PA32 pilot inadvertently taxies onto active runway at uncontrolled airport.

Attributes
ACN	564450
Time
Date	200211
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : f70.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : fxe.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50.7 flight time total : 1433.3 flight time type : 520.1
ASRS Report	564450
Person 2
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe incursion : runway non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : exited adverse environment other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Airport
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Arrived at the airport in plenty of time to depart F70 and arrive at my home airport (Q99) before dark. Fueled and preflted the aircraft as normal, then started taxiing towards the active runway 36. Did not have my headsets on and I was programming the onboard GPS flight plan while taxiing on the ramp. Came to end of ramp and went straight ahead onto a small interconnecting taxiway to what I thought was a parallel taxiway to the edge of the ramp. I remembered looking down the edge of the ramp (which had taxi stripes along the edge) but didn't take it to the active runway because I wasn't sure it would go all the way down to the departure end of runway 36. Did not notice any runway signs at entry to the small interconnecting taxiway showing the runway numbers. Turned onto what I thought was the runway parallel taxiway toward runway 36 and then realized I was on the runway, not a taxiway. I immediately looked to see if there was any landing traffic (there was none on final), donned my headsets, heard there was someone on right base, started a fast taxi to clear the runway and then announced my back taxiing on the active runway to the aircraft in the pattern. By the time I cleared the runway, the aircraft on base had turned final but the pilot was able to land without incident. My inattn to the task at hand (programming the GPS while taxiing), inadequate preflight planning (supposed familiarity with the airport) and not having my headsets on (no control tower) to hear the persons in the traffic pattern and others taxiing, were the causes of why I did not see the runway entrance signs or hold short lines. In the future, I am going to concentrate on the task at hand, program the GPS before starting any taxiing (side benefit is letting the engine oil warm up before runup), add reviewing the taxiway plan and put on my headsets before starting the engine to ensure I can hear all other communications before starting to taxi. I was just plain lucky not to have been the cause of an incident or worse.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA32 PLT INADVERTENTLY TAXIES ONTO ACTIVE RWY AT UNCTLED ARPT.

Narrative: ARRIVED AT THE ARPT IN PLENTY OF TIME TO DEPART F70 AND ARRIVE AT MY HOME ARPT (Q99) BEFORE DARK. FUELED AND PREFLTED THE ACFT AS NORMAL, THEN STARTED TAXIING TOWARDS THE ACTIVE RWY 36. DID NOT HAVE MY HEADSETS ON AND I WAS PROGRAMMING THE ONBOARD GPS FLT PLAN WHILE TAXIING ON THE RAMP. CAME TO END OF RAMP AND WENT STRAIGHT AHEAD ONTO A SMALL INTERCONNECTING TXWY TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A PARALLEL TXWY TO THE EDGE OF THE RAMP. I REMEMBERED LOOKING DOWN THE EDGE OF THE RAMP (WHICH HAD TAXI STRIPES ALONG THE EDGE) BUT DIDN'T TAKE IT TO THE ACTIVE RWY BECAUSE I WASN'T SURE IT WOULD GO ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE DEP END OF RWY 36. DID NOT NOTICE ANY RWY SIGNS AT ENTRY TO THE SMALL INTERCONNECTING TXWY SHOWING THE RWY NUMBERS. TURNED ONTO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE RWY PARALLEL TXWY TOWARD RWY 36 AND THEN REALIZED I WAS ON THE RWY, NOT A TXWY. I IMMEDIATELY LOOKED TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY LNDG TFC (THERE WAS NONE ON FINAL), DONNED MY HEADSETS, HEARD THERE WAS SOMEONE ON R BASE, STARTED A FAST TAXI TO CLR THE RWY AND THEN ANNOUNCED MY BACK TAXIING ON THE ACTIVE RWY TO THE ACFT IN THE PATTERN. BY THE TIME I CLRED THE RWY, THE ACFT ON BASE HAD TURNED FINAL BUT THE PLT WAS ABLE TO LAND WITHOUT INCIDENT. MY INATTN TO THE TASK AT HAND (PROGRAMMING THE GPS WHILE TAXIING), INADEQUATE PREFLT PLANNING (SUPPOSED FAMILIARITY WITH THE ARPT) AND NOT HAVING MY HEADSETS ON (NO CTL TWR) TO HEAR THE PERSONS IN THE TFC PATTERN AND OTHERS TAXIING, WERE THE CAUSES OF WHY I DID NOT SEE THE RWY ENTRANCE SIGNS OR HOLD SHORT LINES. IN THE FUTURE, I AM GOING TO CONCENTRATE ON THE TASK AT HAND, PROGRAM THE GPS BEFORE STARTING ANY TAXIING (SIDE BENEFIT IS LETTING THE ENG OIL WARM UP BEFORE RUNUP), ADD REVIEWING THE TXWY PLAN AND PUT ON MY HEADSETS BEFORE STARTING THE ENG TO ENSURE I CAN HEAR ALL OTHER COMS BEFORE STARTING TO TAXI. I WAS JUST PLAIN LUCKY NOT TO HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE OF AN INCIDENT OR WORSE.

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.