Narrative:

I was directed to taxi to the mid field run-up area at sna which contains a holding position for runway 1L at its boundary. After completing a run-up procedure, the controller cleared me to runway 1R. Since I was already at a runway hold short line, I interpreted the controller's directive to advance to the runway. I was in clear sight of the tower and the only aircraft of my type (M20T mooney) within the run-up area. I called the tower while on the runway and was cleared for takeoff. I was not advised of any traffic behind or ahead of me. Approximately 30 mins after takeoff, socal approach notified me that the tower would like me to call them when I landed. I called them immediately upon landing on a cell phone and they told me that I took the runway without permission. I have departed sna several hundred times in the last 4 yrs and used the north facing runways only 4 times due to the prevailing southerly winds. I have never received taxi instructions to a runway that did not include progressive instructions and a hold short directive in the clearance. I perceived the controller's directive after the fact to have been ambiguous and not in keeping with normal operations at sna. A possible complication was the use of the north facing runways which creates congestion just to the east of the run-up area with the commercial jets moving up charlie and then alpha txwys to the long runway 1L and the smaller GA airplanes moving north to the displaced runway 1R. The alleged incursion would never have happened if the controller simply said the very unambiguous 'hold short of runway 1R.' it is my opinion that the controller's directive to advance to runway 1R when I was already clearly in position at runway 1R was at worst a mistake and at best a variation of normal protocol.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN M20P PLT TAXIING FOR TKOF AT SNA TAXIED INTO POS ON HIS ASSIGNED DEP RWY WITHOUT A CLRNC.

Narrative: I WAS DIRECTED TO TAXI TO THE MID FIELD RUN-UP AREA AT SNA WHICH CONTAINS A HOLDING POS FOR RWY 1L AT ITS BOUNDARY. AFTER COMPLETING A RUN-UP PROC, THE CTLR CLRED ME TO RWY 1R. SINCE I WAS ALREADY AT A RWY HOLD SHORT LINE, I INTERPED THE CTLR'S DIRECTIVE TO ADVANCE TO THE RWY. I WAS IN CLR SIGHT OF THE TWR AND THE ONLY ACFT OF MY TYPE (M20T MOONEY) WITHIN THE RUN-UP AREA. I CALLED THE TWR WHILE ON THE RWY AND WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. I WAS NOT ADVISED OF ANY TFC BEHIND OR AHEAD OF ME. APPROX 30 MINS AFTER TKOF, SOCAL APCH NOTIFIED ME THAT THE TWR WOULD LIKE ME TO CALL THEM WHEN I LANDED. I CALLED THEM IMMEDIATELY UPON LNDG ON A CELL PHONE AND THEY TOLD ME THAT I TOOK THE RWY WITHOUT PERMISSION. I HAVE DEPARTED SNA SEVERAL HUNDRED TIMES IN THE LAST 4 YRS AND USED THE N FACING RWYS ONLY 4 TIMES DUE TO THE PREVAILING SOUTHERLY WINDS. I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO A RWY THAT DID NOT INCLUDE PROGRESSIVE INSTRUCTIONS AND A HOLD SHORT DIRECTIVE IN THE CLRNC. I PERCEIVED THE CTLR'S DIRECTIVE AFTER THE FACT TO HAVE BEEN AMBIGUOUS AND NOT IN KEEPING WITH NORMAL OPS AT SNA. A POSSIBLE COMPLICATION WAS THE USE OF THE N FACING RWYS WHICH CREATES CONGESTION JUST TO THE E OF THE RUN-UP AREA WITH THE COMMERCIAL JETS MOVING UP CHARLIE AND THEN ALPHA TXWYS TO THE LONG RWY 1L AND THE SMALLER GA AIRPLANES MOVING N TO THE DISPLACED RWY 1R. THE ALLEGED INCURSION WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED IF THE CTLR SIMPLY SAID THE VERY UNAMBIGUOUS 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 1R.' IT IS MY OPINION THAT THE CTLR'S DIRECTIVE TO ADVANCE TO RWY 1R WHEN I WAS ALREADY CLRLY IN POS AT RWY 1R WAS AT WORST A MISTAKE AND AT BEST A VARIATION OF NORMAL PROTOCOL.

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.