Narrative:

The purpose of the flight was to return home from a business trip. While loading and conducting a preflight, noted runways 32L/right were the active runways, with a helicopter conducting a number of low approachs on runway 32L. I had filed an IFR flight plan. I expected a departure on runway 32R due to an expected right turn on departure and the local traffic using runway 32L. I confirmed on ATIS that the active runways were runway 32L/right and were included in my notes. During taxi, I was distraction and when I looked back at my runway clearance, I saw my ATIS notes with runway 32L/right with a line through the left and 'saw' I was cleared to runway 32R. As I approached the hold short line for runway 32L, I looked down both ends and the approach end closest to me for aircraft or activity. There was no activity and crossed runway 32L, stopping at the hold short line for runway 32R. As I was about to start my run-up, ground called and made me aware of my crossing an active runway. I asked if I should taxi back to runway 32L and was told to hold short of runway 32R. Once passed the helicopter on taxi out, I looked down to confirm runway assignment and saw runway 32L/right with a line through left. During preflight, I expected runway 32R and the taxi instructions to turn 'right' may have ingrained more 'right' into my thought process. My new process of marking ATIS notes didn't seem to confuse me at the time as I saw what I expected to see, runway 32R. It is now obvious I was confused by my notes, but didn't know it. Corrective actions: mention preparation. It is expected that every pilot fully prepare for flight and what to expect. In the future when a clearance or other situation is different than expected, I will take mental and written notice to help me focus on the differences and required action. I will be back to including the assigned runway in my clearance notes. Distrs are a part of life, but in the future when something out of the ordinary occurs, I will focus on what I'm supposed to do, and if not sure -- ask ATC. For more than 10 yrs, I was based at a very busy class C facility and 8 months ago relocated to a much slower paced class D facility. Having been based at a busy class C and frequently flying to other class C and B facilities, I have always been careful and alert at these busy and many times unfamiliar airports. I never took shortcuts on writing and confirming clrncs and never hesitated to ask for clarification on crossing runways, progressive taxi instructions, etc. The unhurried and mostly simple layouts of class D airports lulled me into a complacent attitude, one that could have resulted in disaster. I had made and now recognized an error. Instead of advising tower I was holding short and ready to go, I should have informed the tower that I apparently made a mistake and wanted to go back to the ramp to review other aspects of my flight. When an error has been recognized -- stop and think.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PVT TWIN PLT MISREADS PREFLT NOTES AND INCURS RWY AT MIC ARPT.

Narrative: THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS TO RETURN HOME FROM A BUSINESS TRIP. WHILE LOADING AND CONDUCTING A PREFLT, NOTED RWYS 32L/R WERE THE ACTIVE RWYS, WITH A HELI CONDUCTING A NUMBER OF LOW APCHS ON RWY 32L. I HAD FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN. I EXPECTED A DEP ON RWY 32R DUE TO AN EXPECTED R TURN ON DEP AND THE LCL TFC USING RWY 32L. I CONFIRMED ON ATIS THAT THE ACTIVE RWYS WERE RWY 32L/R AND WERE INCLUDED IN MY NOTES. DURING TAXI, I WAS DISTR AND WHEN I LOOKED BACK AT MY RWY CLRNC, I SAW MY ATIS NOTES WITH RWY 32L/R WITH A LINE THROUGH THE L AND 'SAW' I WAS CLRED TO RWY 32R. AS I APCHED THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 32L, I LOOKED DOWN BOTH ENDS AND THE APCH END CLOSEST TO ME FOR ACFT OR ACTIVITY. THERE WAS NO ACTIVITY AND CROSSED RWY 32L, STOPPING AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 32R. AS I WAS ABOUT TO START MY RUN-UP, GND CALLED AND MADE ME AWARE OF MY XING AN ACTIVE RWY. I ASKED IF I SHOULD TAXI BACK TO RWY 32L AND WAS TOLD TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 32R. ONCE PASSED THE HELI ON TAXI OUT, I LOOKED DOWN TO CONFIRM RWY ASSIGNMENT AND SAW RWY 32L/R WITH A LINE THROUGH L. DURING PREFLT, I EXPECTED RWY 32R AND THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN 'R' MAY HAVE INGRAINED MORE 'R' INTO MY THOUGHT PROCESS. MY NEW PROCESS OF MARKING ATIS NOTES DIDN'T SEEM TO CONFUSE ME AT THE TIME AS I SAW WHAT I EXPECTED TO SEE, RWY 32R. IT IS NOW OBVIOUS I WAS CONFUSED BY MY NOTES, BUT DIDN'T KNOW IT. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: MENTION PREPARATION. IT IS EXPECTED THAT EVERY PLT FULLY PREPARE FOR FLT AND WHAT TO EXPECT. IN THE FUTURE WHEN A CLRNC OR OTHER SIT IS DIFFERENT THAN EXPECTED, I WILL TAKE MENTAL AND WRITTEN NOTICE TO HELP ME FOCUS ON THE DIFFERENCES AND REQUIRED ACTION. I WILL BE BACK TO INCLUDING THE ASSIGNED RWY IN MY CLRNC NOTES. DISTRS ARE A PART OF LIFE, BUT IN THE FUTURE WHEN SOMETHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY OCCURS, I WILL FOCUS ON WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO DO, AND IF NOT SURE -- ASK ATC. FOR MORE THAN 10 YRS, I WAS BASED AT A VERY BUSY CLASS C FACILITY AND 8 MONTHS AGO RELOCATED TO A MUCH SLOWER PACED CLASS D FACILITY. HAVING BEEN BASED AT A BUSY CLASS C AND FREQUENTLY FLYING TO OTHER CLASS C AND B FACILITIES, I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN CAREFUL AND ALERT AT THESE BUSY AND MANY TIMES UNFAMILIAR ARPTS. I NEVER TOOK SHORTCUTS ON WRITING AND CONFIRMING CLRNCS AND NEVER HESITATED TO ASK FOR CLARIFICATION ON XING RWYS, PROGRESSIVE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, ETC. THE UNHURRIED AND MOSTLY SIMPLE LAYOUTS OF CLASS D ARPTS LULLED ME INTO A COMPLACENT ATTITUDE, ONE THAT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN DISASTER. I HAD MADE AND NOW RECOGNIZED AN ERROR. INSTEAD OF ADVISING TWR I WAS HOLDING SHORT AND READY TO GO, I SHOULD HAVE INFORMED THE TWR THAT I APPARENTLY MADE A MISTAKE AND WANTED TO GO BACK TO THE RAMP TO REVIEW OTHER ASPECTS OF MY FLT. WHEN AN ERROR HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED -- STOP AND THINK.

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.