Narrative:

After being deiced for the first time of the season I called albany ground for a taxi clearance from the north cargo ramp. What I heard was 'cross (runway) 1, taxi runway 1, hold short at taxiway M.' I read back the taxi instructions as such and began to taxi without any further communications from ground control. With a glycol residue on the windshield forward visibility was fair to poor. About 2/3 of the way across runway 1/19 I looked left to see a B737 on the rollout. It was at that point that I realized there was a screw up in communications someplace. Fortunately the cargo ramp and taxiway M were at the far end of the runway so there was no threat of collision. I shuddered to think what would have happened if this had happened at about midfield. I called alb tower and talked with the controller about the event and he told me the clearance he gave me was 'taxi runway 1 hold short of taxiway M.' notice the lack of 'cross runway 1.' we both agreed that 'taxi runway 1' probably shouldn't have been said. I also made a few assumptions: 1) even with the airport diagram in front of me in the clip I assumed that taxiway M was at the approach end of runway 1 instead of at the departure end by the cargo ramp. 2) I assumed that the controller's undivided attention was on me with a quiet frequency when in fact he was dealing with ground and tower, and therefore with landing traffic, failed to catch my 'cross runway 1' portion of the readback. 3) with the glycol on the windshield the forward visibility was bad and by concentrating on not hitting any lights, failed to look left and see the jet landing. Contributing factors: fatigue. My first night flight (late night) in a while without a nap and with a 3 hour drive beforehand. Contamination on the windshield. ATC, working multiple frequencys. Assumptions -- pilot assumed cross 1, taxi 1 was clearance to go. ATC assumed the readback was ok and failed to catch the cross 1 portion. All of the literature and training that has taken place in the past yr about runway incursions seems redundant. 'It won't happen to me.' beware, it can happen to anybody no matter the experience or airport. All it takes is a momentary lapse in attention on anybody's part to occur.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION DURING A NIGHT OP BY A CARGO C208B PLT ON RWY 1 AT ALB, NY.

Narrative: AFTER BEING DEICED FOR THE FIRST TIME OF THE SEASON I CALLED ALBANY GND FOR A TAXI CLRNC FROM THE N CARGO RAMP. WHAT I HEARD WAS 'CROSS (RWY) 1, TAXI RWY 1, HOLD SHORT AT TXWY M.' I READ BACK THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AS SUCH AND BEGAN TO TAXI WITHOUT ANY FURTHER COMS FROM GND CTL. WITH A GLYCOL RESIDUE ON THE WINDSHIELD FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS FAIR TO POOR. ABOUT 2/3 OF THE WAY ACROSS RWY 1/19 I LOOKED L TO SEE A B737 ON THE ROLLOUT. IT WAS AT THAT POINT THAT I REALIZED THERE WAS A SCREW UP IN COMS SOMEPLACE. FORTUNATELY THE CARGO RAMP AND TXWY M WERE AT THE FAR END OF THE RWY SO THERE WAS NO THREAT OF COLLISION. I SHUDDERED TO THINK WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THIS HAD HAPPENED AT ABOUT MIDFIELD. I CALLED ALB TWR AND TALKED WITH THE CTLR ABOUT THE EVENT AND HE TOLD ME THE CLRNC HE GAVE ME WAS 'TAXI RWY 1 HOLD SHORT OF TXWY M.' NOTICE THE LACK OF 'CROSS RWY 1.' WE BOTH AGREED THAT 'TAXI RWY 1' PROBABLY SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SAID. I ALSO MADE A FEW ASSUMPTIONS: 1) EVEN WITH THE ARPT DIAGRAM IN FRONT OF ME IN THE CLIP I ASSUMED THAT TXWY M WAS AT THE APCH END OF RWY 1 INSTEAD OF AT THE DEP END BY THE CARGO RAMP. 2) I ASSUMED THAT THE CTLR'S UNDIVIDED ATTN WAS ON ME WITH A QUIET FREQ WHEN IN FACT HE WAS DEALING WITH GND AND TWR, AND THEREFORE WITH LNDG TFC, FAILED TO CATCH MY 'CROSS RWY 1' PORTION OF THE READBACK. 3) WITH THE GLYCOL ON THE WINDSHIELD THE FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS BAD AND BY CONCENTRATING ON NOT HITTING ANY LIGHTS, FAILED TO LOOK L AND SEE THE JET LNDG. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: FATIGUE. MY FIRST NIGHT FLT (LATE NIGHT) IN A WHILE WITHOUT A NAP AND WITH A 3 HR DRIVE BEFOREHAND. CONTAMINATION ON THE WINDSHIELD. ATC, WORKING MULTIPLE FREQS. ASSUMPTIONS -- PLT ASSUMED CROSS 1, TAXI 1 WAS CLRNC TO GO. ATC ASSUMED THE READBACK WAS OK AND FAILED TO CATCH THE CROSS 1 PORTION. ALL OF THE LITERATURE AND TRAINING THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE IN THE PAST YR ABOUT RWY INCURSIONS SEEMS REDUNDANT. 'IT WON'T HAPPEN TO ME.' BEWARE, IT CAN HAPPEN TO ANYBODY NO MATTER THE EXPERIENCE OR ARPT. ALL IT TAKES IS A MOMENTARY LAPSE IN ATTN ON ANYBODY'S PART TO OCCUR.

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.