Narrative:

Problem arose when I taxied onto an active runway. I discovered this when I saw the landing lights of an aircraft on landing rollout, on the runway at the opposite end. They had landed on runway 11. I had taxied onto runway 29. Corrective action: as soon as I saw the landing lights, I realized what I had done and started a 180 degree turn to exit the runway. At the same time tower called and said to taxi clear of the runway. Contributing factors: early morning takeoff from houston, tx, clear skies at destination, calm winds, no traffic. Sunday morning at XA40. A huge factor was that operations were being conducted in both directions on runway 11/29. I landed on runway 29. The air carrier landed on runway 11. We were holding short of runway 29. We were anticipating takeoff clearance. Tower called and said to fly the XXXX departure and climb to XXXX ft. I know better, but I understood this as takeoff clearance, and started to taxi onto the runway. Tower and ground were combined. We had called the tower to clarify takeoff clearance and received no response. We called a second time, with no response, then I saw the landing lights. I am not sure if the other aircraft had already landed and was rolling out when we were calling the tower, but I think it was already on the runway. Human factors: fatigue from a heavy schedule the previous week, early morning wake-up and departure. Perceptions: I had expected a takeoff clearance. Inactions: I was too complacent. I was rushing to get back to houston so I could call and check on a patient's health. I did not stop taxiing when I did not receive a response from the tower. I did not confer with my co-pilot. I did not stop before it was too late. Supplemental information from acn 615446: instructions were repeated and my captain repeated cleared for takeoff. This is what he believed he heard. I was working on calling out the before takeoff checklist and cannot honestly remember if we were ever cleared for takeoff. However, the controller never corrected the readback. We noticed another aircraft was on short final for the opposite runway. We immediately exited the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WW24 CAPT ENTERS RWY AT GJT WITHOUT CLRNC AS ACFT LANDS ON OPPOSITE END OF RWY.

Narrative: PROB AROSE WHEN I TAXIED ONTO AN ACTIVE RWY. I DISCOVERED THIS WHEN I SAW THE LNDG LIGHTS OF AN ACFT ON LNDG ROLLOUT, ON THE RWY AT THE OPPOSITE END. THEY HAD LANDED ON RWY 11. I HAD TAXIED ONTO RWY 29. CORRECTIVE ACTION: AS SOON AS I SAW THE LNDG LIGHTS, I REALIZED WHAT I HAD DONE AND STARTED A 180 DEG TURN TO EXIT THE RWY. AT THE SAME TIME TWR CALLED AND SAID TO TAXI CLR OF THE RWY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: EARLY MORNING TKOF FROM HOUSTON, TX, CLR SKIES AT DEST, CALM WINDS, NO TFC. SUNDAY MORNING AT XA40. A HUGE FACTOR WAS THAT OPS WERE BEING CONDUCTED IN BOTH DIRECTIONS ON RWY 11/29. I LANDED ON RWY 29. THE ACR LANDED ON RWY 11. WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 29. WE WERE ANTICIPATING TKOF CLRNC. TWR CALLED AND SAID TO FLY THE XXXX DEP AND CLB TO XXXX FT. I KNOW BETTER, BUT I UNDERSTOOD THIS AS TKOF CLRNC, AND STARTED TO TAXI ONTO THE RWY. TWR AND GND WERE COMBINED. WE HAD CALLED THE TWR TO CLARIFY TKOF CLRNC AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. WE CALLED A SECOND TIME, WITH NO RESPONSE, THEN I SAW THE LNDG LIGHTS. I AM NOT SURE IF THE OTHER ACFT HAD ALREADY LANDED AND WAS ROLLING OUT WHEN WE WERE CALLING THE TWR, BUT I THINK IT WAS ALREADY ON THE RWY. HUMAN FACTORS: FATIGUE FROM A HVY SCHEDULE THE PREVIOUS WK, EARLY MORNING WAKE-UP AND DEP. PERCEPTIONS: I HAD EXPECTED A TKOF CLRNC. INACTIONS: I WAS TOO COMPLACENT. I WAS RUSHING TO GET BACK TO HOUSTON SO I COULD CALL AND CHK ON A PATIENT'S HEALTH. I DID NOT STOP TAXIING WHEN I DID NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE FROM THE TWR. I DID NOT CONFER WITH MY CO-PLT. I DID NOT STOP BEFORE IT WAS TOO LATE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 615446: INSTRUCTIONS WERE REPEATED AND MY CAPT REPEATED CLRED FOR TKOF. THIS IS WHAT HE BELIEVED HE HEARD. I WAS WORKING ON CALLING OUT THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST AND CANNOT HONESTLY REMEMBER IF WE WERE EVER CLRED FOR TKOF. HOWEVER, THE CTLR NEVER CORRECTED THE READBACK. WE NOTICED ANOTHER ACFT WAS ON SHORT FINAL FOR THE OPPOSITE RWY. WE IMMEDIATELY EXITED THE RWY.

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.