Narrative:

I called for my IFR clearance and taxi clearance. I was given both, cleared to taxi to runway 18. I taxied out, and discovered I was on the departure end of runway 18. I called ground and told them what I had done, and they cleared me to back taxi and call for my takeoff clearance when ready. As an air carrier pilot, I always have my airport diagram open and refer to it constantly when taxiing, and asking for help if I need it. I was doing this at joplin on the day under discussion, particularly so because there is something about the way joplin airport is laid out that disorients me, even though I've been there numberless times. I know a lot of time and money has been spent to develop a system of signage and surface markings, but I think I was led into a trap by the runway sign which, even though it is red (and somehow the color didn't register on me), it shows an arrow pointing straight ahead. Intuitively, this indicates 'runway this way,' which is where I went, right onto the runway, thinking I was being directed by the sign to the runway via a taxiway. I should have been looking more closely at my taxiway chart, and it should have dawned on me that red means stop. I've been thinking about this incident the last couple of days, and the only thing I can think of to keep this from happening again is just to redouble my efforts to pay close attention to my taxiway charts, and be aware that it is possible to make a mistake, even though I've never made this particular one before. Also, it might be a good idea to review this type of sign. I think that if the sign had just been '18,' (red with no arrow), I think I probably would have stopped.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIPER PLT CONFUSES CLRNC AND FINDS HIMSELF ON THE DEP END OF THE RWY BEING USED FOR DEP.

Narrative: I CALLED FOR MY IFR CLRNC AND TAXI CLRNC. I WAS GIVEN BOTH, CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 18. I TAXIED OUT, AND DISCOVERED I WAS ON THE DEP END OF RWY 18. I CALLED GND AND TOLD THEM WHAT I HAD DONE, AND THEY CLRED ME TO BACK TAXI AND CALL FOR MY TKOF CLRNC WHEN READY. AS AN ACR PLT, I ALWAYS HAVE MY ARPT DIAGRAM OPEN AND REFER TO IT CONSTANTLY WHEN TAXIING, AND ASKING FOR HELP IF I NEED IT. I WAS DOING THIS AT JOPLIN ON THE DAY UNDER DISCUSSION, PARTICULARLY SO BECAUSE THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT THE WAY JOPLIN ARPT IS LAID OUT THAT DISORIENTS ME, EVEN THOUGH I'VE BEEN THERE NUMBERLESS TIMES. I KNOW A LOT OF TIME AND MONEY HAS BEEN SPENT TO DEVELOP A SYS OF SIGNAGE AND SURFACE MARKINGS, BUT I THINK I WAS LED INTO A TRAP BY THE RWY SIGN WHICH, EVEN THOUGH IT IS RED (AND SOMEHOW THE COLOR DIDN'T REGISTER ON ME), IT SHOWS AN ARROW POINTING STRAIGHT AHEAD. INTUITIVELY, THIS INDICATES 'RWY THIS WAY,' WHICH IS WHERE I WENT, RIGHT ONTO THE RWY, THINKING I WAS BEING DIRECTED BY THE SIGN TO THE RWY VIA A TXWY. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOOKING MORE CLOSELY AT MY TXWY CHART, AND IT SHOULD HAVE DAWNED ON ME THAT RED MEANS STOP. I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS INCIDENT THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, AND THE ONLY THING I CAN THINK OF TO KEEP THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN IS JUST TO REDOUBLE MY EFFORTS TO PAY CLOSE ATTN TO MY TXWY CHARTS, AND BE AWARE THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO MAKE A MISTAKE, EVEN THOUGH I'VE NEVER MADE THIS PARTICULAR ONE BEFORE. ALSO, IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA TO REVIEW THIS TYPE OF SIGN. I THINK THAT IF THE SIGN HAD JUST BEEN '18,' (RED WITH NO ARROW), I THINK I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE STOPPED.

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.