Narrative:

I landed sba runway 25 and exited to the left at taxiway B, which is just east of runway 15L. As this was my first trip to sba, I was unfamiliar with procedures. After I was clear of runway 25 and stopped at txwys B and a (taxiway a runs parallel to runway 25 and taxiway B runs parallel to runway 15), I contacted ground control and was told to look for a blue line to my right, 'jog' to the right, and taxi sbound to transient parking which was accomplished without incident. Approximately 1 hour later, prior to departure, I contacted clearance delivery and was cleared to runway 25 via taxiway B, northbound to taxiway a, then eastbound to runway 25. I exited the parking area at taxiway K and remembering the 'jog' on arrival, followed the yellow taxi line continuing past what turned out to be taxiway B to what turned out to be runway 15/33. After established northbound, the tower told me to stop taxi and advised that I was taxiing on runway 15L/33R (not active at the time), not taxiway B. A min or so later, they told me to continue northbound to taxiway a and onto runway 25. No other mention of the incident was made. Once airborne, my passenger, who is also a pilot, and I discussed the incident and the following possible contributing factors: 1) the veering west to taxiway B on arrival. 2) neither of us remembered seeing a yellow 'limit' or 'hold short' line on the ground at taxiway K prior to runway 15/33. 3) neither of us remembered seeing a runway 15/33 sign prior to the runway. 4) while in the restaurant, we both observed a flight of 5 RV6's depart runway 25 at the intersection of runway 15L. 5) the yellow taxi line continued past taxiway B on the runway northbound to runway 25. On mar/xa/99 we returned to sba to review the events. We were both amazed that there was indeed both a limit line and a runway 15/33 sign at taxiway K and taxiway B, and the blue 'jog' line led to taxiway B, not runway 15/33. It turned out that this confusion was caused by the fact that as you turn off runway 25 at taxiway B, a yellow taxi line runs straight ahead leading into the air carrier parking area. The blue line leads to the right and to taxiway B. From the transient parking area, the air carrier taxi line is not visible, contributing to my thought that I needed to taxi one taxiway west. The learning from this incident is that after our brief cockpit discussion about taxiing past what turned out to be taxiway B onto what turned out to be runway 15/33 I should have called ground control for clarification.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PVT PLT TAXIES HIS ACFT ONTO AN INACTIVE RWY IN CONFLICT WITH HIS TAXI INSTRUCTIONS FROM GND CTL AT SBA, CA.

Narrative: I LANDED SBA RWY 25 AND EXITED TO THE L AT TXWY B, WHICH IS JUST E OF RWY 15L. AS THIS WAS MY FIRST TRIP TO SBA, I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH PROCS. AFTER I WAS CLR OF RWY 25 AND STOPPED AT TXWYS B AND A (TXWY A RUNS PARALLEL TO RWY 25 AND TXWY B RUNS PARALLEL TO RWY 15), I CONTACTED GND CTL AND WAS TOLD TO LOOK FOR A BLUE LINE TO MY R, 'JOG' TO THE R, AND TAXI SBOUND TO TRANSIENT PARKING WHICH WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT INCIDENT. APPROX 1 HR LATER, PRIOR TO DEP, I CONTACTED CLRNC DELIVERY AND WAS CLRED TO RWY 25 VIA TXWY B, NBOUND TO TXWY A, THEN EBOUND TO RWY 25. I EXITED THE PARKING AREA AT TXWY K AND REMEMBERING THE 'JOG' ON ARR, FOLLOWED THE YELLOW TAXI LINE CONTINUING PAST WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE TXWY B TO WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE RWY 15/33. AFTER ESTABLISHED NBOUND, THE TWR TOLD ME TO STOP TAXI AND ADVISED THAT I WAS TAXIING ON RWY 15L/33R (NOT ACTIVE AT THE TIME), NOT TXWY B. A MIN OR SO LATER, THEY TOLD ME TO CONTINUE NBOUND TO TXWY A AND ONTO RWY 25. NO OTHER MENTION OF THE INCIDENT WAS MADE. ONCE AIRBORNE, MY PAX, WHO IS ALSO A PLT, AND I DISCUSSED THE INCIDENT AND THE FOLLOWING POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) THE VEERING W TO TXWY B ON ARR. 2) NEITHER OF US REMEMBERED SEEING A YELLOW 'LIMIT' OR 'HOLD SHORT' LINE ON THE GND AT TXWY K PRIOR TO RWY 15/33. 3) NEITHER OF US REMEMBERED SEEING A RWY 15/33 SIGN PRIOR TO THE RWY. 4) WHILE IN THE RESTAURANT, WE BOTH OBSERVED A FLT OF 5 RV6'S DEPART RWY 25 AT THE INTXN OF RWY 15L. 5) THE YELLOW TAXI LINE CONTINUED PAST TXWY B ON THE RWY NBOUND TO RWY 25. ON MAR/XA/99 WE RETURNED TO SBA TO REVIEW THE EVENTS. WE WERE BOTH AMAZED THAT THERE WAS INDEED BOTH A LIMIT LINE AND A RWY 15/33 SIGN AT TXWY K AND TXWY B, AND THE BLUE 'JOG' LINE LED TO TXWY B, NOT RWY 15/33. IT TURNED OUT THAT THIS CONFUSION WAS CAUSED BY THE FACT THAT AS YOU TURN OFF RWY 25 AT TXWY B, A YELLOW TAXI LINE RUNS STRAIGHT AHEAD LEADING INTO THE ACR PARKING AREA. THE BLUE LINE LEADS TO THE R AND TO TXWY B. FROM THE TRANSIENT PARKING AREA, THE ACR TAXI LINE IS NOT VISIBLE, CONTRIBUTING TO MY THOUGHT THAT I NEEDED TO TAXI ONE TXWY W. THE LEARNING FROM THIS INCIDENT IS THAT AFTER OUR BRIEF COCKPIT DISCUSSION ABOUT TAXIING PAST WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE TXWY B ONTO WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE RWY 15/33 I SHOULD HAVE CALLED GND CTL FOR CLARIFICATION.

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.