Narrative:

I was on my first solo cross-country flight as a student pilot. I was directed to pou tower for landing and did so without difficulty, but then after touching ground, slowed to pull off the active runway and found myself on an intersecting runway. While I had not been directed to a specific taxiway, fault is obviously entirely my own as the runway of course did not have the taxiway markings I was familiar with from my ground school. Fortunately, I was the only pilot in the area and the intersecting runway was closed on this day. I immediately noticed my mistake on turning, but as there was no other traffic, I simply continued APPR0X 200 ft to the taxiway, exited the second runway. I had imagined myself taking to the grass as an option in that moment after realizing where I was, but this was not necessary. I apologized to the controller for the mistake on the next radio call, who was kind enough not to criticize my blunder. The remainder of the flight was uneventful. The mistake, while potentially serious as a runway incursion, was without consequence. It was caused by a simple lack of experience, allowing for an incorrect quick decision. I had been familiar with taxiway markings from ground school, and my flight instructors had directed me correctly in our dual cross-country flts, but I am used to uncontrolled airports, with most of my flight time on a single small landing strip. I have since reviewed my ground school section on airport markings and a subsequent solo cross country to a multi-strip airport was without event.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C152 STUDENT PLT MISTAKENLY TURNED OFF LNDG RWY ON TO AN INTERSECTING RWY INSTEAD OF A TXWY TIE IN.

Narrative: I WAS ON MY FIRST SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY FLT AS A STUDENT PLT. I WAS DIRECTED TO POU TWR FOR LNDG AND DID SO WITHOUT DIFFICULTY, BUT THEN AFTER TOUCHING GND, SLOWED TO PULL OFF THE ACTIVE RWY AND FOUND MYSELF ON AN INTERSECTING RWY. WHILE I HAD NOT BEEN DIRECTED TO A SPECIFIC TXWY, FAULT IS OBVIOUSLY ENTIRELY MY OWN AS THE RWY OF COURSE DID NOT HAVE THE TXWY MARKINGS I WAS FAMILIAR WITH FROM MY GND SCHOOL. FORTUNATELY, I WAS THE ONLY PLT IN THE AREA AND THE INTERSECTING RWY WAS CLOSED ON THIS DAY. I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED MY MISTAKE ON TURNING, BUT AS THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC, I SIMPLY CONTINUED APPR0X 200 FT TO THE TXWY, EXITED THE SECOND RWY. I HAD IMAGINED MYSELF TAKING TO THE GRASS AS AN OPTION IN THAT MOMENT AFTER REALIZING WHERE I WAS, BUT THIS WAS NOT NECESSARY. I APOLOGIZED TO THE CTLR FOR THE MISTAKE ON THE NEXT RADIO CALL, WHO WAS KIND ENOUGH NOT TO CRITICIZE MY BLUNDER. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE MISTAKE, WHILE POTENTIALLY SERIOUS AS A RWY INCURSION, WAS WITHOUT CONSEQUENCE. IT WAS CAUSED BY A SIMPLE LACK OF EXPERIENCE, ALLOWING FOR AN INCORRECT QUICK DECISION. I HAD BEEN FAMILIAR WITH TXWY MARKINGS FROM GND SCHOOL, AND MY FLT INSTRUCTORS HAD DIRECTED ME CORRECTLY IN OUR DUAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLTS, BUT I AM USED TO UNCTLED ARPTS, WITH MOST OF MY FLT TIME ON A SINGLE SMALL LNDG STRIP. I HAVE SINCE REVIEWED MY GND SCHOOL SECTION ON ARPT MARKINGS AND A SUBSEQUENT SOLO CROSS COUNTRY TO A MULTI-STRIP ARPT WAS WITHOUT EVENT.

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.