Narrative:

We were cleared to taxi from the ramp to runway 23 at ZZZ. Flagman turned us off ramp to right (had been parked facing south). Shortly after we turned around; sic firmly stated 'tug!' as he saw an unlit 'tug' moving across in front of us. I applied the brakes as a golf cart with no visible lighting crossed from right to left in front of us. Next thing we knew we were turning right onto the runway; as an aircraft was on takeoff roll. Sic yelled 'stop!' and I stopped. (Aircraft on takeoff moved over to right side of runway.) nosewheel and left main gear of our aircraft was on runway when stopped. Ground control tried calling to see who was on the runway. We stated our call sign 3 or 4 times but ground could not hear us on communication #1. After a couple of mins sic called ground on communication #2 and they gave us taxi instructions off the runway. Unlit moving object at night was a factor; as is the airport layout -- taxiway to 23 is nearly connected to ramp so is easy to miss the turn onto the taxiway rather than the runway. No collision resulted from this occurrence. Supplemental information from acn 653691: contributing factors were: 1) night. 2) tug/golf cart operating on ramp/taxiway. 3) poor airport lighting and signage. 4) proximity of ramp to taxiway. While we were on the ground awaiting takeoff clearance; we observed another aircraft taxi from the ramp and miss the taxiway. That aircraft also had to back taxi on the runway. Callback conversation with reporter acn 653692 revealed the following information: the captain/reporter advised that ZZZ; normally uncontrolled; is annually provided a temporary control tower. Thus; the existence of a traffic 'authority/authorized' is not a routine condition. She felt this probably contributed to the lack of traffic aware on the part of the vehicle driver and his or her failure to cede right-of-way to taxiing aircraft. Although the captain hadn't a specific memory regarding signage; the copilot felt it was inadequate. Both felt the narrow unimproved area between the ramp and the equally narrow parallel taxiway contributed to their loss of positional awareness.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF C560 GETS DISTR BY A CONFLICT WITH AN UNCTLED GOLF CART WHILE DEPARTING THE RAMP AND INADVERTENTLY ENTER RWY 23 AT ZZZ. DEPARTING ACFT; AT TOO HIGH A SPD TO ABORT PRIOR TO IMMINENT CONTACT; CONTINUES TKOF AND AVERTS COLLISION BY MOVING TO THE R SIDE OF THE RWY.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI FROM THE RAMP TO RWY 23 AT ZZZ. FLAGMAN TURNED US OFF RAMP TO R (HAD BEEN PARKED FACING S). SHORTLY AFTER WE TURNED AROUND; SIC FIRMLY STATED 'TUG!' AS HE SAW AN UNLIT 'TUG' MOVING ACROSS IN FRONT OF US. I APPLIED THE BRAKES AS A GOLF CART WITH NO VISIBLE LIGHTING CROSSED FROM R TO L IN FRONT OF US. NEXT THING WE KNEW WE WERE TURNING RIGHT ONTO THE RWY; AS AN ACFT WAS ON TKOF ROLL. SIC YELLED 'STOP!' AND I STOPPED. (ACFT ON TKOF MOVED OVER TO R SIDE OF RWY.) NOSEWHEEL AND L MAIN GEAR OF OUR ACFT WAS ON RWY WHEN STOPPED. GND CTL TRIED CALLING TO SEE WHO WAS ON THE RWY. WE STATED OUR CALL SIGN 3 OR 4 TIMES BUT GND COULD NOT HEAR US ON COM #1. AFTER A COUPLE OF MINS SIC CALLED GND ON COM #2 AND THEY GAVE US TAXI INSTRUCTIONS OFF THE RWY. UNLIT MOVING OBJECT AT NIGHT WAS A FACTOR; AS IS THE ARPT LAYOUT -- TXWY TO 23 IS NEARLY CONNECTED TO RAMP SO IS EASY TO MISS THE TURN ONTO THE TXWY RATHER THAN THE RWY. NO COLLISION RESULTED FROM THIS OCCURRENCE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 653691: CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: 1) NIGHT. 2) TUG/GOLF CART OPERATING ON RAMP/TXWY. 3) POOR ARPT LIGHTING AND SIGNAGE. 4) PROX OF RAMP TO TXWY. WHILE WE WERE ON THE GND AWAITING TKOF CLRNC; WE OBSERVED ANOTHER ACFT TAXI FROM THE RAMP AND MISS THE TXWY. THAT ACFT ALSO HAD TO BACK TAXI ON THE RWY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 653692 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CAPT/RPTR ADVISED THAT ZZZ; NORMALLY UNCTLED; IS ANNUALLY PROVIDED A TEMPORARY CTL TOWER. THUS; THE EXISTENCE OF A TFC 'AUTH' IS NOT A ROUTINE CONDITION. SHE FELT THIS PROBABLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE LACK OF TFC AWARE ON THE PART OF THE VEHICLE DRIVER AND HIS OR HER FAILURE TO CEDE RIGHT-OF-WAY TO TAXIING ACFT. ALTHOUGH THE CAPT HADN'T A SPECIFIC MEMORY REGARDING SIGNAGE; THE COPLT FELT IT WAS INADEQUATE. BOTH FELT THE NARROW UNIMPROVED AREA BTWN THE RAMP AND THE EQUALLY NARROW PARALLEL TXWY CONTRIBUTED TO THEIR LOSS OF POSITIONAL AWARENESS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.