Narrative:

As I started my engine and turned on avionics, I heard communication between the ground controller and a C172. The controller inquired of the cessna whether it needed to do a run-up because there was a king air that would be underway from another ramp immediately. The cessna departed immediately. I then called in to the ground controller and was not answered on the first call because of other communications with the cessna, the king air and a twin-engine cessna that was then ready for taxi. When I was finally answered, I was told to taxi and hold at taxiway F. The twin cessna was instructed to follow me and to hold at taxiway F. I was instructed to 'cross runway 25.' I had never heard this instruction before because I had never been at an airport that required a crossing of the main runway to get to the end of the same runway. Unfamiliar with this airport and unsure of what to do, I turned onto runway 25 at intersection F and held. The ground controller radioed, 'wait. You weren't supposed to position and hold.' I replied that I had misunderstood and asked for instructions. The controller instructed me to cross to the other side of the runway. As I did so, I saw the rest of taxiway F and the king air waiting for takeoff 1200 ft away at the end of runway 25. I quickly crossed the runway and got to the other side of taxiway F. Still unclr about why I was on that side of the runway and unaware of the taxi layout at this airport, I spun around and waited for what I expected to be an intersection F takeoff after the king air had departed. This was not what the controller wanted me to do, and he now curtly explained that I was blocking the twin cessna from getting to the proper end of the runway. I again apologized and explained that I was unfamiliar with the airport. The controller offered me an intersection F takeoff in front of the twin cessna that waited on the ramp side of the runway. I accepted the clearance and took off. Clearly, I made some serious errors here. I had already been in the air for 5 hours that day, and obviously my judgement was clouded. It was an unfamiliar airport with a very different taxi layout that I had not adequately prepared for or anticipated. I was unwilling to ask for assistance, but this was not a pride issue. I have asked for progressive taxi instructions many times at unfamiliar airports. My problem here was that I did not realize the txwys were so confusing at lzu. When I had landed on runway 25 an hour earlier, I had made a routine right turn onto taxiway east and headed for the ramp. I was simply unprepared for what faced me there at intersection F. This may well be a factor of my inexperience as a pilot, having only landed at a limited number of airports. There are some other contributing factors involved. The busy taxi climate unnerved me to some extent and I may have been more hesitant to ask for help so as not to interfere with the busy environment. The existence of a crossing taxiway to get to the end of runway 25 was extremely confusing and unanticipated. Also, I was anxious to return to chattanooga. Nevertheless, I accept responsibility for the runway incursion and will endeavor in the future to adequately study the taxi and runway layouts of all airports at which I plan to land. Also, if I do not understand a controller's instructions, I will ask for clarification until I do understand the situation or instructions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A NEW PVT PLT TIPH ON RWY 25 AT LZU WITHOUT PERMISSION WITH TFC IN POS FOR TKOF.

