Narrative:

I was taxiing out for a VFR departure and was cleared to taxi to runway 23. I had just arrived earlier in the day, landed on runway 23 and remembered crossing the approach end of runway 13 while taxiing in. I had a small airport diagram on my knee board (from an aviation web site). I was taxiing from the main ramp area and did not see a red and white sign telling me what runway I was coming up on. I stopped at the hold short line and could see a '3' on my side but the number on the other side looked too narrow to be a '2.' I looked at my directional gyro and the runway did not appear that it was in the right direction to be runway 23, so I thought I was coming up on runway 13 again. As I started to roll across the line, I remembered the trouble I had with the directional gyro precessing on the last flight and looked at the compass. I immediately turned around and went back across the hold short line. I have taken an aviation safety program and attend the frequent safety seminars. I just completed my program and the seminar I attended was on runway incursion. I feel I did not take sufficient time before starting my taxi to be sure I knew the route to the runway. Contributing was the error in the directional gyro and the apparent lack of a sign (it may be there, but I did not see it) identing the runway. Next time, if I am in doubt as to my position, I will call ground and ask for clarification.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PLT, TAXIING FOR TKOF AT MCN, TAXIED PAST A HOLD SHORT LINE.

Narrative: I WAS TAXIING OUT FOR A VFR DEP AND WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 23. I HAD JUST ARRIVED EARLIER IN THE DAY, LANDED ON RWY 23 AND REMEMBERED XING THE APCH END OF RWY 13 WHILE TAXIING IN. I HAD A SMALL ARPT DIAGRAM ON MY KNEE BOARD (FROM AN AVIATION WEB SITE). I WAS TAXIING FROM THE MAIN RAMP AREA AND DID NOT SEE A RED AND WHITE SIGN TELLING ME WHAT RWY I WAS COMING UP ON. I STOPPED AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND COULD SEE A '3' ON MY SIDE BUT THE NUMBER ON THE OTHER SIDE LOOKED TOO NARROW TO BE A '2.' I LOOKED AT MY DIRECTIONAL GYRO AND THE RWY DID NOT APPEAR THAT IT WAS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO BE RWY 23, SO I THOUGHT I WAS COMING UP ON RWY 13 AGAIN. AS I STARTED TO ROLL ACROSS THE LINE, I REMEMBERED THE TROUBLE I HAD WITH THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO PRECESSING ON THE LAST FLT AND LOOKED AT THE COMPASS. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED AROUND AND WENT BACK ACROSS THE HOLD SHORT LINE. I HAVE TAKEN AN AVIATION SAFETY PROGRAM AND ATTEND THE FREQUENT SAFETY SEMINARS. I JUST COMPLETED MY PROGRAM AND THE SEMINAR I ATTENDED WAS ON RWY INCURSION. I FEEL I DID NOT TAKE SUFFICIENT TIME BEFORE STARTING MY TAXI TO BE SURE I KNEW THE RTE TO THE RWY. CONTRIBUTING WAS THE ERROR IN THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO AND THE APPARENT LACK OF A SIGN (IT MAY BE THERE, BUT I DID NOT SEE IT) IDENTING THE RWY. NEXT TIME, IF I AM IN DOUBT AS TO MY POS, I WILL CALL GND AND ASK FOR CLARIFICATION.

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.