Narrative:

I had landed in good night VFR conditions on runway 31, short of the intersection of runways. Ground told me to turn left on runway 5 to taxi to the FBO. I am a private pilot with IFR rating and night current, but I have little experience taxiing at large airports at night. I became disoriented at the confluence of the 3 runways, and taxied onto runway 9/27 west instead of runway 5/23 southwest. The controller corrected me after I was several hundred ft down runway 27, and gave me new instructions to taxi off of runway 27 on a taxiway to the FBO. On that taxiway, I was frustrated and preoccupied by my accidental runway incursion, and nearly made another mistake by almost taxiing onto another taxiway. At this point, the controller said, 'ok, I'm going to shut down the entire airport and you can taxi wherever you want until you get to the ramp.' I admit my error, but I certainly didn't find this sarcastic remark helpful. I believe I am a good and careful pilot and this (my first runway incursion) embarrassed me. I'm obviously fortunate that traffic was very light this night and that other runways weren't being used. To my knowledge, there were no other planes in the pattern or taxiing at this time. My mistake was due to my inexperience in taxiing at large airports, in a plane low to the ground, at night. The confusing layout of mli, with its 3 mutually intersecting runways, was definitely a factor. Asking the ground controller to turn up the lights of runway 5/23 as I was approaching would certainly have helped me make the proper turn. I also should have crosschecked my directional gyro indication as I made my turn onto runway 27. I plan to do more night flts to larger airports in an effort to increase my ground situational awareness in taxi mode.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C177 LNDG AT MLI IS INSTRUCTED TO EXIT VIA RWY 5-23 BUT ERRS AND EXITS VIA RWY 9-27.

Narrative: I HAD LANDED IN GOOD NIGHT VFR CONDITIONS ON RWY 31, SHORT OF THE INTXN OF RWYS. GND TOLD ME TO TURN L ON RWY 5 TO TAXI TO THE FBO. I AM A PVT PLT WITH IFR RATING AND NIGHT CURRENT, BUT I HAVE LITTLE EXPERIENCE TAXIING AT LARGE ARPTS AT NIGHT. I BECAME DISORIENTED AT THE CONFLUENCE OF THE 3 RWYS, AND TAXIED ONTO RWY 9/27 W INSTEAD OF RWY 5/23 SW. THE CTLR CORRECTED ME AFTER I WAS SEVERAL HUNDRED FT DOWN RWY 27, AND GAVE ME NEW INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI OFF OF RWY 27 ON A TXWY TO THE FBO. ON THAT TXWY, I WAS FRUSTRATED AND PREOCCUPIED BY MY ACCIDENTAL RWY INCURSION, AND NEARLY MADE ANOTHER MISTAKE BY ALMOST TAXIING ONTO ANOTHER TXWY. AT THIS POINT, THE CTLR SAID, 'OK, I'M GOING TO SHUT DOWN THE ENTIRE ARPT AND YOU CAN TAXI WHEREVER YOU WANT UNTIL YOU GET TO THE RAMP.' I ADMIT MY ERROR, BUT I CERTAINLY DIDN'T FIND THIS SARCASTIC REMARK HELPFUL. I BELIEVE I AM A GOOD AND CAREFUL PLT AND THIS (MY FIRST RWY INCURSION) EMBARRASSED ME. I'M OBVIOUSLY FORTUNATE THAT TFC WAS VERY LIGHT THIS NIGHT AND THAT OTHER RWYS WEREN'T BEING USED. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THERE WERE NO OTHER PLANES IN THE PATTERN OR TAXIING AT THIS TIME. MY MISTAKE WAS DUE TO MY INEXPERIENCE IN TAXIING AT LARGE ARPTS, IN A PLANE LOW TO THE GND, AT NIGHT. THE CONFUSING LAYOUT OF MLI, WITH ITS 3 MUTUALLY INTERSECTING RWYS, WAS DEFINITELY A FACTOR. ASKING THE GND CTLR TO TURN UP THE LIGHTS OF RWY 5/23 AS I WAS APCHING WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE HELPED ME MAKE THE PROPER TURN. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE XCHKED MY DIRECTIONAL GYRO INDICATION AS I MADE MY TURN ONTO RWY 27. I PLAN TO DO MORE NIGHT FLTS TO LARGER ARPTS IN AN EFFORT TO INCREASE MY GND SITUATIONAL AWARENESS IN TAXI MODE.

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.