Narrative:

On jan/xa/01, at approximately XA30 am I landed a C210 on runway 2R at pdk. At that time, I was on official united states government business. I taxied off the runway onto taxiway D and stopped the airplane. I thought the tower controller had told me to switch to the ground control frequency, but wasn't sure so I called the tower again advising I was holding for instructions. The tower controller told me to cross runway 2L and contact ground. At the time, I was holding on taxiway D adjacent to the point on my immediate left where runways 2L and 34 intersect, so I proceeded to cross the runways to a holding point at taxiway a where I contacted ground for further taxi clearance. The ground controller cleared me to taxi to the west ramp of the airport, but advised me that I had crossed runway 34 without clearance to do so. The ground controller further told me to please be more careful, etc. I remember being confused because I thought I had crossed at the point where the runways intersected and assumed the clearance was good to cross both runways. After shutdown I initiated a call to the tower (I was not requested to do so) and spoke to the tower manager. He advised me that the controller had wanted me to continue straight ahead on taxiway D to cross runway 2L and then hold short of runway 34 and contact ground. I explained why I had crossed where I had, and told him I believed I had a valid clearance to cross at the runway intersection barring something in the way of more definitive instruction to the contrary. We both agreed that the txwys and runways at pdk often confuse pilots as to their location on the field with respect to taxi and hold instructions. The tower manager admitted there is a higher than normal incidence of taxi errors at pdk. Runway/taxiway markings at pdk have recently been improved, but the numerous crossing runways and adjacent txwys still create confusion both day and night.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C210 COMMERCIAL PLT CROSSES RWY 34 WITHOUT CLRNC AT PDK, GA.

Narrative: ON JAN/XA/01, AT APPROX XA30 AM I LANDED A C210 ON RWY 2R AT PDK. AT THAT TIME, I WAS ON OFFICIAL UNITED STATES GOV BUSINESS. I TAXIED OFF THE RWY ONTO TXWY D AND STOPPED THE AIRPLANE. I THOUGHT THE TWR CTLR HAD TOLD ME TO SWITCH TO THE GND CTL FREQ, BUT WASN'T SURE SO I CALLED THE TWR AGAIN ADVISING I WAS HOLDING FOR INSTRUCTIONS. THE TWR CTLR TOLD ME TO CROSS RWY 2L AND CONTACT GND. AT THE TIME, I WAS HOLDING ON TXWY D ADJACENT TO THE POINT ON MY IMMEDIATE L WHERE RWYS 2L AND 34 INTERSECT, SO I PROCEEDED TO CROSS THE RWYS TO A HOLDING POINT AT TXWY A WHERE I CONTACTED GND FOR FURTHER TAXI CLRNC. THE GND CTLR CLRED ME TO TAXI TO THE W RAMP OF THE ARPT, BUT ADVISED ME THAT I HAD CROSSED RWY 34 WITHOUT CLRNC TO DO SO. THE GND CTLR FURTHER TOLD ME TO PLEASE BE MORE CAREFUL, ETC. I REMEMBER BEING CONFUSED BECAUSE I THOUGHT I HAD CROSSED AT THE POINT WHERE THE RWYS INTERSECTED AND ASSUMED THE CLRNC WAS GOOD TO CROSS BOTH RWYS. AFTER SHUTDOWN I INITIATED A CALL TO THE TWR (I WAS NOT REQUESTED TO DO SO) AND SPOKE TO THE TWR MGR. HE ADVISED ME THAT THE CTLR HAD WANTED ME TO CONTINUE STRAIGHT AHEAD ON TXWY D TO CROSS RWY 2L AND THEN HOLD SHORT OF RWY 34 AND CONTACT GND. I EXPLAINED WHY I HAD CROSSED WHERE I HAD, AND TOLD HIM I BELIEVED I HAD A VALID CLRNC TO CROSS AT THE RWY INTXN BARRING SOMETHING IN THE WAY OF MORE DEFINITIVE INSTRUCTION TO THE CONTRARY. WE BOTH AGREED THAT THE TXWYS AND RWYS AT PDK OFTEN CONFUSE PLTS AS TO THEIR LOCATION ON THE FIELD WITH RESPECT TO TAXI AND HOLD INSTRUCTIONS. THE TWR MGR ADMITTED THERE IS A HIGHER THAN NORMAL INCIDENCE OF TAXI ERRORS AT PDK. RWY/TXWY MARKINGS AT PDK HAVE RECENTLY BEEN IMPROVED, BUT THE NUMEROUS XING RWYS AND ADJACENT TXWYS STILL CREATE CONFUSION BOTH DAY AND NIGHT.

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.