Narrative:

This was only my second time at this airport. I consider myself a student of aviation, attending safety seminars, going up with an instructor more often than biennially, subscribing to 2 aviation magazines, reading other aviation-related pubs when I can, and reviewing the aim from time-to-time. I left the FBO with instructions to hold short of the runway. In the sea of blue lights I became slightly confused while taxiing. I stopped and asked ground for directions and they replied keep taxiing, the runway was 'straight ahead.' I continued on and kept looking for the red and white runway identify signs. The first one I saw had an arrow on it pointing to the right, so that's the way I went. The sign did contradict the controller's statement of straight ahead, but I focused my attention on that brightly lit red and white sign in front of me. I did not recognize the flashing yellow lights on either side of the taxiway as the hold short lights. When the painted lines went from yellow to white I knew I had gone too far. Additionally, there was an aircraft on final whose landing lights were visible to me. The aircraft on final was instructed to go around. Factors in this transgression include: failure to recognize flashing yellow lights as hold short lights, failure to see painted hold short lines, I was slightly fatigued, unfamiliar airport at night, low key comment from pilot rated passenger when he felt I missed hold short line. My passenger probably did not speak up louder because he is newly rated, and likely deferred to my presumed greater knowledge. If you see something wrong or if you are uncomfortable for any reason, speak up or take action. Not to over-dramatize things, but you could be killed too. Short taxi. I was not mentally prepared to get to the runway so soon. By the way, my only reason for flying 3.5 hours to ric and back that night, and paying a good deal for the privilege, was to attend an air safety foundation seminar on operations at twred airports, including runway incursions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SOCATA PLT TAXIED ONTO THE ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC AT RIC, FORCING ANOTHER ACFT TO GO AROUND.

Narrative: THIS WAS ONLY MY SECOND TIME AT THIS ARPT. I CONSIDER MYSELF A STUDENT OF AVIATION, ATTENDING SAFETY SEMINARS, GOING UP WITH AN INSTRUCTOR MORE OFTEN THAN BIENNIALLY, SUBSCRIBING TO 2 AVIATION MAGAZINES, READING OTHER AVIATION-RELATED PUBS WHEN I CAN, AND REVIEWING THE AIM FROM TIME-TO-TIME. I LEFT THE FBO WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY. IN THE SEA OF BLUE LIGHTS I BECAME SLIGHTLY CONFUSED WHILE TAXIING. I STOPPED AND ASKED GND FOR DIRECTIONS AND THEY REPLIED KEEP TAXIING, THE RWY WAS 'STRAIGHT AHEAD.' I CONTINUED ON AND KEPT LOOKING FOR THE RED AND WHITE RWY IDENT SIGNS. THE FIRST ONE I SAW HAD AN ARROW ON IT POINTING TO THE R, SO THAT'S THE WAY I WENT. THE SIGN DID CONTRADICT THE CTLR'S STATEMENT OF STRAIGHT AHEAD, BUT I FOCUSED MY ATTN ON THAT BRIGHTLY LIT RED AND WHITE SIGN IN FRONT OF ME. I DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE FLASHING YELLOW LIGHTS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE TXWY AS THE HOLD SHORT LIGHTS. WHEN THE PAINTED LINES WENT FROM YELLOW TO WHITE I KNEW I HAD GONE TOO FAR. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS AN ACFT ON FINAL WHOSE LNDG LIGHTS WERE VISIBLE TO ME. THE ACFT ON FINAL WAS INSTRUCTED TO GO AROUND. FACTORS IN THIS TRANSGRESSION INCLUDE: FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE FLASHING YELLOW LIGHTS AS HOLD SHORT LIGHTS, FAILURE TO SEE PAINTED HOLD SHORT LINES, I WAS SLIGHTLY FATIGUED, UNFAMILIAR ARPT AT NIGHT, LOW KEY COMMENT FROM PLT RATED PAX WHEN HE FELT I MISSED HOLD SHORT LINE. MY PAX PROBABLY DID NOT SPEAK UP LOUDER BECAUSE HE IS NEWLY RATED, AND LIKELY DEFERRED TO MY PRESUMED GREATER KNOWLEDGE. IF YOU SEE SOMETHING WRONG OR IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE FOR ANY REASON, SPEAK UP OR TAKE ACTION. NOT TO OVER-DRAMATIZE THINGS, BUT YOU COULD BE KILLED TOO. SHORT TAXI. I WAS NOT MENTALLY PREPARED TO GET TO THE RWY SO SOON. BY THE WAY, MY ONLY REASON FOR FLYING 3.5 HRS TO RIC AND BACK THAT NIGHT, AND PAYING A GOOD DEAL FOR THE PRIVILEGE, WAS TO ATTEND AN AIR SAFETY FOUNDATION SEMINAR ON OPS AT TWRED ARPTS, INCLUDING RWY INCURSIONS.

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.