Narrative:

I was PIC of a bell helicopter, model 430, departing abe on an far 135 charter flight carrying passenger to an off airport landing site. Check of passenger manifest, securing baggage, loading/briefing passenger, final walkaround, and aircraft start/run-up were normal, but contained many, many steps. I was parked at hangar which is due south of the intersection of runway 24 and runway 31. I listened to ATIS and called tower for takeoff clearance, requested 'present position takeoff, into the wind, right turn out on course to the north.' tower instructed me to call clearance for departure. I called clearance for 'VFR departure northbound at 2000 ft.' clearance issued me squawk code and frequency. I again called tower 'present position takeoff, into the wind, right turn out on course to the north.' I believe tower correctly gave me approval for takeoff 'remain south of runway 31, aircraft on 1 mi final.' I had observed several aircraft land on runway 24 while waiting on the ramp to load passenger. In my haste to get going, I had not really listened to the runway that tower had called out to remain south of, I had pictured in my mind it was that piece of asphalt just off my nose about 700 yards, and believed that I was cleared to cross the runway that was to my right (runway 31). I had just watched an airplane land on runway 24 and did not consider that tower could be using both runways with the prevailing wind conditions. I was heavily loaded and was concentrating on aircraft performance. The takeoff went as I had planned, I was climbing nebound paralleling runway 24 well south (and east) of the runway 24 edge markings when tower called to tell me I had just flown across an active runway 31. That was the first I realized that runway 31 was the other runway from the one I thought I was to stay clear of. I have no idea how close the aircraft that had been on final to the runway I had just crossed was. I was watching the final approach area of runway 24 to identify what I expected to be my traffic. I expected him to be to my left, parallel to my path, in the opposite direction, and below me. I think I neglected to read back the runway number for my 'remain south of' clearance. I try to religiously, follow this practice, but I allowed myself to rush and missed it this one time. If I did verbalize the number, in my mind I pictured the piece of asphalt that lies on runway 24. In the future I shall focus on the number, the meaning of it, not the picture of the runway that I might confuse with any runway of note at the moment. I allowed myself to rush, rather than completing one task before moving on to the next. I will remind myself to slow down when I feel rushed at high workload times.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION BY A BELL 430 ATP PLT WHEN MISUNDERSTANDING THE ACTIVE RWY AT ABE, PA.

Narrative: I WAS PIC OF A BELL HELI, MODEL 430, DEPARTING ABE ON AN FAR 135 CHARTER FLT CARRYING PAX TO AN OFF ARPT LNDG SITE. CHK OF PAX MANIFEST, SECURING BAGGAGE, LOADING/BRIEFING PAX, FINAL WALKAROUND, AND ACFT START/RUN-UP WERE NORMAL, BUT CONTAINED MANY, MANY STEPS. I WAS PARKED AT HANGAR WHICH IS DUE S OF THE INTXN OF RWY 24 AND RWY 31. I LISTENED TO ATIS AND CALLED TWR FOR TKOF CLRNC, REQUESTED 'PRESENT POS TKOF, INTO THE WIND, R TURN OUT ON COURSE TO THE N.' TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO CALL CLRNC FOR DEP. I CALLED CLRNC FOR 'VFR DEP NBOUND AT 2000 FT.' CLRNC ISSUED ME SQUAWK CODE AND FREQ. I AGAIN CALLED TWR 'PRESENT POS TKOF, INTO THE WIND, R TURN OUT ON COURSE TO THE N.' I BELIEVE TWR CORRECTLY GAVE ME APPROVAL FOR TKOF 'REMAIN S OF RWY 31, ACFT ON 1 MI FINAL.' I HAD OBSERVED SEVERAL ACFT LAND ON RWY 24 WHILE WAITING ON THE RAMP TO LOAD PAX. IN MY HASTE TO GET GOING, I HAD NOT REALLY LISTENED TO THE RWY THAT TWR HAD CALLED OUT TO REMAIN S OF, I HAD PICTURED IN MY MIND IT WAS THAT PIECE OF ASPHALT JUST OFF MY NOSE ABOUT 700 YARDS, AND BELIEVED THAT I WAS CLRED TO CROSS THE RWY THAT WAS TO MY R (RWY 31). I HAD JUST WATCHED AN AIRPLANE LAND ON RWY 24 AND DID NOT CONSIDER THAT TWR COULD BE USING BOTH RWYS WITH THE PREVAILING WIND CONDITIONS. I WAS HEAVILY LOADED AND WAS CONCENTRATING ON ACFT PERFORMANCE. THE TKOF WENT AS I HAD PLANNED, I WAS CLBING NEBOUND PARALLELING RWY 24 WELL S (AND E) OF THE RWY 24 EDGE MARKINGS WHEN TWR CALLED TO TELL ME I HAD JUST FLOWN ACROSS AN ACTIVE RWY 31. THAT WAS THE FIRST I REALIZED THAT RWY 31 WAS THE OTHER RWY FROM THE ONE I THOUGHT I WAS TO STAY CLR OF. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW CLOSE THE ACFT THAT HAD BEEN ON FINAL TO THE RWY I HAD JUST CROSSED WAS. I WAS WATCHING THE FINAL APCH AREA OF RWY 24 TO IDENT WHAT I EXPECTED TO BE MY TFC. I EXPECTED HIM TO BE TO MY L, PARALLEL TO MY PATH, IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, AND BELOW ME. I THINK I NEGLECTED TO READ BACK THE RWY NUMBER FOR MY 'REMAIN S OF' CLRNC. I TRY TO RELIGIOUSLY, FOLLOW THIS PRACTICE, BUT I ALLOWED MYSELF TO RUSH AND MISSED IT THIS ONE TIME. IF I DID VERBALIZE THE NUMBER, IN MY MIND I PICTURED THE PIECE OF ASPHALT THAT LIES ON RWY 24. IN THE FUTURE I SHALL FOCUS ON THE NUMBER, THE MEANING OF IT, NOT THE PICTURE OF THE RWY THAT I MIGHT CONFUSE WITH ANY RWY OF NOTE AT THE MOMENT. I ALLOWED MYSELF TO RUSH, RATHER THAN COMPLETING ONE TASK BEFORE MOVING ON TO THE NEXT. I WILL REMIND MYSELF TO SLOW DOWN WHEN I FEEL RUSHED AT HIGH WORKLOAD TIMES.

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.