Narrative:

After contacting ground control, I was instructed to taxi to the runway sign and hold, and that no hold lines were yet painted on the runway. (The airport was undergoing extensive runway repairs at the time.) I saw a sign indicating the runway I was intending to taxi to, so I thought I was going the correct way. What I had failed to notice was that the sign I had passed was red with white lettering. Ground control told me to stop immediately, as I had gone too far. I became confused as to where I should have stopped and was reprimanded by ground control. As I looked back for the runway sign, the aircraft began to creep forward, and I was again ordered to stop and hold my position. I was really more nervous than I should have been, and should have asked for and carefully listened to and then followed the instructions. After another frustrating exchange with ground control, I was told to taxi into position on runway 17 and advise when I was ready for takeoff. At this point, I was totally rattled, I made my final checks of radios, instruments, flaps, etc, and proceeded to take off. I received a call from the tower requesting that I call the tower upon landing which I did. The controller explained to me that I had taxied through a mandatory stopping point, the red runway sign with white lettering. He further explained that I had taken off without being cleared for takeoff. I was completely stunned. I absolutely know to listen for a clearance to takeoff, I was so nervous after failing to stop in the correct position, that I allowed that to interfere with what I know are the correct procedures at a tower controled airport, and rushed into the air. He suggested that a thorough review of the FARS regarding airport markings and signage would be useful, and to review procedures to tower controled airports immediately. I have now conducted a thorough review of the FARS regarding all airport markings and signage, as well as all procedures at tower controled airports. In addition, I have scheduled a ground school with a CFI to make sure I have not missed any important points regarding airport markings, signage, and operations. I feel that there were several contributing factors: one, I had just recently returned to flying after a 10 yr layoff. I had read the FARS about airport markings, but I obviously missed the details regarding airport signage. I had gone through several hours of review with a CFI as was necessary to satisfy the 'BFR' requirements, but we did not review airport markings. The second factor was probably fatigue, as I had just finished a 10 hour, overnight, shift at work. I must have been more tired than I thought I was. Third, my home airport is a small, uncontrolled airport as are most of the airports I frequent. The signage at such airports is simple, and my experience at controled airports is extremely limited. This problem will be addressed with a CFI by going into one or more controled airports with a CFI on board. Fourth, I should have asked the controller to tell me exactly where to stop, since the airport was undergoing repair. In addition, I will write down taxi instructions and clrncs and be sure I understand before beginning to taxi. I was fortunate that there were no other aircraft operating at the airport during this time, and no other aircraft's safety was compromised by my actions. I strive to be a good pilot and this has shaken me to my core. Coming back into flying after such a long time has revealed that periodic review of all the FARS, in detail, is a necessity.