Narrative:

When the ground controller told me to contact the watch supervisor in the tower at my destination for a 'possible runway incursion,' I was genuinely shocked. Although I received my private pilot's license just over 1 month prior, I trained at a busy twred airport with multiple runways and thought I knew about runway crossing clrncs. Hopefully sharing the events leading to my crossing the runway might show why I was confused. At the FBO ramp, I called ground, idented my plane, gave my location, requested VFR clearance to the class D airport just 5 mi away, and verified I had current ATIS information. Ground instructed me to contact clearance delivery, which I did. They asked me to wait, then asked me to repeat my request, then advised me to contact ground. When I said that ground wanted me to contact them, they said ground must not have known that I wanted to go to the class D airport just 5 mi away (even though I had stated so in my initial call to ground). Back to ground, I repeated my request, and was cleared to taxi on taxiway east, taxiway G, and depart runway 35R. I read back the clearance and was corrected to hold short at taxiway G. I read back the corrected clearance and since it was my first time taxiing out of this airport, requested progressives. Ground said they would give me progressives and gave me the direction from the ramp onto taxiway east. During the taxi, ground announced to all pilots that ATIS information had changed (the new altimeter was significantly higher and I adjusted it while taxiing). Then ground asked me if I wanted full length for takeoff or if an intersection takeoff at east was sufficient. I requested full length if I could get it. Ground responded with something like 'we should be able to get it for you.' to get full length, it is necessary to cross runway 35R just past the intersection of taxiway east and taxiway G. As I approached taxiway G, an airliner called ground to say it was off xxl (parallel to and some distance away from runway 35R) and ground cleared it to taxi off runway 35L on taxiway G. The airliner read back the clearance and began to taxi toward me on taxiway G. I contacted ground at the hold short line for taxiway G and do not recall the response. Although there is apparently a hold short line for runway 35R immediately after the turn on taxiway G, I did not see it and somehow thought the controller had cleared me to cross the runway. It is also significant that the grass was taller than the runway and taxiway signs, so it was very difficult to see the signs. Since it is necessary to taxi on taxiway G to get to the parallel runway 35L, it also crossed my mind that perhaps my departure runway had changed and I was cleared to runway 35L. As I reflect on this situation, it would have been helpful if the controller had asked me to continue holding short on taxiway G instead of wanting me to turn on taxiway G and then immediately hold short again at the runway intersection. The controller was getting busy, perhaps he forgot or didn't have time to give me better progressives when I called at the hold line for taxiway G. I take responsibility for not being more careful when I crossed the runway. In the future, I need to be certain I have clearance. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: pilot was taxiing out at sdf on taxiway east to hold short of runway 35R at taxiway G. After having initial communication problems, pilot requested 'progressive taxi' instructions from the ground controller. Pilot reports that the ground controller did not provide much help. Pilot also said tall grass in the area obscured taxiway and runway signs. Also, the hold short paint markings are faded and hard to see. Other pilots have told the reporter that there are signs at the airport which have been knocked down and have not been replaced. Pilot reports the FAA FSDO has reviewed the ATC tapes, investigated the incident and has notified the pilot that no action is to be taken.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA32 PLT HAD A RWY INCURSION OF RWY 35R AT TXWY G AT SDF.

