Narrative:

We were leaving roa after a weekend visit. We had landed on runway 24 on arrival. ATIS indicated that taxiway a was closed from taxiway B. I listened to the ATIS for departure, which indicated runways 24 and 33 were in use. Air carrier aircraft were departing from runway 24. After getting a clearance, I contacted ground. Ground said (I believe), 'cleared to runway 33, back taxi after taxiway B.' nothing was said about holding short of runway 33 or contacting the tower at intersection taxiway B. As I was taxiing, another aircraft called ground and the controller said the same thing. I thought at the time that a conflict could occur if I was at the end of runway 33 ready to take off and another aircraft was taxiing toward me. I believed that the ground controller had cleared me to back taxi on runway 33. As I taxied onto runway 33 toward the departure end, the controller admonished me for entering the runway without clearance, and indicated that I should have stopped, and contacted the tower before proceeding. He said no problem since there were no aircraft but don't do it again. The tower also admonished me before takeoff. Now I do know better than to taxi onto the runway without clearance, and in hindsight, should have either questioned the ground controller or stopped and called the tower. I am particularly upset about this because ultimately, the responsibility is mine and I was at fault. My copilot subsequently commented that she also understood we were cleared to back taxi. I did not argue with the controller as I was flabbergasted that I may have misunderstood. However, I still believe that I was cleared to back taxi on the runway. If the intention was not to clear me to back taxi, then clearing me to runway 33 by itself would have been enough. Regardless of the construction, when I got to runway 33, I would have stopped. The tower could then have cleared me to back taxi or let me depart from the intersection. Ground controllers routinely clear aircraft to cross runways on the way to the active and/or instruct you to 'hold short,' so the back taxi instructions did not seem out of place. I believe the ground controller should not have said anything about back taxiing if the intent was not to clear me to do it. If his exact words did not clear me, then the situation was created for the resulting misunderstanding.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 PLT HAD RWY INCURSION AT ROA.

Narrative: WE WERE LEAVING ROA AFTER A WEEKEND VISIT. WE HAD LANDED ON RWY 24 ON ARR. ATIS INDICATED THAT TXWY A WAS CLOSED FROM TXWY B. I LISTENED TO THE ATIS FOR DEP, WHICH INDICATED RWYS 24 AND 33 WERE IN USE. ACR ACFT WERE DEPARTING FROM RWY 24. AFTER GETTING A CLRNC, I CONTACTED GND. GND SAID (I BELIEVE), 'CLRED TO RWY 33, BACK TAXI AFTER TXWY B.' NOTHING WAS SAID ABOUT HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 33 OR CONTACTING THE TWR AT INTXN TXWY B. AS I WAS TAXIING, ANOTHER ACFT CALLED GND AND THE CTLR SAID THE SAME THING. I THOUGHT AT THE TIME THAT A CONFLICT COULD OCCUR IF I WAS AT THE END OF RWY 33 READY TO TAKE OFF AND ANOTHER ACFT WAS TAXIING TOWARD ME. I BELIEVED THAT THE GND CTLR HAD CLRED ME TO BACK TAXI ON RWY 33. AS I TAXIED ONTO RWY 33 TOWARD THE DEP END, THE CTLR ADMONISHED ME FOR ENTERING THE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC, AND INDICATED THAT I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED, AND CONTACTED THE TWR BEFORE PROCEEDING. HE SAID NO PROB SINCE THERE WERE NO ACFT BUT DON'T DO IT AGAIN. THE TWR ALSO ADMONISHED ME BEFORE TKOF. NOW I DO KNOW BETTER THAN TO TAXI ONTO THE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC, AND IN HINDSIGHT, SHOULD HAVE EITHER QUESTIONED THE GND CTLR OR STOPPED AND CALLED THE TWR. I AM PARTICULARLY UPSET ABOUT THIS BECAUSE ULTIMATELY, THE RESPONSIBILITY IS MINE AND I WAS AT FAULT. MY COPLT SUBSEQUENTLY COMMENTED THAT SHE ALSO UNDERSTOOD WE WERE CLRED TO BACK TAXI. I DID NOT ARGUE WITH THE CTLR AS I WAS FLABBERGASTED THAT I MAY HAVE MISUNDERSTOOD. HOWEVER, I STILL BELIEVE THAT I WAS CLRED TO BACK TAXI ON THE RWY. IF THE INTENTION WAS NOT TO CLR ME TO BACK TAXI, THEN CLRING ME TO RWY 33 BY ITSELF WOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH. REGARDLESS OF THE CONSTRUCTION, WHEN I GOT TO RWY 33, I WOULD HAVE STOPPED. THE TWR COULD THEN HAVE CLRED ME TO BACK TAXI OR LET ME DEPART FROM THE INTXN. GND CTLRS ROUTINELY CLR ACFT TO CROSS RWYS ON THE WAY TO THE ACTIVE AND/OR INSTRUCT YOU TO 'HOLD SHORT,' SO THE BACK TAXI INSTRUCTIONS DID NOT SEEM OUT OF PLACE. I BELIEVE THE GND CTLR SHOULD NOT HAVE SAID ANYTHING ABOUT BACK TAXIING IF THE INTENT WAS NOT TO CLR ME TO DO IT. IF HIS EXACT WORDS DID NOT CLR ME, THEN THE SIT WAS CREATED FOR THE RESULTING MISUNDERSTANDING.

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.