Narrative:

I was preparing to return to hawthorne airport from riverside airport in a cessna 172. Having obtained the ATIS, I proceeded to follow the checklist for engine start. I contacted riverside ground and asked to taxi to runway nine. Riverside ground informed me that they were in the process of changing to runway 34 and cleared me to taxi to runway 34. Not being sure how far wet runway 34 was from where I was parked, I requested progressive taxiing. They instructed me to taxi west on taxiway a and turn left (or south) on B. I exited the transient parking area through the nearest opening and proceeded west on a. I saw no taxi or runway signs, but expecting directives from ground control, I proceeded until I encountered an area that I thought might be B. At that time I saw the hold short markings on the west side of runway 34 (for eastbound traffic on a) and realized that I was on the active runway. A quick glance to my left revealed an aircraft C0MING toward me and quite close. I knew I had to clear the runway and rolling, I elected to continue across as the quickest way to exit. I cleared the runway by mere inches when the plane on it's takeoff run passed behind and slightly above me. When I crossed the west hold short line, I turned around, contacted riverside ground, told him what had happened and requested clearance to taxi back across runway 34. Ground cleared me across. I was somewhat shaken by the experience. The flight back to hawthorne was uneventful. The next day, I drove back to riverside airport to see if I could determine how I could have missed seeing signs as prominent as taxiway and runway designations. The north ramp, west ramp, and B taxiway are all part of the same concrete slab. Transient parking, on the north ramp, is maybe two hundred ft east of the edge of runway 34. It appears that I may have proceeded far enough west on taxiway a that the signs were at an oblique angle and commanded little attention. I think that I may have avoided the problem had I taken the time to review a plate depicting the airport layout and or placing too much dependence on ground control. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: after rptrs return, he was able to familiarize himself more thoroughly with the airport layout. He was not deped on runway 34 again, but advised that all other signage is clearly visible. Supplemental information: a tower specialist advised the airport replaced all its signage two yrs ago to meet new FAA requirements. The tower is not aware of any specific airport signage problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT, UNFAMILIAR WITH RAL ARPT, INCURS RWY 34 FROM TXWY A WHEN LOOKING FOR TXWY B.

Narrative: I WAS PREPARING TO RETURN TO HAWTHORNE ARPT FROM RIVERSIDE ARPT IN A CESSNA 172. HAVING OBTAINED THE ATIS, I PROCEEDED TO FOLLOW THE CHKLIST FOR ENGINE START. I CONTACTED RIVERSIDE GND AND ASKED TO TAXI TO RWY NINE. RIVERSIDE GND INFORMED ME THAT THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGING TO RWY 34 AND CLRED ME TO TAXI TO RWY 34. NOT BEING SURE HOW FAR WET RWY 34 WAS FROM WHERE I WAS PARKED, I REQUESTED PROGRESSIVE TAXIING. THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO TAXI W ON TXWY A AND TURN L (OR S) ON B. I EXITED THE TRANSIENT PARKING AREA THROUGH THE NEAREST OPENING AND PROCEEDED W ON A. I SAW NO TAXI OR RWY SIGNS, BUT EXPECTING DIRECTIVES FROM GND CTL, I PROCEEDED UNTIL I ENCOUNTERED AN AREA THAT I THOUGHT MIGHT BE B. AT THAT TIME I SAW THE HOLD SHORT MARKINGS ON THE W SIDE OF RWY 34 (FOR EBOUND TFC ON A) AND REALIZED THAT I WAS ON THE ACTIVE RWY. A QUICK GLANCE TO MY L REVEALED AN ACFT C0MING TOWARD ME AND QUITE CLOSE. I KNEW I HAD TO CLR THE RWY AND ROLLING, I ELECTED TO CONTINUE ACROSS AS THE QUICKEST WAY TO EXIT. I CLRED THE RWY BY MERE INCHES WHEN THE PLANE ON IT'S TKOF RUN PASSED BEHIND AND SLIGHTLY ABOVE ME. WHEN I CROSSED THE W HOLD SHORT LINE, I TURNED AROUND, CONTACTED RIVERSIDE GND, TOLD HIM WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND REQUESTED CLRNC TO TAXI BACK ACROSS RWY 34. GND CLRED ME ACROSS. I WAS SOMEWHAT SHAKEN BY THE EXPERIENCE. THE FLT BACK TO HAWTHORNE WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE NEXT DAY, I DROVE BACK TO RIVERSIDE ARPT TO SEE IF I COULD DETERMINE HOW I COULD HAVE MISSED SEEING SIGNS AS PROMINENT AS TXWY AND RWY DESIGNATIONS. THE N RAMP, W RAMP, AND B TXWY ARE ALL PART OF THE SAME CONCRETE SLAB. TRANSIENT PARKING, ON THE N RAMP, IS MAYBE TWO HUNDRED FT E OF THE EDGE OF RWY 34. IT APPEARS THAT I MAY HAVE PROCEEDED FAR ENOUGH W ON TXWY A THAT THE SIGNS WERE AT AN OBLIQUE ANGLE AND COMMANDED LITTLE ATTENTION. I THINK THAT I MAY HAVE AVOIDED THE PROB HAD I TAKEN THE TIME TO REVIEW A PLATE DEPICTING THE ARPT LAYOUT AND OR PLACING TOO MUCH DEPENDENCE ON GND CTL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: AFTER RPTRS RETURN, HE WAS ABLE TO FAMILIARIZE HIMSELF MORE THOROUGHLY WITH THE ARPT LAYOUT. HE WAS NOT DEPED ON RWY 34 AGAIN, BUT ADVISED THAT ALL OTHER SIGNAGE IS CLRLY VISIBLE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO: A TWR SPECIALIST ADVISED THE ARPT REPLACED ALL ITS SIGNAGE TWO YRS AGO TO MEET NEW FAA REQUIREMENTS. THE TWR IS NOT AWARE OF ANY SPECIFIC ARPT SIGNAGE PROBS.

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.