Narrative:

Pvd ground control cleared us to taxi to runway 5R from a spot near gate. Although I don't recall the exact words used, the controller said 'give way to a twin engine aircraft taxiing in at taxiway T1, taxi to runway 5R (via taxiway T?).' I believe the controller used the words 'via T,' though I'm not sure. While he was talking, I was looking to my left trying to pick up a visual on the inbound twin and anticipating the clearance. We held short of taxiway T1 heading southwest until the inbound twin was clear, then began our taxi to runway 5R. I incorrectly directed the captain to turn left onto taxiway T1, then right on what I thought was a taxiway en route to the runway. As we began our right turn, it became clear to us that we were in fact entering runway 5L. I immediately called ground, 'ground (our call sign),' to which the ground controller immediately responded '(call sign) taxi via runway 5L approved,' which I then acknowledged. Although our taxi clearance included a clearance to cross the approach end of runway 5L at taxiway D, I am concerned about our accidental runway incursion. I believe my confusion was due to worn paint markings entering runway 5L at taxiway T1, a very narrow runway (75 ft), and a predisposition to taxiing off the ramp area onto the outer taxiway of similar width. At this small airport, the 'outer taxiway' was in fact a runway. This was my first time at this airport. At my home base airport in san jose, there is a similar airport layout with an outer taxiway. At san jose (as at other airports), I am frequently told to give way to inbound aircraft onto the ramp area before taxiing onto the outer taxiway. WX was clear and traffic very light early in the morning, so I think complacency may have had a role in this incident as well. Closer attention to the airport diagram (which I had out and on my yoke clipboard) would have prevented this. There was no conflict, and the ground controller seemed to anticipate our action and request.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC TAXIES ONTO RWY 5L AT PVD, THINKING THAT IT IS A TXWY.

Narrative: PVD GND CTL CLRED US TO TAXI TO RWY 5R FROM A SPOT NEAR GATE. ALTHOUGH I DON'T RECALL THE EXACT WORDS USED, THE CTLR SAID 'GIVE WAY TO A TWIN ENG ACFT TAXIING IN AT TXWY T1, TAXI TO RWY 5R (VIA TXWY T?).' I BELIEVE THE CTLR USED THE WORDS 'VIA T,' THOUGH I'M NOT SURE. WHILE HE WAS TALKING, I WAS LOOKING TO MY L TRYING TO PICK UP A VISUAL ON THE INBOUND TWIN AND ANTICIPATING THE CLRNC. WE HELD SHORT OF TXWY T1 HDG SW UNTIL THE INBOUND TWIN WAS CLR, THEN BEGAN OUR TAXI TO RWY 5R. I INCORRECTLY DIRECTED THE CAPT TO TURN L ONTO TXWY T1, THEN R ON WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A TXWY ENRTE TO THE RWY. AS WE BEGAN OUR R TURN, IT BECAME CLR TO US THAT WE WERE IN FACT ENTERING RWY 5L. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED GND, 'GND (OUR CALL SIGN),' TO WHICH THE GND CTLR IMMEDIATELY RESPONDED '(CALL SIGN) TAXI VIA RWY 5L APPROVED,' WHICH I THEN ACKNOWLEDGED. ALTHOUGH OUR TAXI CLRNC INCLUDED A CLRNC TO CROSS THE APCH END OF RWY 5L AT TXWY D, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT OUR ACCIDENTAL RWY INCURSION. I BELIEVE MY CONFUSION WAS DUE TO WORN PAINT MARKINGS ENTERING RWY 5L AT TXWY T1, A VERY NARROW RWY (75 FT), AND A PREDISPOSITION TO TAXIING OFF THE RAMP AREA ONTO THE OUTER TXWY OF SIMILAR WIDTH. AT THIS SMALL ARPT, THE 'OUTER TXWY' WAS IN FACT A RWY. THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME AT THIS ARPT. AT MY HOME BASE ARPT IN SAN JOSE, THERE IS A SIMILAR ARPT LAYOUT WITH AN OUTER TXWY. AT SAN JOSE (AS AT OTHER ARPTS), I AM FREQUENTLY TOLD TO GIVE WAY TO INBOUND ACFT ONTO THE RAMP AREA BEFORE TAXIING ONTO THE OUTER TXWY. WX WAS CLR AND TFC VERY LIGHT EARLY IN THE MORNING, SO I THINK COMPLACENCY MAY HAVE HAD A ROLE IN THIS INCIDENT AS WELL. CLOSER ATTN TO THE ARPT DIAGRAM (WHICH I HAD OUT AND ON MY YOKE CLIPBOARD) WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT, AND THE GND CTLR SEEMED TO ANTICIPATE OUR ACTION AND REQUEST.

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.