Narrative:

I departed the FBO on the east side of the airport and was instructed to taxi to runway 9R via taxiway east and to hold short of runway 31. I acknowledged and did so. I was subsequently instructed to cross runway 31 and taxi to runway 9R. The txwys leading from the departure end of runway 31 to the departure end of runway 9R were not as I recall, particularly well marked. I relied on the airport layout chart on my commercial 11-1 approach chart for west palm beach, fl. Having briefly looked at the airport layout chart, I followed what I thought was taxiway right which runs parallel to runway 9R. I later looked again at the chart and saw the 2 parallel txwys at the end of runway 9R and thought I was on the one furthest from runway 9R. As I arrived at the approach end of runway 9R, I looked over and saw a learjet departing and thought he was on runway 9R. He was actually on runway 9L. I had inadvertently taxied across the approach end of runway 9R on my way to what I thought was runway 9R but was in fact runway 9L. How could this happen? I am a professional pilot. I have considerable flight time (more than 20 yrs). I am very careful. I have attended several FAA seminars on the issues of runway incursions. I have carefully watched the recently produced FAA 'trigger tapes' video on runway incursions. My poi has reviewed these issues with me during the course of far part 135 check rides. What went wrong here? I thought I was vigilant, but I failed to meet the performance standard required. Several things contributed to my incursion. The depiction of the runways on the airport layout plan chart is misleading in that they are not drawn to scale. Runway 9L is 150 ft wide, whereas runway 9R is 75 ft wide. Looking at the diagram rather than the actual data on the chart would lead one to think that both runways are of nearly equal width. When I saw the lear, I saw what I expected based on my understanding of the diagram. I can't imagine that I am the first person to make this error at this airport. I recommend that red colored pavement marking (such as those found at logan airport in boston, ma) be installed on all surfaces where local controllers have observed repeated problems. If a trained, conscientious, professional pilot such as myself can make this error then others can, too.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE58 PLT, TAXIING FOR TKOF AT PBI, CROSSED HIS ASSIGNED RWY WITHOUT A CLRNC.

Narrative: I DEPARTED THE FBO ON THE E SIDE OF THE ARPT AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO RWY 9R VIA TXWY E AND TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 31. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND DID SO. I WAS SUBSEQUENTLY INSTRUCTED TO CROSS RWY 31 AND TAXI TO RWY 9R. THE TXWYS LEADING FROM THE DEP END OF RWY 31 TO THE DEP END OF RWY 9R WERE NOT AS I RECALL, PARTICULARLY WELL MARKED. I RELIED ON THE ARPT LAYOUT CHART ON MY COMMERCIAL 11-1 APCH CHART FOR WEST PALM BEACH, FL. HAVING BRIEFLY LOOKED AT THE ARPT LAYOUT CHART, I FOLLOWED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS TXWY R WHICH RUNS PARALLEL TO RWY 9R. I LATER LOOKED AGAIN AT THE CHART AND SAW THE 2 PARALLEL TXWYS AT THE END OF RWY 9R AND THOUGHT I WAS ON THE ONE FURTHEST FROM RWY 9R. AS I ARRIVED AT THE APCH END OF RWY 9R, I LOOKED OVER AND SAW A LEARJET DEPARTING AND THOUGHT HE WAS ON RWY 9R. HE WAS ACTUALLY ON RWY 9L. I HAD INADVERTENTLY TAXIED ACROSS THE APCH END OF RWY 9R ON MY WAY TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS RWY 9R BUT WAS IN FACT RWY 9L. HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN? I AM A PROFESSIONAL PLT. I HAVE CONSIDERABLE FLT TIME (MORE THAN 20 YRS). I AM VERY CAREFUL. I HAVE ATTENDED SEVERAL FAA SEMINARS ON THE ISSUES OF RWY INCURSIONS. I HAVE CAREFULLY WATCHED THE RECENTLY PRODUCED FAA 'TRIGGER TAPES' VIDEO ON RWY INCURSIONS. MY POI HAS REVIEWED THESE ISSUES WITH ME DURING THE COURSE OF FAR PART 135 CHK RIDES. WHAT WENT WRONG HERE? I THOUGHT I WAS VIGILANT, BUT I FAILED TO MEET THE PERFORMANCE STANDARD REQUIRED. SEVERAL THINGS CONTRIBUTED TO MY INCURSION. THE DEPICTION OF THE RWYS ON THE ARPT LAYOUT PLAN CHART IS MISLEADING IN THAT THEY ARE NOT DRAWN TO SCALE. RWY 9L IS 150 FT WIDE, WHEREAS RWY 9R IS 75 FT WIDE. LOOKING AT THE DIAGRAM RATHER THAN THE ACTUAL DATA ON THE CHART WOULD LEAD ONE TO THINK THAT BOTH RWYS ARE OF NEARLY EQUAL WIDTH. WHEN I SAW THE LEAR, I SAW WHAT I EXPECTED BASED ON MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE DIAGRAM. I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT I AM THE FIRST PERSON TO MAKE THIS ERROR AT THIS ARPT. I RECOMMEND THAT RED COLORED PAVEMENT MARKING (SUCH AS THOSE FOUND AT LOGAN ARPT IN BOSTON, MA) BE INSTALLED ON ALL SURFACES WHERE LCL CTLRS HAVE OBSERVED REPEATED PROBS. IF A TRAINED, CONSCIENTIOUS, PROFESSIONAL PLT SUCH AS MYSELF CAN MAKE THIS ERROR THEN OTHERS CAN, TOO.

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.