Narrative:

I requested taxi clearance to taxi from the maintenance hangar to a run-up pad located at the center of the airport. The route of taxi was via taxiway G, taxiway G3, taxiway P, cross runway 13, taxiway Q to the run-up pad. The taxi clearance included instructions to hold short of runway 13. I am based at this airport, and I am familiar with this taxi route. Shortly after commencing taxi, I asked my first officer to request the IFR clearance on communication #2. I decided to do this, to give him more time to complete this task. As we taxied, I could hear my first officer request the clearance from clearance delivery. The level of xmissions on ground control was starting to increase, as other air carrier's requested taxi clearance. As we approached runway 13, my first officer started to read back the IFR clearance. I started to monitor this task. At the same time, in my field of view, I spotted 2 aircraft on the other side of the runway, which were underway. As I got closer to runway 13, I looked left down the runway, and right down the runway to clear it. I found the runway to be clear. My first officer was in the process of completing the readback when I inadvertently crossed the runway. As soon as I crossed, I realized I had made a mistake. At the same instant, ground control contacted me to inform me that I was supposed to hold short of runway 13. The operations specialist informed me that they had cleared a single engine aircraft to take off on runway 13. I was not aware of this, and never saw the aircraft take off. Recommendations and observations: my failure to hold short of the runway was not due to insufficient understanding of taxi procedures, taxiway markings, or airport signs. This incident is the result of a moment of distraction, and reordering of tasks. The time between when I commenced taxi, and crossed the runway is about 4 mins. This was enough time for me to think about another task, and place that task ahead of my primary task, which was taxi and hold short of the runway. My familiarity with the taxiway and runway complex was also a contributing factor. At that time of day, the runway I crossed is usually inactive. The clearance you receive most often is to taxi to the run-up pad without having to hold short of the runway. Since I operate from this airport on a regular basis, I have become conditioned, and expect to receive that clearance. I realize now that if the mind becomes distraction, or contemplates another thought, the unconscious mind tends to follow a well established habit pattern. In the future, I will be more alert for sits where familiarity can create the right conditions for distraction. The present regulation states that when you are issued a taxi clearance, you are cleared to taxi to the point requested, and may cross all runways and txwys unless told to hold short. I am wondering if this begins the pattern of conditioning, where you expect not to hold short. If the regulation stated that you must hold short of all runways until you are cleared to cross, would the pilot become conditioned to always hold short? I think a new type of sign, similar to a stop sign, should be used at a distance far enough from the taxiway/runway intersection to act as an early warning to stop. To my knowledge there is no sign like this in use today. The only sign or marking is the hold short pavement marking, and the white on red holding position sign which are usually placed close to the taxiway/runway intersection. If a sign is too costly, maybe additional pavement markings can be used. The markings should be placed far enough away from the intersection to give the pilot an early warning that he/she is approaching an entrance to the runway. ATC should not issue a takeoff clearance until the aircraft instructed to hold short is holding short. In my case, the ground controller's workload started to increase as more aircraft called for clearance. The controller did not have time to monitor whether or not I was holding short. Finally, I will not give my first officer another task while taxiing until I'm sure I have fully complied with my taxi clearance. In my situation, if I had my first officer watching my taxi progress with undivided attention, he may have reminded me, or challenged me to stop when we got to the intersection. The task I gave him to do could have been accomplished after we crossed the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE1900 