Narrative:

At about XA00 I was taxiing for IFR departure from top. I was rested and the conditions were clear. I was told to taxi to runway 18, hold short of runway 13. I asked for taxi instructions and was told (I think) to take the second left. I was following the yellow line on taxiway a, looking for intersection, direction or hold short signs. I turned at which I thought was the second left. I had a sense something was wrong when I noticed the lenses on the edge lighting were clear. I was about to call ground when they called me and said I was on runway 13 and to proceed to the next exit. I then taxied to my departure runway. As I was lifting off, I looked at the area of my mistake. I could see no signage at all -- nothing on the taxiway, nothing above ground. I asked tower if I had missed a hold short sign. I was told 'no, there is no signage, it is a dangerous intersection, other pilots have made the same mistake, we are trying to address the problem and no report will be filed.' I said I was going to file a NASA form (and probably stepped on the controller's instruction to contact departure). I made several mistakes that caused this incursion. I was concentrating on local information (looking for signs) and not maintaining a big picture idea of where I was. I had been at this airport once before, then saying I was unfamiliar and asked for progressive instructions. Now I thought I was 'familiar.' I had a narrow focus of what I was looking for. A major contributing factor was the lack of signage and an unaddressed locally known problem area. At a class D airport, I expect signage -- at least a painted hold short line before all runways. I would recommend getting some signage in this area -- at least a painted hold short sign on the taxiway. I am especially embarrassed by my error because I completed a wings program last yr that focused on runway incursions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C182 PLT, TAXIING FOR TKOF AT KTOP, TAXIED ONTO AN ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT A CLRNC.

Narrative: AT ABOUT XA00 I WAS TAXIING FOR IFR DEP FROM TOP. I WAS RESTED AND THE CONDITIONS WERE CLR. I WAS TOLD TO TAXI TO RWY 18, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 13. I ASKED FOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND WAS TOLD (I THINK) TO TAKE THE SECOND L. I WAS FOLLOWING THE YELLOW LINE ON TXWY A, LOOKING FOR INTXN, DIRECTION OR HOLD SHORT SIGNS. I TURNED AT WHICH I THOUGHT WAS THE SECOND L. I HAD A SENSE SOMETHING WAS WRONG WHEN I NOTICED THE LENSES ON THE EDGE LIGHTING WERE CLR. I WAS ABOUT TO CALL GND WHEN THEY CALLED ME AND SAID I WAS ON RWY 13 AND TO PROCEED TO THE NEXT EXIT. I THEN TAXIED TO MY DEP RWY. AS I WAS LIFTING OFF, I LOOKED AT THE AREA OF MY MISTAKE. I COULD SEE NO SIGNAGE AT ALL -- NOTHING ON THE TXWY, NOTHING ABOVE GND. I ASKED TWR IF I HAD MISSED A HOLD SHORT SIGN. I WAS TOLD 'NO, THERE IS NO SIGNAGE, IT IS A DANGEROUS INTXN, OTHER PLTS HAVE MADE THE SAME MISTAKE, WE ARE TRYING TO ADDRESS THE PROB AND NO RPT WILL BE FILED.' I SAID I WAS GOING TO FILE A NASA FORM (AND PROBABLY STEPPED ON THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTION TO CONTACT DEP). I MADE SEVERAL MISTAKES THAT CAUSED THIS INCURSION. I WAS CONCENTRATING ON LCL INFO (LOOKING FOR SIGNS) AND NOT MAINTAINING A BIG PICTURE IDEA OF WHERE I WAS. I HAD BEEN AT THIS ARPT ONCE BEFORE, THEN SAYING I WAS UNFAMILIAR AND ASKED FOR PROGRESSIVE INSTRUCTIONS. NOW I THOUGHT I WAS 'FAMILIAR.' I HAD A NARROW FOCUS OF WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR. A MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE LACK OF SIGNAGE AND AN UNADDRESSED LOCALLY KNOWN PROB AREA. AT A CLASS D ARPT, I EXPECT SIGNAGE -- AT LEAST A PAINTED HOLD SHORT LINE BEFORE ALL RWYS. I WOULD RECOMMEND GETTING SOME SIGNAGE IN THIS AREA -- AT LEAST A PAINTED HOLD SHORT SIGN ON THE TXWY. I AM ESPECIALLY EMBARRASSED BY MY ERROR BECAUSE I COMPLETED A WINGS PROGRAM LAST YR THAT FOCUSED ON RWY INCURSIONS.

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.