Narrative:

While operating a piper lance (P32R), at roc airport, I taxied onto an active runway. At the time, I believed I was cleared onto the runway, but the tower did not share that view. Clearly, this could have had serious consequences. Fortunately, a quick exit from the runway was all that was necessary. At the time, runways 7/25 was NOTAM closed. Initial taxi began on the GA ramp, approximately at the end of taxiway east, with a clearance to taxi to runway 10, hold on taxiway D short of taxiway H. I read back and then executed these instructions. (Note: this represents an intersection departure on runway 10.) on reaching taxiway D short of taxiway H, I performed a run-up. Subsequently, ground control issued additional taxi instructions, to taxi to 'runway 10, contact tower.' I read back, 'cleared onto runway 10, over to tower.' the ground controller did not respond to my readback (nor did I expect a response absent a readback not consistent with his instructions). Then I began a taxi onto runway 10 while switching to tower and stating I was ready for departure on runway 10. I was issued immediate instructions to do a 180 degrees and exit the runway as there was an airplane cleared to land on runway 10. I did so, was requested to contact the tower on a land line. Shortly afterwards, tower cleared me onto runway 10 and issued a takeoff clearance. The trip completed normally. At the end of the trip (approximately 2-3 hours later), I called the tower. The person who answered the phone said she was present at the time and that I had entered the runway without a clearance. I explained that clearly, I believed I had been issued a clearance by the ground controller. She explained the ground controller could not issue a clearance to enter an active runway, and wanted to be sure we were 'on the same page for the future.' I explained I understood the importance of not entering a runway without a clearance and thanked her for her explanation. Her conduct during the brief phone conversation was professional. On reflection, I believe there were several contributing factors: the initial taxi instructions included the phrase, 'taxi to runway 10, hold on taxiway D short of taxiway H.' the subsequent instruction, 'taxi to runway 10, contact tower' did not include the phrase, 'hold short of runway 10.' this lack of a 'hold short' instruction, coupled with the very short distance on taxiway D between taxiway H and runway 10, and the fact I knew ground control and tower control coordinate their activities, led me to believe I was cleared onto runway 10. I realize a taxi instruction to a runway does not constitute permission to enter the runway. Instead of simply reading back, 'cleared onto runway 10,' I should have questioned the clearance and asked for clarification. The 'hold short' phrase may not be technically required as part of this clearance, yet it is so consistently used its absence may have subconsciously cued me I was cleared onto the runway. A possible contributing factor was the fact that I have not flown much this winter as I normally do. I acted believing I was cleared onto the runway. The short distance involved in the second taxi instruction, the fact that run-up was already completed, and an 'expectation' the next instruction would be the one to enter the runway, and the lack of the phrase, 'hold short of runway 10,' all contributed to an erroneous conclusion I was cleared on the runway when I was not.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA32 TAXIING FOR DEP AT ROC ENTERS RWY WITHOUT ATC CLRNC.