Narrative: AS I STARTED MY ENG AND TURNED ON AVIONICS, I HEARD COM BTWN THE GND CTLR AND A C172. THE CTLR INQUIRED OF THE CESSNA WHETHER IT NEEDED TO DO A RUN-UP BECAUSE THERE WAS A KING AIR THAT WOULD BE UNDERWAY FROM ANOTHER RAMP IMMEDIATELY. THE CESSNA DEPARTED IMMEDIATELY. I THEN CALLED IN TO THE GND CTLR AND WAS NOT ANSWERED ON THE FIRST CALL BECAUSE OF OTHER COMS WITH THE CESSNA, THE KING AIR AND A TWIN-ENG CESSNA THAT WAS THEN READY FOR TAXI. WHEN I WAS FINALLY ANSWERED, I WAS TOLD TO TAXI AND HOLD AT TXWY F. THE TWIN CESSNA WAS INSTRUCTED TO FOLLOW ME AND TO HOLD AT TXWY F. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO 'CROSS RWY 25.' I HAD NEVER HEARD THIS INSTRUCTION BEFORE BECAUSE I HAD NEVER BEEN AT AN ARPT THAT REQUIRED A XING OF THE MAIN RWY TO GET TO THE END OF THE SAME RWY. UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS ARPT AND UNSURE OF WHAT TO DO, I TURNED ONTO RWY 25 AT INTXN F AND HELD. THE GND CTLR RADIOED, 'WAIT. YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO POS AND HOLD.' I REPLIED THAT I HAD MISUNDERSTOOD AND ASKED FOR INSTRUCTIONS. THE CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO CROSS TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RWY. AS I DID SO, I SAW THE REST OF TXWY F AND THE KING AIR WAITING FOR TKOF 1200 FT AWAY AT THE END OF RWY 25. I QUICKLY CROSSED THE RWY AND GOT TO THE OTHER SIDE OF TXWY F. STILL UNCLR ABOUT WHY I WAS ON THAT SIDE OF THE RWY AND UNAWARE OF THE TAXI LAYOUT AT THIS ARPT, I SPUN AROUND AND WAITED FOR WHAT I EXPECTED TO BE AN INTXN F TKOF AFTER THE KING AIR HAD DEPARTED. THIS WAS NOT WHAT THE CTLR WANTED ME TO DO, AND HE NOW CURTLY EXPLAINED THAT I WAS BLOCKING THE TWIN CESSNA FROM GETTING TO THE PROPER END OF THE RWY. I AGAIN APOLOGIZED AND EXPLAINED THAT I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT. THE CTLR OFFERED ME AN INTXN F TKOF IN FRONT OF THE TWIN CESSNA THAT WAITED ON THE RAMP SIDE OF THE RWY. I ACCEPTED THE CLRNC AND TOOK OFF. CLRLY, I MADE SOME SERIOUS ERRORS HERE. I HAD ALREADY BEEN IN THE AIR FOR 5 HRS THAT DAY, AND OBVIOUSLY MY JUDGEMENT WAS CLOUDED. IT WAS AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT WITH A VERY DIFFERENT TAXI LAYOUT THAT I HAD NOT ADEQUATELY PREPARED FOR OR ANTICIPATED. I WAS UNWILLING TO ASK FOR ASSISTANCE, BUT THIS WAS NOT A PRIDE ISSUE. I HAVE ASKED FOR PROGRESSIVE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS MANY TIMES AT UNFAMILIAR ARPTS. MY PROB HERE WAS THAT I DID NOT REALIZE THE TXWYS WERE SO CONFUSING AT LZU. WHEN I HAD LANDED ON RWY 25 AN HR EARLIER, I HAD MADE A ROUTINE R TURN ONTO TXWY E AND HEADED FOR THE RAMP. I WAS SIMPLY UNPREPARED FOR WHAT FACED ME THERE AT INTXN F. THIS MAY WELL BE A FACTOR OF MY INEXPERIENCE AS A PLT, HAVING ONLY LANDED AT A LIMITED NUMBER OF ARPTS. THERE ARE SOME OTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INVOLVED. THE BUSY TAXI CLIMATE UNNERVED ME TO SOME EXTENT AND I MAY HAVE BEEN MORE HESITANT TO ASK FOR HELP SO AS NOT TO INTERFERE WITH THE BUSY ENVIRONMENT. THE EXISTENCE OF A XING TXWY TO GET TO THE END OF RWY 25 WAS EXTREMELY CONFUSING AND UNANTICIPATED. ALSO, I WAS ANXIOUS TO RETURN TO CHATTANOOGA. NEVERTHELESS, I ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE RWY INCURSION AND WILL ENDEAVOR IN THE FUTURE TO ADEQUATELY STUDY THE TAXI AND RWY LAYOUTS OF ALL ARPTS AT WHICH I PLAN TO LAND. ALSO, IF I DO NOT UNDERSTAND A CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS, I WILL ASK FOR CLARIFICATION UNTIL I DO UNDERSTAND THE SIT OR INSTRUCTIONS.

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.