Narrative:

After preflight I received/copied ATIS and received a clearance from ground control. Both clearance and ground control were on the same frequency due to the late hour. I had also queued (tuned) the tower in on the second radio. Ground control advised to proceed to runway 34L. I did the run-up activities while taxiing to runway 34L. When I arrived at the intersection of taxiway a, I could see no run-up area. I believe I again contacted ground to verify I was to proceed to runway 34L, which was confirmed. I then noted another aircraft facing me, 25-50 yds away. Having proceeded down taxiway a, thinking I was holding up the flow of traffic, I proceeded toward the direction of runway 34L. My thoughts were to double check the run-up activities checklist in the run-up area before taking off. There was no run-up area. I checked the radios and saw I had tower dialed in and thought I had talked to tower, but did not remember having been cleared into position. I thought I'd better check with tower, so I taxied to the left side of the taxiway, making room for the other aircraft, which I then realized was a caravan, to pass while I checked with tower. While watching for the caravan, I turned back to the taxiway and realized I had just started/passed over the runway hold short marker. I contacted 'tower' immediately to determine if I had been cleared to hold on runway 34L. I was immediately informed I was still on ground frequency and it was then I realized my error. I was instructed to return to the GA building and phone in. My contact informed me that I might be held responsible for a runway incursion, and that there was the possibility of some action taken due to my activities. It was dark. I was unfamiliar with this departure procedure (runway 34L) and thought I was following instructions. Most of my activities over the years at smf were runway 16 departures, where there is a run-up area, and usually during daylight operations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE35 INCURS RWY AT SMF WHEN WANTING TO MAKE ADDITIONAL ROOM FOR AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION C208 ON TXWY.

Narrative: AFTER PREFLT I RECEIVED/COPIED ATIS AND RECEIVED A CLRNC FROM GND CTL. BOTH CLRNC AND GND CTL WERE ON THE SAME FREQ DUE TO THE LATE HR. I HAD ALSO QUEUED (TUNED) THE TWR IN ON THE SECOND RADIO. GND CTL ADVISED TO PROCEED TO RWY 34L. I DID THE RUN-UP ACTIVITIES WHILE TAXIING TO RWY 34L. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE INTXN OF TXWY A, I COULD SEE NO RUN-UP AREA. I BELIEVE I AGAIN CONTACTED GND TO VERIFY I WAS TO PROCEED TO RWY 34L, WHICH WAS CONFIRMED. I THEN NOTED ANOTHER ACFT FACING ME, 25-50 YDS AWAY. HAVING PROCEEDED DOWN TXWY A, THINKING I WAS HOLDING UP THE FLOW OF TFC, I PROCEEDED TOWARD THE DIRECTION OF RWY 34L. MY THOUGHTS WERE TO DOUBLE CHK THE RUN-UP ACTIVITIES CHKLIST IN THE RUN-UP AREA BEFORE TAKING OFF. THERE WAS NO RUN-UP AREA. I CHKED THE RADIOS AND SAW I HAD TWR DIALED IN AND THOUGHT I HAD TALKED TO TWR, BUT DID NOT REMEMBER HAVING BEEN CLRED INTO POS. I THOUGHT I'D BETTER CHK WITH TWR, SO I TAXIED TO THE L SIDE OF THE TXWY, MAKING ROOM FOR THE OTHER ACFT, WHICH I THEN REALIZED WAS A CARAVAN, TO PASS WHILE I CHKED WITH TWR. WHILE WATCHING FOR THE CARAVAN, I TURNED BACK TO THE TXWY AND REALIZED I HAD JUST STARTED/PASSED OVER THE RWY HOLD SHORT MARKER. I CONTACTED 'TWR' IMMEDIATELY TO DETERMINE IF I HAD BEEN CLRED TO HOLD ON RWY 34L. I WAS IMMEDIATELY INFORMED I WAS STILL ON GND FREQ AND IT WAS THEN I REALIZED MY ERROR. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO RETURN TO THE GA BUILDING AND PHONE IN. MY CONTACT INFORMED ME THAT I MIGHT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR A RWY INCURSION, AND THAT THERE WAS THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME ACTION TAKEN DUE TO MY ACTIVITIES. IT WAS DARK. I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS DEP PROC (RWY 34L) AND THOUGHT I WAS FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS. MOST OF MY ACTIVITIES OVER THE YEARS AT SMF WERE RWY 16 DEPS, WHERE THERE IS A RUN-UP AREA, AND USUALLY DURING DAYLIGHT OPS.

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.