Narrative:

I was approaching jxn airport from the east, with a student pilot on board. We were monitoring jxn tower from about 12 mi out, prior to announcing our intention to land. The tower frequency was quite busy, with numerous aircraft approaching to land from various directions. ATC was issuing instructions to numerous aircraft in rapid succession. We were fit into the sequence and cleared to land on runway 24 from a base leg, but were then asked to continue on a downwind to follow another aircraft. We did so, and upon landing, we were asked to turn left at the next intersection, and onto taxiway C. This is a complex intersection, at which 2 runways and 1 taxiway all converge at the same point. I inadvertently taxied onto the intersecting runway, instead of the taxiway. While attempting to turn around and join taxiway C, tower asked me to hold my position, and make way for another aircraft which had landed just behind me (he was joining taxiway C). Tower then cleared me to continue taxiing along the intersecting runway, and exit at the end. To my knowledge, no other aircraft were cleared to land or depart from this runway prior to my entering onto it, and so there was apparently no immediate conflict. After clearing the runway, we were then cleared to taxi to our departure runway for a normal departure. I believe that factors contributing to my taxiing onto a runway, instead of the taxiway, include: 1) demands of a very busy traffic pattern, requiring continuous split attention by both pilot and tower controller, 2) confusing intersection, where 2 runways and 1 taxiway all converge, and 3) demands of an instructional situation. When traffic volume becomes excessive, ATC should either increase spacing between arrs or request that aircraft remain clear of the class D airspace briefly. These steps would reduce workload for both ATC and pilots in the pattern, enabling pilots to make proper decisions and follow ATC instructions. Flight instructors should also consider suspending instruction temporarily, and take full command of the aircraft to avoid any confusion. In future sits where the traffic pattern is saturated and ATC workload appears extremely high, I will be much more vigilant, and possibly opt to remain clear until the workload quiets down.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLT INSTRUCTOR ALLOWED HIS STUDENT TO EXIT RWY 24 AT JXN ONTO RWY 14-32 RATHER THAN THE ASSIGNED TXWY C.

Narrative: I WAS APCHING JXN ARPT FROM THE E, WITH A STUDENT PLT ON BOARD. WE WERE MONITORING JXN TWR FROM ABOUT 12 MI OUT, PRIOR TO ANNOUNCING OUR INTENTION TO LAND. THE TWR FREQ WAS QUITE BUSY, WITH NUMEROUS ACFT APCHING TO LAND FROM VARIOUS DIRECTIONS. ATC WAS ISSUING INSTRUCTIONS TO NUMEROUS ACFT IN RAPID SUCCESSION. WE WERE FIT INTO THE SEQUENCE AND CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 24 FROM A BASE LEG, BUT WERE THEN ASKED TO CONTINUE ON A DOWNWIND TO FOLLOW ANOTHER ACFT. WE DID SO, AND UPON LNDG, WE WERE ASKED TO TURN L AT THE NEXT INTXN, AND ONTO TXWY C. THIS IS A COMPLEX INTXN, AT WHICH 2 RWYS AND 1 TXWY ALL CONVERGE AT THE SAME POINT. I INADVERTENTLY TAXIED ONTO THE INTERSECTING RWY, INSTEAD OF THE TXWY. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TURN AROUND AND JOIN TXWY C, TWR ASKED ME TO HOLD MY POS, AND MAKE WAY FOR ANOTHER ACFT WHICH HAD LANDED JUST BEHIND ME (HE WAS JOINING TXWY C). TWR THEN CLRED ME TO CONTINUE TAXIING ALONG THE INTERSECTING RWY, AND EXIT AT THE END. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, NO OTHER ACFT WERE CLRED TO LAND OR DEPART FROM THIS RWY PRIOR TO MY ENTERING ONTO IT, AND SO THERE WAS APPARENTLY NO IMMEDIATE CONFLICT. AFTER CLRING THE RWY, WE WERE THEN CLRED TO TAXI TO OUR DEP RWY FOR A NORMAL DEP. I BELIEVE THAT FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO MY TAXIING ONTO A RWY, INSTEAD OF THE TXWY, INCLUDE: 1) DEMANDS OF A VERY BUSY TFC PATTERN, REQUIRING CONTINUOUS SPLIT ATTN BY BOTH PLT AND TWR CTLR, 2) CONFUSING INTXN, WHERE 2 RWYS AND 1 TXWY ALL CONVERGE, AND 3) DEMANDS OF AN INSTRUCTIONAL SIT. WHEN TFC VOLUME BECOMES EXCESSIVE, ATC SHOULD EITHER INCREASE SPACING BTWN ARRS OR REQUEST THAT ACFT REMAIN CLR OF THE CLASS D AIRSPACE BRIEFLY. THESE STEPS WOULD REDUCE WORKLOAD FOR BOTH ATC AND PLTS IN THE PATTERN, ENABLING PLTS TO MAKE PROPER DECISIONS AND FOLLOW ATC INSTRUCTIONS. FLT INSTRUCTORS SHOULD ALSO CONSIDER SUSPENDING INSTRUCTION TEMPORARILY, AND TAKE FULL COMMAND OF THE ACFT TO AVOID ANY CONFUSION. IN FUTURE SITS WHERE THE TFC PATTERN IS SATURATED AND ATC WORKLOAD APPEARS EXTREMELY HIGH, I WILL BE MUCH MORE VIGILANT, AND POSSIBLY OPT TO REMAIN CLR UNTIL THE WORKLOAD QUIETS DOWN.

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.