Narrative:

This event happened on feb/xa/99 at approximately XA00 at the rst airport. This was a business flight to pick up 1 passenger. My copilot and I made a successful ILS approach to runway 31 and landing. We taxied to the ramp in blowing snow without difficulty. Mins later we were given our outbound IFR clearance and cleared to taxi to runway 31 for takeoff. WX was the same at about 1/4 mi visibility (tower visibility 1/2 mi) and RVR 1600 ft variable 3000 ft on runway 31. Wind was from 320 degrees at 20 KTS gusting to 40 KTS, snow showers and blowing snow. We, looking at our taxi chart, started our taxi out to runway 31. We had some difficulty in keeping the blue taxi lights in sight but were confident we would see the parallel taxiway sign for runway 31, we kept taxiing. In reality we had already passed it and the next thing my copilot and I saw were white runway lights. These lights were much more visible in the blowing snow than were the lower intensity blue taxiway lights. Realizing we were now suddenly on a runway we stopped and called ground control to tell them. As my copilot was doing this, I turned the aircraft 180 degrees to get back to the blue lights and off the runway. The tower then replied they could see our lights and as they had no traffic landing they cleared us to turn right and back-taxi runway 31 for our takeoff. (No ground radar in operation at this airport.) we continued our back taxi and takeoff without further problems. Contributing factors to this event I think were: blowing snow at ground level (horizontally) that made it difficult to judge taxi speed and distance covered. The citation aircraft being so low to the ground makes it more difficult to see in this low visibility situation. You are seated virtually at ground level where the blowing snow is the worst. Having the wind blowing from our tail I think added to our sense of speed/distance difficulties of perception also. No ground radar also.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CPR CITATION JET TAXIES ONTO THE ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC DURING A HVY SNOW STORM AT NIGHT AT RST, MN.

Narrative: THIS EVENT HAPPENED ON FEB/XA/99 AT APPROX XA00 AT THE RST ARPT. THIS WAS A BUSINESS FLT TO PICK UP 1 PAX. MY COPLT AND I MADE A SUCCESSFUL ILS APCH TO RWY 31 AND LNDG. WE TAXIED TO THE RAMP IN BLOWING SNOW WITHOUT DIFFICULTY. MINS LATER WE WERE GIVEN OUR OUTBOUND IFR CLRNC AND CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 31 FOR TKOF. WX WAS THE SAME AT ABOUT 1/4 MI VISIBILITY (TWR VISIBILITY 1/2 MI) AND RVR 1600 FT VARIABLE 3000 FT ON RWY 31. WIND WAS FROM 320 DEGS AT 20 KTS GUSTING TO 40 KTS, SNOW SHOWERS AND BLOWING SNOW. WE, LOOKING AT OUR TAXI CHART, STARTED OUR TAXI OUT TO RWY 31. WE HAD SOME DIFFICULTY IN KEEPING THE BLUE TAXI LIGHTS IN SIGHT BUT WERE CONFIDENT WE WOULD SEE THE PARALLEL TXWY SIGN FOR RWY 31, WE KEPT TAXIING. IN REALITY WE HAD ALREADY PASSED IT AND THE NEXT THING MY COPLT AND I SAW WERE WHITE RWY LIGHTS. THESE LIGHTS WERE MUCH MORE VISIBLE IN THE BLOWING SNOW THAN WERE THE LOWER INTENSITY BLUE TXWY LIGHTS. REALIZING WE WERE NOW SUDDENLY ON A RWY WE STOPPED AND CALLED GND CTL TO TELL THEM. AS MY COPLT WAS DOING THIS, I TURNED THE ACFT 180 DEGS TO GET BACK TO THE BLUE LIGHTS AND OFF THE RWY. THE TWR THEN REPLIED THEY COULD SEE OUR LIGHTS AND AS THEY HAD NO TFC LNDG THEY CLRED US TO TURN R AND BACK-TAXI RWY 31 FOR OUR TKOF. (NO GND RADAR IN OP AT THIS ARPT.) WE CONTINUED OUR BACK TAXI AND TKOF WITHOUT FURTHER PROBS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS EVENT I THINK WERE: BLOWING SNOW AT GND LEVEL (HORIZLY) THAT MADE IT DIFFICULT TO JUDGE TAXI SPD AND DISTANCE COVERED. THE CITATION ACFT BEING SO LOW TO THE GND MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT TO SEE IN THIS LOW VISIBILITY SIT. YOU ARE SEATED VIRTUALLY AT GND LEVEL WHERE THE BLOWING SNOW IS THE WORST. HAVING THE WIND BLOWING FROM OUR TAIL I THINK ADDED TO OUR SENSE OF SPD/DISTANCE DIFFICULTIES OF PERCEPTION ALSO. NO GND RADAR ALSO.

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.