Narrative:

I was at hgr airport and was parked on the ramp of the FBO. His ramp is adjacent to taxiway M which leads to runway 20. As I was getting AWOS or ASOS, I noticed an aircraft doing its runup on the other side of runway 20 and takeoff on runway 20. I did my runup on the ramp, adjacent to, but short of taxiway M. That area is far from any buildings, obstructions, ramp vehicles, or people. It also provides a propeller wash area to a grass field that would cause no harm to anyone or anything. I contacted ground and told them I was at the ramp of with the numbers looking to depart to the northeast. They cleared me to either runway 27 or runway 9 (I forget which one they cleared me to). I asked for runway 20. They cleared me to runway 20. I was later told that it is only 25 ft long. At this point, I was definitely on the ramp, with no part of my aircraft on taxiway M. In my windshield, the only line I see is the hold short line of runway 20 on taxiway M. I don't see the line that designates the end of the ramp and the beginning of taxiway M because it is below my windshield and out of my view. The hold short line is only 30 ft away or so. This is the view I ordinarily see when I am about to be cleared to position and hold or to take off. When I received clearance on the ground frequency to taxi to runway 20, it did not click to me that all I need to do is cross the taxiway/ramp line and stop (I would have only needed to move 3 or 4 ft to do that). My previous visual cues experience biased me into expecting the next taxi instruction to be either to 'position and hold' or to 'take off.' there is no doubt that ground control only cleared me to taxi to runway 20. Unfortunately, my visual cues took over and I crossed the hold short line. Fortunately, there was no incursion. As I crossed it, the ground person got on the frequency and said 'I knew you were going to do that,' and continued with other statements pointing out that I had just crossed onto the runway without permission. He completed the transmission by instructing me to take off on runway 20. The exact words/statement/instructions after the initial 'I knew you were going to do that' I don't remember. However, as a result of my crossing the hold short line, he cleared me onto and cleared me for takeoff from runway 29 while still on the ground frequency. I believe that my mistake may have preoccupied a very courteous and professional controller to fix the situation that I created by clearing me for takeoff while still on ground frequency. At this point, I continued the taxi into the actual body of the runway. I then realized that we were still on the ground frequency. I positioned and held on runway 20 and contacted ground. I told ground that I was on runway 20 ready for takeoff and asked if I should take off while still on the ground frequency. He asked me to switch to tower. I did so, announced my position and was instructed to take off on runway 20. I have spoken to that controller on the phone since. He has been very courteous and was very professional in his dealing with my mistake. He said that there have been many similar problems with taxiway M. Apparently, the controllers and the airport management have discussed it many times and are trying to figure out how to deal with it. He is the person who told me that taxiway M is only 25 ft long. He asked if I had any suggestions as to how to avoid the problem. I have spent many hours thinking about the event and have tried to identify what subconsciously coerced me to cross onto runway 20. I am convinced that being able to see the hold short line while still on the ramp, was what influenced me. Being able to see the hold short line, put me in a frame of mind that the next taxi instruction will put me onto the runway. Usually, when I am cleared by ground to taxi to a wy, I expect to taxi for a while. I have never before had to only taxi 3 ft to a runway. Also, having the hold short lie of my intended departure runway in my windshield only 30 ft in front of me is typical of having already been cleared to that runway, and having been done with the runup, and ready to taxi for taxi for takeoff or position and hold. Taxiway M is 25 ft long and perpendicular to 20. I suggest that taxiway M be repaved to incorporate a 90 degree turn to the right, a 50 ft long stretch where the hold short line should be drawn, and then a 90 degree turn to the left in order to go onto the body of the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A C177 INADVERTENTLY CROSSED THE RWY HOLD SHORT LINE.

