Narrative:

I crossed runway 29 at bmi without clearance. This error was clearly my fault. I had copied ATIS information which had stated that the active runway was runway 2. After hearing the ATIS and because I was not familiar with the airport; I consulted the runway diagram and planned my taxi route to runway 2. When I called for taxi I was cleared to taxi to runway 29 at taxiway G and instructed to follow a mitsubishi on another taxiway. I was expecting clearance to taxi to runway 2 and that is what I internalized (in error). The aircraft I was supposed to follow was not in sight when I received the call and I was probably paying too much attention to finding the aircraft to follow rather than to the rest of ground control's instructions. As I arrived at taxiway G; the aircraft I was following continued ahead (and switched to tower for takeoff although I did not know that at the time since I was still on ground control frequency). Since I thought (in error) that I was cleared to runway 2; I followed taxiway G which took me across the active runway 29. The tower saw my aircraft crossing the runway and directed me to continue across. After crossing; the tower advised me that I had crossed an active runway without clearance and an aircraft had been cleared for takeoff. I believe the tower acted correctly at all times. I saw the second aircraft taxiing when I crossed runway 29 but his route took him onto runway 2 and I assumed he was taxiing south on runway 2 to get to the takeoff position. The other aircraft did not roll when I was crossing the runway. The cause of this incursion was my failure to pay attention to the runway assignment during the taxi instruction. Contributing to the problem was my expectation of getting an instruction to taxi to runway 2 since that is what I had heard on the current ATIS. Also contributing was my misprioritization of tasks; paying attention to finding the aircraft to follow instead of focusing on the runway assignment. After takeoff; I checked the ATIS and found that the tower had updated the ATIS to reflect runway 29 as the active. I do not blame the tower; I only mention it because ATIS was a factor in my mental preparation and my expectation of a runway assignment. I heard what I expected to hear instead of what was actually said.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE33 PLT CROSSES RWY AT BMI WITHOUT A CLRNC.

Narrative: I CROSSED RWY 29 AT BMI WITHOUT CLRNC. THIS ERROR WAS CLRLY MY FAULT. I HAD COPIED ATIS INFO WHICH HAD STATED THAT THE ACTIVE RWY WAS RWY 2. AFTER HEARING THE ATIS AND BECAUSE I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT; I CONSULTED THE RWY DIAGRAM AND PLANNED MY TAXI RTE TO RWY 2. WHEN I CALLED FOR TAXI I WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 29 AT TXWY G AND INSTRUCTED TO FOLLOW A MITSUBISHI ON ANOTHER TXWY. I WAS EXPECTING CLRNC TO TAXI TO RWY 2 AND THAT IS WHAT I INTERNALIZED (IN ERROR). THE ACFT I WAS SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW WAS NOT IN SIGHT WHEN I RECEIVED THE CALL AND I WAS PROBABLY PAYING TOO MUCH ATTN TO FINDING THE ACFT TO FOLLOW RATHER THAN TO THE REST OF GND CTL'S INSTRUCTIONS. AS I ARRIVED AT TXWY G; THE ACFT I WAS FOLLOWING CONTINUED AHEAD (AND SWITCHED TO TWR FOR TKOF ALTHOUGH I DID NOT KNOW THAT AT THE TIME SINCE I WAS STILL ON GND CTL FREQ). SINCE I THOUGHT (IN ERROR) THAT I WAS CLRED TO RWY 2; I FOLLOWED TXWY G WHICH TOOK ME ACROSS THE ACTIVE RWY 29. THE TWR SAW MY ACFT XING THE RWY AND DIRECTED ME TO CONTINUE ACROSS. AFTER XING; THE TWR ADVISED ME THAT I HAD CROSSED AN ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC AND AN ACFT HAD BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF. I BELIEVE THE TWR ACTED CORRECTLY AT ALL TIMES. I SAW THE SECOND ACFT TAXIING WHEN I CROSSED RWY 29 BUT HIS RTE TOOK HIM ONTO RWY 2 AND I ASSUMED HE WAS TAXIING S ON RWY 2 TO GET TO THE TKOF POS. THE OTHER ACFT DID NOT ROLL WHEN I WAS XING THE RWY. THE CAUSE OF THIS INCURSION WAS MY FAILURE TO PAY ATTN TO THE RWY ASSIGNMENT DURING THE TAXI INSTRUCTION. CONTRIBUTING TO THE PROB WAS MY EXPECTATION OF GETTING AN INSTRUCTION TO TAXI TO RWY 2 SINCE THAT IS WHAT I HAD HEARD ON THE CURRENT ATIS. ALSO CONTRIBUTING WAS MY MISPRIORITIZATION OF TASKS; PAYING ATTN TO FINDING THE ACFT TO FOLLOW INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON THE RWY ASSIGNMENT. AFTER TKOF; I CHKED THE ATIS AND FOUND THAT THE TWR HAD UPDATED THE ATIS TO REFLECT RWY 29 AS THE ACTIVE. I DO NOT BLAME THE TWR; I ONLY MENTION IT BECAUSE ATIS WAS A FACTOR IN MY MENTAL PREPARATION AND MY EXPECTATION OF A RWY ASSIGNMENT. I HEARD WHAT I EXPECTED TO HEAR INSTEAD OF WHAT WAS ACTUALLY SAID.

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.