runways were currently for military use only and therefore did not consider them for use. Ground control didn't respond to traffic in sight call on taxiway, which would have alerted him to the fact that there had been a miscom before it became a problem. Human performance considerations. Since I was new to the field, I should have asked for explanation of procedures. Even though I thought I understood the clearance I should have asked for clarification. Even though a clearance to the approach end of runway 17 would mean cross all runways and hold short of the approach end of runway 17, it would still be nonstandard to cross the runway you are cleared to and the crossing should have been verified beforehand. Corrective actions: verify clearance if remotely in question. Ask to have nonstandard procedures explained. Obtain a response from the controller for any information issued or requested.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT CROSSED AN ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: THE CLRNC WAS TO TAXI TO APCH END OF RWY 17. I TAXIED OUT OF THE GA RAMP AND TOOK A L ON THE TXWY HEADED MOST TOWARD THE RWY. A MOONEY HAD EXITED THE RWY AND WAS HEADED TOWARD ME. I RADIOED GND THAT I HAD THE MOONEY IN SIGHT AND I WOULD KEEP WELL TO THE R. THE GND CTLR DIDN'T RESPOND TO MY XMISSION, WHICH ISN'T COMPLETELY OUT OF THE ORDINARY, AND THE MOONEY AND I PASSED AND CONTINUED OUR RESPECTIVE WAYS. A FEW SECONDS LATER I CROSSED THE DEP END OF RWY 17 (THE TXWY FOR RWY 17/35 IS ON THE W SIDE OF THE RWY) AND CONTINUED NBOUND FOR THE DEP END. ABOUT 1/3 OF THE WAY UP THE TXWY, GND CALLED WONDERING WHERE I WAS AND I TOLD HIM. HE THEN INQUIRED AS TO HOW I GOT THERE AND THAT IS WHEN I DISCOVERED THE MISCOM. HE INFORMED ME THAT HE ASSUMED I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE FIELD PROCS (MY AIRPLANE IS A REGULAR AT THE FIELD BUT I WAS NOT AND WHILE I MADE MYSELF KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT RWYS, ETC, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW ALL UNPUBLISHED PROCS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: IN THE APCH PLATES THERE IS NO RWY MAP EXCEPT WHAT IS ON THE INSET OF THE PLATES THEMSELVES. THIS INSET DOES NOT SHOW MUCH DETAIL AND, WHILE BETTER THAN NOTHING, IS WHAT I USED FOR TXWY NAV. BECAUSE OF THE SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS NOT TO OVERFLY THE TXWY, I WAS UNDER THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THOSE TXWYS AND RWYS WERE CURRENTLY FOR MIL USE ONLY AND THEREFORE DID NOT CONSIDER THEM FOR USE. GND CTL DIDN'T RESPOND TO TFC IN SIGHT CALL ON TXWY, WHICH WOULD HAVE ALERTED HIM TO THE FACT THAT THERE HAD BEEN A MISCOM BEFORE IT BECAME A PROB. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS. SINCE I WAS NEW TO THE FIELD, I SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR EXPLANATION OF PROCS. EVEN THOUGH I THOUGHT I UNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC I SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION. EVEN THOUGH A CLRNC TO THE APCH END OF RWY 17 WOULD MEAN CROSS ALL RWYS AND HOLD SHORT OF THE APCH END OF RWY 17, IT WOULD STILL BE NONSTANDARD TO CROSS THE RWY YOU ARE CLRED TO AND THE XING SHOULD HAVE BEEN VERIFIED BEFOREHAND. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: VERIFY CLRNC IF REMOTELY IN QUESTION. ASK TO HAVE NONSTANDARD PROCS EXPLAINED. OBTAIN A RESPONSE FROM THE CTLR FOR ANY INFO ISSUED OR REQUESTED.

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.