Narrative: I WAS AT HGR ARPT AND WAS PARKED ON THE RAMP OF THE FBO. HIS RAMP IS ADJACENT TO TXWY M WHICH LEADS TO RWY 20. AS I WAS GETTING AWOS OR ASOS, I NOTICED AN ACFT DOING ITS RUNUP ON THE OTHER SIDE OF RWY 20 AND TKOF ON RWY 20. I DID MY RUNUP ON THE RAMP, ADJACENT TO, BUT SHORT OF TXWY M. THAT AREA IS FAR FROM ANY BUILDINGS, OBSTRUCTIONS, RAMP VEHICLES, OR PEOPLE. IT ALSO PROVIDES A PROP WASH AREA TO A GRASS FIELD THAT WOULD CAUSE NO HARM TO ANYONE OR ANYTHING. I CONTACTED GND AND TOLD THEM I WAS AT THE RAMP OF WITH THE NUMBERS LOOKING TO DEPART TO THE NE. THEY CLRED ME TO EITHER RWY 27 OR RWY 9 (I FORGET WHICH ONE THEY CLRED ME TO). I ASKED FOR RWY 20. THEY CLRED ME TO RWY 20. I WAS LATER TOLD THAT IT IS ONLY 25 FT LONG. AT THIS POINT, I WAS DEFINITELY ON THE RAMP, WITH NO PART OF MY ACFT ON TXWY M. IN MY WINDSHIELD, THE ONLY LINE I SEE IS THE HOLD SHORT LINE OF RWY 20 ON TXWY M. I DON'T SEE THE LINE THAT DESIGNATES THE END OF THE RAMP AND THE BEGINNING OF TXWY M BECAUSE IT IS BELOW MY WINDSHIELD AND OUT OF MY VIEW. THE HOLD SHORT LINE IS ONLY 30 FT AWAY OR SO. THIS IS THE VIEW I ORDINARILY SEE WHEN I AM ABOUT TO BE CLRED TO POS AND HOLD OR TO TAKE OFF. WHEN I RECEIVED CLRNC ON THE GND FREQ TO TAXI TO RWY 20, IT DID NOT CLICK TO ME THAT ALL I NEED TO DO IS CROSS THE TXWY/RAMP LINE AND STOP (I WOULD HAVE ONLY NEEDED TO MOVE 3 OR 4 FT TO DO THAT). MY PREVIOUS VISUAL CUES EXPERIENCE BIASED ME INTO EXPECTING THE NEXT TAXI INSTRUCTION TO BE EITHER TO 'POS AND HOLD' OR TO 'TAKE OFF.' THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT GND CTL ONLY CLRED ME TO TAXI TO RWY 20. UNFORTUNATELY, MY VISUAL CUES TOOK OVER AND I CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NO INCURSION. AS I CROSSED IT, THE GND PERSON GOT ON THE FREQ AND SAID 'I KNEW YOU WERE GOING TO DO THAT,' AND CONTINUED WITH OTHER STATEMENTS POINTING OUT THAT I HAD JUST CROSSED ONTO THE RWY WITHOUT PERMISSION. HE COMPLETED THE XMISSION BY INSTRUCTING ME TO TAKE OFF ON RWY 20. THE EXACT WORDS/STATEMENT/INSTRUCTIONS AFTER THE INITIAL 'I KNEW YOU WERE GOING TO DO THAT' I DON'T REMEMBER. HOWEVER, AS A RESULT OF MY XING THE HOLD SHORT LINE, HE CLRED ME ONTO AND CLRED ME FOR TKOF FROM RWY 29 WHILE STILL ON THE GND FREQ. I BELIEVE THAT MY MISTAKE MAY HAVE PREOCCUPIED A VERY COURTEOUS AND PROFESSIONAL CTLR TO FIX THE SIT THAT I CREATED BY CLRING ME FOR TKOF WHILE STILL ON GND FREQ. AT THIS POINT, I CONTINUED THE TAXI INTO THE ACTUAL BODY OF THE RWY. I THEN REALIZED THAT WE WERE STILL ON THE GND FREQ. I POSITIONED AND HELD ON RWY 20 AND CONTACTED GND. I TOLD GND THAT I WAS ON RWY 20 READY FOR TKOF AND ASKED IF I SHOULD TAKE OFF WHILE STILL ON THE GND FREQ. HE ASKED ME TO SWITCH TO TWR. I DID SO, ANNOUNCED MY POS AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAKE OFF ON RWY 20. I HAVE SPOKEN TO THAT CTLR ON THE PHONE SINCE. HE HAS BEEN VERY COURTEOUS AND WAS VERY PROFESSIONAL IN HIS DEALING WITH MY MISTAKE. HE SAID THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MANY SIMILAR PROBS WITH TXWY M. APPARENTLY, THE CTLRS AND THE ARPT MGMNT HAVE DISCUSSED IT MANY TIMES AND ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DEAL WITH IT. HE IS THE PERSON WHO TOLD ME THAT TXWY M IS ONLY 25 FT LONG. HE ASKED IF I HAD ANY SUGGESTIONS AS TO HOW TO AVOID THE PROB. I HAVE SPENT MANY HRS THINKING ABOUT THE EVENT AND HAVE TRIED TO IDENT WHAT SUBCONSCIOUSLY COERCED ME TO CROSS ONTO RWY 20. I AM CONVINCED THAT BEING ABLE TO SEE THE HOLD SHORT LINE WHILE STILL ON THE RAMP, WAS WHAT INFLUENCED ME. BEING ABLE TO SEE THE HOLD SHORT LINE, PUT ME IN A FRAME OF MIND THAT THE NEXT TAXI INSTRUCTION WILL PUT ME ONTO THE RWY. USUALLY, WHEN I AM CLRED BY GND TO TAXI TO A WY, I EXPECT TO TAXI FOR A WHILE. I HAVE NEVER BEFORE HAD TO ONLY TAXI 3 FT TO A RWY. ALSO, HAVING THE HOLD SHORT LIE OF MY INTENDED DEP RWY IN MY WINDSHIELD ONLY 30 FT IN FRONT OF ME IS TYPICAL OF HAVING ALREADY BEEN CLRED TO THAT RWY, AND HAVING BEEN DONE WITH THE RUNUP, AND READY TO TAXI FOR TAXI FOR TKOF OR POS AND HOLD. TXWY M IS 25 FT LONG AND PERPENDICULAR TO 20. I SUGGEST THAT TXWY M BE REPAVED TO INCORPORATE A 90 DEG TURN TO THE R, A 50 FT LONG STRETCH WHERE THE HOLD SHORT LINE SHOULD BE DRAWN, AND THEN A 90 DEG TURN TO THE L IN ORDER TO GO ONTO THE BODY OF 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.