Narrative:

I was preparing for a short local flight at my home airport, ttn. I had completed the preflight and was doing some clean up chores in the airplane when another pilot came over to look at my airplane and say hello. After a short conversation, I finished my chores, started the engines and called for taxi clearance. As I started to move, a slight lurch notified me that I had not untied the right wing. I shut down, untied it and proceeded to taxi, I was most annoyed with myself, as although this is not a major error, in 40 yrs of flying I had not made this mistake before. I don't like making mistakes. I was cleared to runway 6. I know the airport very well. Runways 24 and 34 are the more frequent departure runway and are closer to my tie down spot. I heard runway 6, acknowledged runway 6, and was thinking runway 6, but my feet took me towards runway 34. In the process, I crossed the departure end of runway 6. As I did, I saw an aircraft at the approach end of runway 6 and immediately my mind, which was still thinking about the untied right wing, realized my error. The tower did not notice my error. I called ground control and told them of the error and continued to taxi to the approach end of runway 6. Lesson #1: for me, always concentrate on the task at hand no matter how easy and familiar and no matter what other distractions are competing for attention. Lesson #2: for me, even at familiar controled fields, always look carefully both ways down intxns before you enter them. I was on the runway before I saw the other aircraft at the far end. Lesson #3: for the tower, even the aircraft you know and handle on a daily basis can make a mistake so be vigilant.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA30 TAXIING FOR DEP AT TNN CROSSED RWY WITHOUT ATC CLRNC.

Narrative: I WAS PREPARING FOR A SHORT LCL FLT AT MY HOME ARPT, TTN. I HAD COMPLETED THE PREFLT AND WAS DOING SOME CLEAN UP CHORES IN THE AIRPLANE WHEN ANOTHER PLT CAME OVER TO LOOK AT MY AIRPLANE AND SAY HELLO. AFTER A SHORT CONVERSATION, I FINISHED MY CHORES, STARTED THE ENGS AND CALLED FOR TAXI CLRNC. AS I STARTED TO MOVE, A SLIGHT LURCH NOTIFIED ME THAT I HAD NOT UNTIED THE R WING. I SHUT DOWN, UNTIED IT AND PROCEEDED TO TAXI, I WAS MOST ANNOYED WITH MYSELF, AS ALTHOUGH THIS IS NOT A MAJOR ERROR, IN 40 YRS OF FLYING I HAD NOT MADE THIS MISTAKE BEFORE. I DON'T LIKE MAKING MISTAKES. I WAS CLRED TO RWY 6. I KNOW THE ARPT VERY WELL. RWYS 24 AND 34 ARE THE MORE FREQUENT DEP RWY AND ARE CLOSER TO MY TIE DOWN SPOT. I HEARD RWY 6, ACKNOWLEDGED RWY 6, AND WAS THINKING RWY 6, BUT MY FEET TOOK ME TOWARDS RWY 34. IN THE PROCESS, I CROSSED THE DEP END OF RWY 6. AS I DID, I SAW AN ACFT AT THE APCH END OF RWY 6 AND IMMEDIATELY MY MIND, WHICH WAS STILL THINKING ABOUT THE UNTIED R WING, REALIZED MY ERROR. THE TWR DID NOT NOTICE MY ERROR. I CALLED GND CTL AND TOLD THEM OF THE ERROR AND CONTINUED TO TAXI TO THE APCH END OF RWY 6. LESSON #1: FOR ME, ALWAYS CONCENTRATE ON THE TASK AT HAND NO MATTER HOW EASY AND FAMILIAR AND NO MATTER WHAT OTHER DISTRACTIONS ARE COMPETING FOR ATTN. LESSON #2: FOR ME, EVEN AT FAMILIAR CTLED FIELDS, ALWAYS LOOK CAREFULLY BOTH WAYS DOWN INTXNS BEFORE YOU ENTER THEM. I WAS ON THE RWY BEFORE I SAW THE OTHER ACFT AT THE FAR END. LESSON #3: FOR THE TWR, EVEN THE ACFT YOU KNOW AND HANDLE ON A DAILY BASIS CAN MAKE A MISTAKE SO BE VIGILANT.

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.