Narrative:

While returning to our aircraft on foot for an air attack mission (aerial fire supervision and direction), my crew member and I were impeded in our travel on the ramp by a cross runway. We were trying to expedite our departure in order to relieve the aircraft currently over the fire who was coming up on the end of his fuel cycle. The pressure of time was a factor in our decision to walk across the inactive runway 20. We had landed on runway 29R and all of the traffic had been using the runways 29, so we carefully proceeded after visually and audibly clearing ourselves. The impetus to continue across the runway was the additional time which would be required to walk back to the tanker base and arrange for a ride on the airport perimeter road. There were signs at the runway edge that advised crossing of the active runway was not permitted. It appears that this has been a continuing problem for persons on the ground trying to get back and forth to aircraft from the various facilities on the jeffco airport as there was a need to post signs. We were intercepted as we continued toward our aircraft on the east side of runway 20 by the county airport personnel. They informed us we had inappropriately crossed the runway and the tower was upset. To help alleviate this problem in the future, I would suggest a crossing point which had a telephone or radio to the tower for permission to cross to the east portion of the ramp area. Secondly, I have decided to carry my portable VHF transceiver for ground communication while on a controled airport ramp as a pedestrian. Until communication to tower happens, additionally, a sign further up the west ramp which made clear that pedestrian traffic across the cross runway was not authorized would reduce the human factor of desire, which motivates one to continue the last 100-200 yards to their aircraft.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FIRE SUPPRESSION CREW WALKED ACROSS A RWY AT BJC.

Narrative: WHILE RETURNING TO OUR ACFT ON FOOT FOR AN AIR ATTACK MISSION (AERIAL FIRE SUPERVISION AND DIRECTION), MY CREW MEMBER AND I WERE IMPEDED IN OUR TRAVEL ON THE RAMP BY A CROSS RWY. WE WERE TRYING TO EXPEDITE OUR DEP IN ORDER TO RELIEVE THE ACFT CURRENTLY OVER THE FIRE WHO WAS COMING UP ON THE END OF HIS FUEL CYCLE. THE PRESSURE OF TIME WAS A FACTOR IN OUR DECISION TO WALK ACROSS THE INACTIVE RWY 20. WE HAD LANDED ON RWY 29R AND ALL OF THE TFC HAD BEEN USING THE RWYS 29, SO WE CAREFULLY PROCEEDED AFTER VISUALLY AND AUDIBLY CLRING OURSELVES. THE IMPETUS TO CONTINUE ACROSS THE RWY WAS THE ADDITIONAL TIME WHICH WOULD BE REQUIRED TO WALK BACK TO THE TANKER BASE AND ARRANGE FOR A RIDE ON THE ARPT PERIMETER ROAD. THERE WERE SIGNS AT THE RWY EDGE THAT ADVISED XING OF THE ACTIVE RWY WAS NOT PERMITTED. IT APPEARS THAT THIS HAS BEEN A CONTINUING PROB FOR PERSONS ON THE GND TRYING TO GET BACK AND FORTH TO ACFT FROM THE VARIOUS FACILITIES ON THE JEFFCO ARPT AS THERE WAS A NEED TO POST SIGNS. WE WERE INTERCEPTED AS WE CONTINUED TOWARD OUR ACFT ON THE E SIDE OF RWY 20 BY THE COUNTY ARPT PERSONNEL. THEY INFORMED US WE HAD INAPPROPRIATELY CROSSED THE RWY AND THE TWR WAS UPSET. TO HELP ALLEVIATE THIS PROB IN THE FUTURE, I WOULD SUGGEST A XING POINT WHICH HAD A TELEPHONE OR RADIO TO THE TWR FOR PERMISSION TO CROSS TO THE E PORTION OF THE RAMP AREA. SECONDLY, I HAVE DECIDED TO CARRY MY PORTABLE VHF TRANSCEIVER FOR GND COM WHILE ON A CTLED ARPT RAMP AS A PEDESTRIAN. UNTIL COM TO TWR HAPPENS, ADDITIONALLY, A SIGN FURTHER UP THE W RAMP WHICH MADE CLR THAT PEDESTRIAN TFC ACROSS THE CROSS RWY WAS NOT AUTHORIZED WOULD REDUCE THE HUMAN FACTOR OF DESIRE, WHICH MOTIVATES ONE TO CONTINUE THE LAST 100-200 YARDS TO THEIR ACFT.

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.