Narrative: WHEN THE GND CTLR TOLD ME TO CONTACT THE WATCH SUPVR IN THE TWR AT MY DEST FOR A 'POSSIBLE RWY INCURSION,' I WAS GENUINELY SHOCKED. ALTHOUGH I RECEIVED MY PVT PLT'S LICENSE JUST OVER 1 MONTH PRIOR, I TRAINED AT A BUSY TWRED ARPT WITH MULTIPLE RWYS AND THOUGHT I KNEW ABOUT RWY XING CLRNCS. HOPEFULLY SHARING THE EVENTS LEADING TO MY XING THE RWY MIGHT SHOW WHY I WAS CONFUSED. AT THE FBO RAMP, I CALLED GND, IDENTED MY PLANE, GAVE MY LOCATION, REQUESTED VFR CLRNC TO THE CLASS D ARPT JUST 5 MI AWAY, AND VERIFIED I HAD CURRENT ATIS INFO. GND INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT CLRNC DELIVERY, WHICH I DID. THEY ASKED ME TO WAIT, THEN ASKED ME TO REPEAT MY REQUEST, THEN ADVISED ME TO CONTACT GND. WHEN I SAID THAT GND WANTED ME TO CONTACT THEM, THEY SAID GND MUST NOT HAVE KNOWN THAT I WANTED TO GO TO THE CLASS D ARPT JUST 5 MI AWAY (EVEN THOUGH I HAD STATED SO IN MY INITIAL CALL TO GND). BACK TO GND, I REPEATED MY REQUEST, AND WAS CLRED TO TAXI ON TXWY E, TXWY G, AND DEPART RWY 35R. I READ BACK THE CLRNC AND WAS CORRECTED TO HOLD SHORT AT TXWY G. I READ BACK THE CORRECTED CLRNC AND SINCE IT WAS MY FIRST TIME TAXIING OUT OF THIS ARPT, REQUESTED PROGRESSIVES. GND SAID THEY WOULD GIVE ME PROGRESSIVES AND GAVE ME THE DIRECTION FROM THE RAMP ONTO TXWY E. DURING THE TAXI, GND ANNOUNCED TO ALL PLTS THAT ATIS INFO HAD CHANGED (THE NEW ALTIMETER WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER AND I ADJUSTED IT WHILE TAXIING). THEN GND ASKED ME IF I WANTED FULL LENGTH FOR TKOF OR IF AN INTXN TAKEOFF AT E WAS SUFFICIENT. I REQUESTED FULL LENGTH IF I COULD GET IT. GND RESPONDED WITH SOMETHING LIKE 'WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET IT FOR YOU.' TO GET FULL LENGTH, IT IS NECESSARY TO CROSS RWY 35R JUST PAST THE INTXN OF TXWY E AND TXWY G. AS I APCHED TXWY G, AN AIRLINER CALLED GND TO SAY IT WAS OFF XXL (PARALLEL TO AND SOME DISTANCE AWAY FROM RWY 35R) AND GND CLRED IT TO TAXI OFF RWY 35L ON TXWY G. THE AIRLINER READ BACK THE CLRNC AND BEGAN TO TAXI TOWARD ME ON TXWY G. I CONTACTED GND AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR TXWY G AND DO NOT RECALL THE RESPONSE. ALTHOUGH THERE IS APPARENTLY A HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 35R IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TURN ON TXWY G, I DID NOT SEE IT AND SOMEHOW THOUGHT THE CTLR HAD CLRED ME TO CROSS THE RWY. IT IS ALSO SIGNIFICANT THAT THE GRASS WAS TALLER THAN THE RWY AND TXWY SIGNS, SO IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE THE SIGNS. SINCE IT IS NECESSARY TO TAXI ON TXWY G TO GET TO THE PARALLEL RWY 35L, IT ALSO CROSSED MY MIND THAT PERHAPS MY DEP RWY HAD CHANGED AND I WAS CLRED TO RWY 35L. AS I REFLECT ON THIS SIT, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL IF THE CTLR HAD ASKED ME TO CONTINUE HOLDING SHORT ON TXWY G INSTEAD OF WANTING ME TO TURN ON TXWY G AND THEN IMMEDIATELY HOLD SHORT AGAIN AT THE RWY INTXN. THE CTLR WAS GETTING BUSY, PERHAPS HE FORGOT OR DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO GIVE ME BETTER PROGRESSIVES WHEN I CALLED AT THE HOLD LINE FOR TXWY G. I TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR NOT BEING MORE CAREFUL WHEN I CROSSED THE RWY. IN THE FUTURE, I NEED TO BE CERTAIN I HAVE CLRNC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: PLT WAS TAXIING OUT AT SDF ON TXWY E TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 35R AT TXWY G. AFTER HAVING INITIAL COM PROBS, PLT REQUESTED 'PROGRESSIVE TAXI' INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE GND CTLR. PLT RPTS THAT THE GND CTLR DID NOT PROVIDE MUCH HELP. PLT ALSO SAID TALL GRASS IN THE AREA OBSCURED TXWY AND RWY SIGNS. ALSO, THE HOLD SHORT PAINT MARKINGS ARE FADED AND HARD TO SEE. OTHER PLTS HAVE TOLD THE RPTR THAT THERE ARE SIGNS AT THE ARPT WHICH HAVE BEEN KNOCKED DOWN AND HAVE NOT BEEN REPLACED. PLT RPTS THE FAA FSDO HAS REVIEWED THE ATC TAPES, INVESTIGATED THE INCIDENT AND HAS NOTIFIED THE PLT THAT NO ACTION IS TO BE TAKEN.

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.