Runway incursion as a cpr C172 pilot errs in his taxi procedures at an unfamiliar airport at mtn, md...

Attributes
ACN	560180
Time
Date	200209
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mtn.airport
State Reference	MD
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 1100 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	560180
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	observation : passenger other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On the day in question I flew my boss and the owner of another company to martin state airport (mtn) in our company's C172 for the purpose of attending a meeting. Upon completion of our business we returned to the airport for the flight home right around dusk. The airplane was parked on the ramp near the tower. 2 colleagues who had attended the meeting with us, and were local to the airport, were also there to see us off. As I was unfamiliar with the airport, one of the local gentlemen advised that I could taxi to intersection C and depart from there as it was closer than going to the end of runway 15. I performed a preflight inspection and we then boarded the aircraft. I called ground control for a taxi clearance. My clearance was simply 'taxi to the runway.' there were line service people working on the ramp so I left the taxi light off so as not to blind them. I then taxied to the edge of the ramp and turned into inxn C. As my taxi light was still off I did not see that the hold short line was right at the edge of the ramp instead of closer to the runway where I expected it to be. As a result I had taxied approximately 20-30 ft past the hold short line when I called ground to ask for intersection C departure. The ground controller then advised me that I had gone past the hold short line and should turn around and taxi back. I taxied back behind the hold short line and called the tower to ask for an intersection C departure. The tower controller advised me that my rotating beacon was not operating and that they did not see me until after I taxied over the hold short line. The controller then cleared me for takeoff from intersection C and we departed without further incident. Contributing factors in this incident were the darkness of night, being unfamiliar with the airport, failing to turn on the taxi light once the airplane had turned away from people, and not checking the operation of the rotating beacon during the preflight inspection.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION AS A CPR C172 PLT ERRS IN HIS TAXI PROCS AT AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT AT MTN, MD.

Narrative: ON THE DAY IN QUESTION I FLEW MY BOSS AND THE OWNER OF ANOTHER COMPANY TO MARTIN STATE ARPT (MTN) IN OUR COMPANY'S C172 FOR THE PURPOSE OF ATTENDING A MEETING. UPON COMPLETION OF OUR BUSINESS WE RETURNED TO THE ARPT FOR THE FLT HOME RIGHT AROUND DUSK. THE AIRPLANE WAS PARKED ON THE RAMP NEAR THE TWR. 2 COLLEAGUES WHO HAD ATTENDED THE MEETING WITH US, AND WERE LCL TO THE ARPT, WERE ALSO THERE TO SEE US OFF. AS I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT, ONE OF THE LCL GENTLEMEN ADVISED THAT I COULD TAXI TO INTXN C AND DEPART FROM THERE AS IT WAS CLOSER THAN GOING TO THE END OF RWY 15. I PERFORMED A PREFLT INSPECTION AND WE THEN BOARDED THE ACFT. I CALLED GND CTL FOR A TAXI CLRNC. MY CLRNC WAS SIMPLY 'TAXI TO THE RWY.' THERE WERE LINE SVC PEOPLE WORKING ON THE RAMP SO I LEFT THE TAXI LIGHT OFF SO AS NOT TO BLIND THEM. I THEN TAXIED TO THE EDGE OF THE RAMP AND TURNED INTO INXN C. AS MY TAXI LIGHT WAS STILL OFF I DID NOT SEE THAT THE HOLD SHORT LINE WAS RIGHT AT THE EDGE OF THE RAMP INSTEAD OF CLOSER TO THE RWY WHERE I EXPECTED IT TO BE. AS A RESULT I HAD TAXIED APPROX 20-30 FT PAST THE HOLD SHORT LINE WHEN I CALLED GND TO ASK FOR INTXN C DEP. THE GND CTLR THEN ADVISED ME THAT I HAD GONE PAST THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND SHOULD TURN AROUND AND TAXI BACK. I TAXIED BACK BEHIND THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND CALLED THE TWR TO ASK FOR AN INTXN C DEP. THE TWR CTLR ADVISED ME THAT MY ROTATING BEACON WAS NOT OPERATING AND THAT THEY DID NOT SEE ME UNTIL AFTER I TAXIED OVER THE HOLD SHORT LINE. THE CTLR THEN CLRED ME FOR TKOF FROM INTXN C AND WE DEPARTED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN THIS INCIDENT WERE THE DARKNESS OF NIGHT, BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT, FAILING TO TURN ON THE TAXI LIGHT ONCE THE AIRPLANE HAD TURNED AWAY FROM PEOPLE, AND NOT CHKING THE OP OF THE ROTATING BEACON DURING THE PREFLT INSPECTION.

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.