Narrative: WHILE OPERATING A PIPER LANCE (P32R), AT ROC ARPT, I TAXIED ONTO AN ACTIVE RWY. AT THE TIME, I BELIEVED I WAS CLRED ONTO THE RWY, BUT THE TWR DID NOT SHARE THAT VIEW. CLRLY, THIS COULD HAVE HAD SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. FORTUNATELY, A QUICK EXIT FROM THE RWY WAS ALL THAT WAS NECESSARY. AT THE TIME, RWYS 7/25 WAS NOTAM CLOSED. INITIAL TAXI BEGAN ON THE GA RAMP, APPROX AT THE END OF TXWY E, WITH A CLRNC TO TAXI TO RWY 10, HOLD ON TXWY D SHORT OF TXWY H. I READ BACK AND THEN EXECUTED THESE INSTRUCTIONS. (NOTE: THIS REPRESENTS AN INTXN DEP ON RWY 10.) ON REACHING TXWY D SHORT OF TXWY H, I PERFORMED A RUN-UP. SUBSEQUENTLY, GND CTL ISSUED ADDITIONAL TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, TO TAXI TO 'RWY 10, CONTACT TWR.' I READ BACK, 'CLRED ONTO RWY 10, OVER TO TWR.' THE GND CTLR DID NOT RESPOND TO MY READBACK (NOR DID I EXPECT A RESPONSE ABSENT A READBACK NOT CONSISTENT WITH HIS INSTRUCTIONS). THEN I BEGAN A TAXI ONTO RWY 10 WHILE SWITCHING TO TWR AND STATING I WAS READY FOR DEP ON RWY 10. I WAS ISSUED IMMEDIATE INSTRUCTIONS TO DO A 180 DEGS AND EXIT THE RWY AS THERE WAS AN AIRPLANE CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 10. I DID SO, WAS REQUESTED TO CONTACT THE TWR ON A LAND LINE. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, TWR CLRED ME ONTO RWY 10 AND ISSUED A TKOF CLRNC. THE TRIP COMPLETED NORMALLY. AT THE END OF THE TRIP (APPROX 2-3 HRS LATER), I CALLED THE TWR. THE PERSON WHO ANSWERED THE PHONE SAID SHE WAS PRESENT AT THE TIME AND THAT I HAD ENTERED THE RWY WITHOUT A CLRNC. I EXPLAINED THAT CLRLY, I BELIEVED I HAD BEEN ISSUED A CLRNC BY THE GND CTLR. SHE EXPLAINED THE GND CTLR COULD NOT ISSUE A CLRNC TO ENTER AN ACTIVE RWY, AND WANTED TO BE SURE WE WERE 'ON THE SAME PAGE FOR THE FUTURE.' I EXPLAINED I UNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT ENTERING A RWY WITHOUT A CLRNC AND THANKED HER FOR HER EXPLANATION. HER CONDUCT DURING THE BRIEF PHONE CONVERSATION WAS PROFESSIONAL. ON REFLECTION, I BELIEVE THERE WERE SEVERAL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THE INITIAL TAXI INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDED THE PHRASE, 'TAXI TO RWY 10, HOLD ON TXWY D SHORT OF TXWY H.' THE SUBSEQUENT INSTRUCTION, 'TAXI TO RWY 10, CONTACT TWR' DID NOT INCLUDE THE PHRASE, 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 10.' THIS LACK OF A 'HOLD SHORT' INSTRUCTION, COUPLED WITH THE VERY SHORT DISTANCE ON TXWY D BTWN TXWY H AND RWY 10, AND THE FACT I KNEW GND CTL AND TWR CTL COORDINATE THEIR ACTIVITIES, LED ME TO BELIEVE I WAS CLRED ONTO RWY 10. I REALIZE A TAXI INSTRUCTION TO A RWY DOES NOT CONSTITUTE PERMISSION TO ENTER THE RWY. INSTEAD OF SIMPLY READING BACK, 'CLRED ONTO RWY 10,' I SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THE CLRNC AND ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION. THE 'HOLD SHORT' PHRASE MAY NOT BE TECHNICALLY REQUIRED AS PART OF THIS CLRNC, YET IT IS SO CONSISTENTLY USED ITS ABSENCE MAY HAVE SUBCONSCIOUSLY CUED ME I WAS CLRED ONTO THE RWY. A POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE FACT THAT I HAVE NOT FLOWN MUCH THIS WINTER AS I NORMALLY DO. I ACTED BELIEVING I WAS CLRED ONTO THE RWY. THE SHORT DISTANCE INVOLVED IN THE SECOND TAXI INSTRUCTION, THE FACT THAT RUN-UP WAS ALREADY COMPLETED, AND AN 'EXPECTATION' THE NEXT INSTRUCTION WOULD BE THE ONE TO ENTER THE RWY, AND THE LACK OF THE PHRASE, 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 10,' ALL CONTRIBUTED TO AN ERRONEOUS CONCLUSION I WAS CLRED ON THE RWY WHEN I WAS NOT.

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.