FLC TAXIES ACROSS ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I REQUESTED TAXI CLRNC TO TAXI FROM THE MAINT HANGAR TO A RUN-UP PAD LOCATED AT THE CTR OF THE ARPT. THE RTE OF TAXI WAS VIA TXWY G, TXWY G3, TXWY P, CROSS RWY 13, TXWY Q TO THE RUN-UP PAD. THE TAXI CLRNC INCLUDED INSTRUCTIONS TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 13. I AM BASED AT THIS ARPT, AND I AM FAMILIAR WITH THIS TAXI RTE. SHORTLY AFTER COMMENCING TAXI, I ASKED MY FO TO REQUEST THE IFR CLRNC ON COM #2. I DECIDED TO DO THIS, TO GIVE HIM MORE TIME TO COMPLETE THIS TASK. AS WE TAXIED, I COULD HEAR MY FO REQUEST THE CLRNC FROM CLRNC DELIVERY. THE LEVEL OF XMISSIONS ON GND CTL WAS STARTING TO INCREASE, AS OTHER ACR'S REQUESTED TAXI CLRNC. AS WE APCHED RWY 13, MY FO STARTED TO READ BACK THE IFR CLRNC. I STARTED TO MONITOR THIS TASK. AT THE SAME TIME, IN MY FIELD OF VIEW, I SPOTTED 2 ACFT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RWY, WHICH WERE UNDERWAY. AS I GOT CLOSER TO RWY 13, I LOOKED L DOWN THE RWY, AND R DOWN THE RWY TO CLR IT. I FOUND THE RWY TO BE CLR. MY FO WAS IN THE PROCESS OF COMPLETING THE READBACK WHEN I INADVERTENTLY CROSSED THE RWY. AS SOON AS I CROSSED, I REALIZED I HAD MADE A MISTAKE. AT THE SAME INSTANT, GND CTL CONTACTED ME TO INFORM ME THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 13. THE OPS SPECIALIST INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD CLRED A SINGLE ENG ACFT TO TAKE OFF ON RWY 13. I WAS NOT AWARE OF THIS, AND NEVER SAW THE ACFT TAKE OFF. RECOMMENDATIONS AND OBSERVATIONS: MY FAILURE TO HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY WAS NOT DUE TO INSUFFICIENT UNDERSTANDING OF TAXI PROCS, TXWY MARKINGS, OR ARPT SIGNS. THIS INCIDENT IS THE RESULT OF A MOMENT OF DISTR, AND REORDERING OF TASKS. THE TIME BTWN WHEN I COMMENCED TAXI, AND CROSSED THE RWY IS ABOUT 4 MINS. THIS WAS ENOUGH TIME FOR ME TO THINK ABOUT ANOTHER TASK, AND PLACE THAT TASK AHEAD OF MY PRIMARY TASK, WHICH WAS TAXI AND HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY. MY FAMILIARITY WITH THE TXWY AND RWY COMPLEX WAS ALSO A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. AT THAT TIME OF DAY, THE RWY I CROSSED IS USUALLY INACTIVE. THE CLRNC YOU RECEIVE MOST OFTEN IS TO TAXI TO THE RUN-UP PAD WITHOUT HAVING TO HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY. SINCE I OPERATE FROM THIS ARPT ON A REGULAR BASIS, I HAVE BECOME CONDITIONED, AND EXPECT TO RECEIVE THAT CLRNC. I REALIZE NOW THAT IF THE MIND BECOMES DISTR, OR CONTEMPLATES ANOTHER THOUGHT, THE UNCONSCIOUS MIND TENDS TO FOLLOW A WELL ESTABLISHED HABIT PATTERN. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL BE MORE ALERT FOR SITS WHERE FAMILIARITY CAN CREATE THE RIGHT CONDITIONS FOR DISTR. THE PRESENT REG STATES THAT WHEN YOU ARE ISSUED A TAXI CLRNC, YOU ARE CLRED TO TAXI TO THE POINT REQUESTED, AND MAY CROSS ALL RWYS AND TXWYS UNLESS TOLD TO HOLD SHORT. I AM WONDERING IF THIS BEGINS THE PATTERN OF CONDITIONING, WHERE YOU EXPECT NOT TO HOLD SHORT. IF THE REG STATED THAT YOU MUST HOLD SHORT OF ALL RWYS UNTIL YOU ARE CLRED TO CROSS, WOULD THE PLT BECOME CONDITIONED TO ALWAYS HOLD SHORT? I THINK A NEW TYPE OF SIGN, SIMILAR TO A STOP SIGN, SHOULD BE USED AT A DISTANCE FAR ENOUGH FROM THE TXWY/RWY INTXN TO ACT AS AN EARLY WARNING TO STOP. TO MY KNOWLEDGE THERE IS NO SIGN LIKE THIS IN USE TODAY. THE ONLY SIGN OR MARKING IS THE HOLD SHORT PAVEMENT MARKING, AND THE WHITE ON RED HOLDING POS SIGN WHICH ARE USUALLY PLACED CLOSE TO THE TXWY/RWY INTXN. IF A SIGN IS TOO COSTLY, MAYBE ADDITIONAL PAVEMENT MARKINGS CAN BE USED. THE MARKINGS SHOULD BE PLACED FAR ENOUGH AWAY FROM THE INTXN TO GIVE THE PLT AN EARLY WARNING THAT HE/SHE IS APCHING AN ENTRANCE TO THE RWY. ATC SHOULD NOT ISSUE A TKOF CLRNC UNTIL THE ACFT INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT IS HOLDING SHORT. IN MY CASE, THE GND CTLR'S WORKLOAD STARTED TO INCREASE AS MORE ACFT CALLED FOR CLRNC. THE CTLR DID NOT HAVE TIME TO MONITOR WHETHER OR NOT I WAS HOLDING SHORT. FINALLY, I WILL NOT GIVE MY FO ANOTHER TASK WHILE TAXIING UNTIL I'M SURE I HAVE FULLY COMPLIED WITH MY TAXI CLRNC. IN MY SIT, IF I HAD MY FO WATCHING MY TAXI PROGRESS WITH UNDIVIDED ATTN, HE MAY HAVE REMINDED ME, OR CHALLENGED ME TO STOP WHEN WE GOT TO THE INTXN. THE TASK I GAVE HIM TO DO COULD HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED AFTER WE CROSSED THE RWY.

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.