Runway incursion at ilg, de, on a moonless night with inoperative runway sign lighting.

Attributes
ACN	490761
Time
Date	200010
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ilg.airport
State Reference	DE
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Mooney Aircraft Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 79 flight time total : 927 flight time type : 116
ASRS Report	490761
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Airport
Situations
Airport	lighting : ilg.airport signage : ilg.airport

Narrative:

I landed on runway 1 at ilg (wilmington, de) after completing the ILS runway 1 approach on an IFR flight plan. Was a clear (VFR) night, but very dark, no moon. I was instructed by tower to turn off runway 1 at taxiway K and switch to ground control frequency, which I did. Ground instructed me to turn right off taxiway K onto taxiway B, taxi to runway 27 and hold. I started to taxi down taxiway B, looking for signs for runway 27-9 and almost immediately found myself crossing a runway, which turned out to be runway 27-9. I notified ground control, he said to do a 180 degree turn and hold at runway 27, which I did. After turning 180 degrees, I saw the runway 27-9 sign, but it was not lit and very hard to see. The runway 27-9 sign on the north side of runway 27-9 was also unlit. I called ground control and told them the runway 27-9 signs were unlit. They said they were unaware the lights were inoperative. On reflection, I should have looked at my taxiway map before turning off of taxiway K. I would have seen that runway 27-9 was very close and perhaps could have avoided the incursion. However, it was very dark. Without lighted signs, it would be easy to pass onto the runway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION AT ILG, DE, ON A MOONLESS NIGHT WITH INOP RWY SIGN LIGHTING.

Narrative: I LANDED ON RWY 1 AT ILG (WILMINGTON, DE) AFTER COMPLETING THE ILS RWY 1 APCH ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. WAS A CLR (VFR) NIGHT, BUT VERY DARK, NO MOON. I WAS INSTRUCTED BY TWR TO TURN OFF RWY 1 AT TXWY K AND SWITCH TO GND CTL FREQ, WHICH I DID. GND INSTRUCTED ME TO TURN R OFF TXWY K ONTO TXWY B, TAXI TO RWY 27 AND HOLD. I STARTED TO TAXI DOWN TXWY B, LOOKING FOR SIGNS FOR RWY 27-9 AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY FOUND MYSELF XING A RWY, WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE RWY 27-9. I NOTIFIED GND CTL, HE SAID TO DO A 180 DEG TURN AND HOLD AT RWY 27, WHICH I DID. AFTER TURNING 180 DEGS, I SAW THE RWY 27-9 SIGN, BUT IT WAS NOT LIT AND VERY HARD TO SEE. THE RWY 27-9 SIGN ON THE N SIDE OF RWY 27-9 WAS ALSO UNLIT. I CALLED GND CTL AND TOLD THEM THE RWY 27-9 SIGNS WERE UNLIT. THEY SAID THEY WERE UNAWARE THE LIGHTS WERE INOP. ON REFLECTION, I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED AT MY TXWY MAP BEFORE TURNING OFF OF TXWY K. I WOULD HAVE SEEN THAT RWY 27-9 WAS VERY CLOSE AND PERHAPS COULD HAVE AVOIDED THE INCURSION. HOWEVER, IT WAS VERY DARK. WITHOUT LIGHTED SIGNS, IT WOULD BE EASY TO PASS ONTO THE RWY.

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.