Narrative:

We arrived at msn without incident, landing on runway 21. After a short stay on ground we contacted clearance delivery and were approved to shoot photos over the southeast corner of the airport. We asked for and received a progressive taxi from the south ramp to runway 21 for departure. After about an hour of flying overhead, we landed on runway 21 and returned to the ramp for debriefing. At about XA30 we were planning to return to ZZZ. We contacted clearance delivery and were given taxi instructions to what I now believe to have been to runway 31. I read back the instructions, and taxied to runway 21, crossing runway 31 at one point in the taxi. When I called to tower to report ready for takeoff he cleared me for departure on runway 31. I called back and notified him that we were on the departure end of runway 21. He asked if runway 21 would work for my departure, I said it would and we took off. As I think about the entire situation, I can identify a couple of factors that led to this error: 1) I was unfamiliar with the airport. 2) having used runway 21 3 times already that day, I assumed we would be using it again. The similar sound of '21/31' made my assumption seem a reality. 3) having asked for a progressive taxi earlier in the day, I was reluctant to ask again. This was an incredibly inexcusable lapse in paying attention on my behalf. In the future I will have an airport diagram handy at any unfamiliar airport, and never hesitate to ask for instruction to the proper destination.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION DURING TAXI.

Narrative: WE ARRIVED AT MSN WITHOUT INCIDENT, LNDG ON RWY 21. AFTER A SHORT STAY ON GND WE CONTACTED CLRNC DELIVERY AND WERE APPROVED TO SHOOT PHOTOS OVER THE SE CORNER OF THE ARPT. WE ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED A PROGRESSIVE TAXI FROM THE S RAMP TO RWY 21 FOR DEP. AFTER ABOUT AN HR OF FLYING OVERHEAD, WE LANDED ON RWY 21 AND RETURNED TO THE RAMP FOR DEBRIEFING. AT ABOUT XA30 WE WERE PLANNING TO RETURN TO ZZZ. WE CONTACTED CLRNC DELIVERY AND WERE GIVEN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO WHAT I NOW BELIEVE TO HAVE BEEN TO RWY 31. I READ BACK THE INSTRUCTIONS, AND TAXIED TO RWY 21, XING RWY 31 AT ONE POINT IN THE TAXI. WHEN I CALLED TO TWR TO RPT READY FOR TKOF HE CLRED ME FOR DEP ON RWY 31. I CALLED BACK AND NOTIFIED HIM THAT WE WERE ON THE DEP END OF RWY 21. HE ASKED IF RWY 21 WOULD WORK FOR MY DEP, I SAID IT WOULD AND WE TOOK OFF. AS I THINK ABOUT THE ENTIRE SIT, I CAN IDENT A COUPLE OF FACTORS THAT LED TO THIS ERROR: 1) I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT. 2) HAVING USED RWY 21 3 TIMES ALREADY THAT DAY, I ASSUMED WE WOULD BE USING IT AGAIN. THE SIMILAR SOUND OF '21/31' MADE MY ASSUMPTION SEEM A REALITY. 3) HAVING ASKED FOR A PROGRESSIVE TAXI EARLIER IN THE DAY, I WAS RELUCTANT TO ASK AGAIN. THIS WAS AN INCREDIBLY INEXCUSABLE LAPSE IN PAYING ATTN ON MY BEHALF. IN THE FUTURE I WILL HAVE AN ARPT DIAGRAM HANDY AT ANY UNFAMILIAR ARPT, AND NEVER HESITATE TO ASK FOR INSTRUCTION TO THE PROPER DEST.

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.