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT HAD A RWY INCURSION AT HUT, AND AFTER BEING CLRED INTO POS, TOOK OFF WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: AFTER CONTACTING GND CTL, I WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO THE RWY SIGN AND HOLD, AND THAT NO HOLD LINES WERE YET PAINTED ON THE RWY. (THE ARPT WAS UNDERGOING EXTENSIVE RWY REPAIRS AT THE TIME.) I SAW A SIGN INDICATING THE RWY I WAS INTENDING TO TAXI TO, SO I THOUGHT I WAS GOING THE CORRECT WAY. WHAT I HAD FAILED TO NOTICE WAS THAT THE SIGN I HAD PASSED WAS RED WITH WHITE LETTERING. GND CTL TOLD ME TO STOP IMMEDIATELY, AS I HAD GONE TOO FAR. I BECAME CONFUSED AS TO WHERE I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED AND WAS REPRIMANDED BY GND CTL. AS I LOOKED BACK FOR THE RWY SIGN, THE ACFT BEGAN TO CREEP FORWARD, AND I WAS AGAIN ORDERED TO STOP AND HOLD MY POS. I WAS REALLY MORE NERVOUS THAN I SHOULD HAVE BEEN, AND SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR AND CAREFULLY LISTENED TO AND THEN FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS. AFTER ANOTHER FRUSTRATING EXCHANGE WITH GND CTL, I WAS TOLD TO TAXI INTO POS ON RWY 17 AND ADVISE WHEN I WAS READY FOR TKOF. AT THIS POINT, I WAS TOTALLY RATTLED, I MADE MY FINAL CHKS OF RADIOS, INSTS, FLAPS, ETC, AND PROCEEDED TO TAKE OFF. I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE TWR REQUESTING THAT I CALL THE TWR UPON LNDG WHICH I DID. THE CTLR EXPLAINED TO ME THAT I HAD TAXIED THROUGH A MANDATORY STOPPING POINT, THE RED RWY SIGN WITH WHITE LETTERING. HE FURTHER EXPLAINED THAT I HAD TAKEN OFF WITHOUT BEING CLRED FOR TKOF. I WAS COMPLETELY STUNNED. I ABSOLUTELY KNOW TO LISTEN FOR A CLRNC TO TKOF, I WAS SO NERVOUS AFTER FAILING TO STOP IN THE CORRECT POS, THAT I ALLOWED THAT TO INTERFERE WITH WHAT I KNOW ARE THE CORRECT PROCS AT A TWR CTLED ARPT, AND RUSHED INTO THE AIR. HE SUGGESTED THAT A THOROUGH REVIEW OF THE FARS REGARDING ARPT MARKINGS AND SIGNAGE WOULD BE USEFUL, AND TO REVIEW PROCS TO TWR CTLED ARPTS IMMEDIATELY. I HAVE NOW CONDUCTED A THOROUGH REVIEW OF THE FARS REGARDING ALL ARPT MARKINGS AND SIGNAGE, AS WELL AS ALL PROCS AT TWR CTLED ARPTS. IN ADDITION, I HAVE SCHEDULED A GND SCHOOL WITH A CFI TO MAKE SURE I HAVE NOT MISSED ANY IMPORTANT POINTS REGARDING ARPT MARKINGS, SIGNAGE, AND OPS. I FEEL THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: ONE, I HAD JUST RECENTLY RETURNED TO FLYING AFTER A 10 YR LAYOFF. I HAD READ THE FARS ABOUT ARPT MARKINGS, BUT I OBVIOUSLY MISSED THE DETAILS REGARDING ARPT SIGNAGE. I HAD GONE THROUGH SEVERAL HRS OF REVIEW WITH A CFI AS WAS NECESSARY TO SATISFY THE 'BFR' REQUIREMENTS, BUT WE DID NOT REVIEW ARPT MARKINGS. THE SECOND FACTOR WAS PROBABLY FATIGUE, AS I HAD JUST FINISHED A 10 HR, OVERNIGHT, SHIFT AT WORK. I MUST HAVE BEEN MORE TIRED THAN I THOUGHT I WAS. THIRD, MY HOME ARPT IS A SMALL, UNCTLED ARPT AS ARE MOST OF THE ARPTS I FREQUENT. THE SIGNAGE AT SUCH ARPTS IS SIMPLE, AND MY EXPERIENCE AT CTLED ARPTS IS EXTREMELY LIMITED. THIS PROB WILL BE ADDRESSED WITH A CFI BY GOING INTO ONE OR MORE CTLED ARPTS WITH A CFI ON BOARD. FOURTH, I SHOULD HAVE ASKED THE CTLR TO TELL ME EXACTLY WHERE TO STOP, SINCE THE ARPT WAS UNDERGOING REPAIR. IN ADDITION, I WILL WRITE DOWN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND CLRNCS AND BE SURE I UNDERSTAND BEFORE BEGINNING TO TAXI. I WAS FORTUNATE THAT THERE WERE NO OTHER ACFT OPERATING AT THE ARPT DURING THIS TIME, AND NO OTHER ACFT'S SAFETY WAS COMPROMISED BY MY ACTIONS. I STRIVE TO BE A GOOD PLT AND THIS HAS SHAKEN ME TO MY CORE. COMING BACK INTO FLYING AFTER SUCH A LONG TIME HAS REVEALED THAT PERIODIC REVIEW OF ALL THE FARS, IN DETAIL, IS A NECESSITY.

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.