Narrative:

My wife and I were on a cross country flight from our home airport to cedar city; ut. WX was marginal that day with low ceilings in areas still 1000+ ft AGL. After flying through the salt lake valley; I decided to land in provo and verify the WX ahead. I had never landed at provo before but didn't have any problems on my arrival; although I had to have help from ground control knowing where to taxi. On the ground at provo; I checked the WX and viewed the satellite images of my route to cedar city and determined it was safe to go on. After fueling up and upon leaving provo; I contacted ground control on 119.4 to ask for taxi instructions (I had a current flight guide of the airport diagram but there was ongoing construction and it hadn't been updated to show the current condition). Ground control seemed out of patience with me because I had to ask to repeat a couple of times (I rarely fly into controled airports and I'm not accustomed as well as I should be with tower communications plus I was unfamiliar with pvu). I had the ATIS information and knew from my arrival that runway 18/31 was closed due to construction. With all that information; I was given clearance to taxi to runway 13 via taxiway a. I was leaving the FBO thinking I needed to taxi on what was marked as A3 to get to taxiway a. When I crossed the runway hold markings; I thought I was crossing the hold marking for runway 18 that was closed and I had approval to taxi direct to runway 13. A few ft after I crossed the hold markings; I saw a small plane departing runway 13 and immediately realized where I was. There wasn't enough room in my judgement to do a 180 degree turn. After the aircraft that was taking off was clear; I taxied ahead a little further still not on the strip of runway 13 and contacted ground control. I told the controller I had mistakenly taxied past the runway hold markings and asked to taxi down the closed runway 18 to pick up taxiway a. The controller was obviously startled at my mistake and sternly told me to do a 180 degree turn; return to the tie-down area; park my plane and call the tower. I did as he instructed. In my 20 yrs of flying I haven't had to do that.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT HAS A RWY INCURSION AT PVU.

Narrative: MY WIFE AND I WERE ON A XCOUNTRY FLT FROM OUR HOME ARPT TO CEDAR CITY; UT. WX WAS MARGINAL THAT DAY WITH LOW CEILINGS IN AREAS STILL 1000+ FT AGL. AFTER FLYING THROUGH THE SALT LAKE VALLEY; I DECIDED TO LAND IN PROVO AND VERIFY THE WX AHEAD. I HAD NEVER LANDED AT PROVO BEFORE BUT DIDN'T HAVE ANY PROBS ON MY ARR; ALTHOUGH I HAD TO HAVE HELP FROM GND CTL KNOWING WHERE TO TAXI. ON THE GND AT PROVO; I CHKED THE WX AND VIEWED THE SATELLITE IMAGES OF MY RTE TO CEDAR CITY AND DETERMINED IT WAS SAFE TO GO ON. AFTER FUELING UP AND UPON LEAVING PROVO; I CONTACTED GND CTL ON 119.4 TO ASK FOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS (I HAD A CURRENT FLT GUIDE OF THE ARPT DIAGRAM BUT THERE WAS ONGOING CONSTRUCTION AND IT HADN'T BEEN UPDATED TO SHOW THE CURRENT CONDITION). GND CTL SEEMED OUT OF PATIENCE WITH ME BECAUSE I HAD TO ASK TO REPEAT A COUPLE OF TIMES (I RARELY FLY INTO CTLED ARPTS AND I'M NOT ACCUSTOMED AS WELL AS I SHOULD BE WITH TWR COMS PLUS I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH PVU). I HAD THE ATIS INFO AND KNEW FROM MY ARR THAT RWY 18/31 WAS CLOSED DUE TO CONSTRUCTION. WITH ALL THAT INFO; I WAS GIVEN CLRNC TO TAXI TO RWY 13 VIA TXWY A. I WAS LEAVING THE FBO THINKING I NEEDED TO TAXI ON WHAT WAS MARKED AS A3 TO GET TO TXWY A. WHEN I CROSSED THE RWY HOLD MARKINGS; I THOUGHT I WAS XING THE HOLD MARKING FOR RWY 18 THAT WAS CLOSED AND I HAD APPROVAL TO TAXI DIRECT TO RWY 13. A FEW FT AFTER I CROSSED THE HOLD MARKINGS; I SAW A SMALL PLANE DEPARTING RWY 13 AND IMMEDIATELY REALIZED WHERE I WAS. THERE WASN'T ENOUGH ROOM IN MY JUDGEMENT TO DO A 180 DEG TURN. AFTER THE ACFT THAT WAS TAKING OFF WAS CLR; I TAXIED AHEAD A LITTLE FURTHER STILL NOT ON THE STRIP OF RWY 13 AND CONTACTED GND CTL. I TOLD THE CTLR I HAD MISTAKENLY TAXIED PAST THE RWY HOLD MARKINGS AND ASKED TO TAXI DOWN THE CLOSED RWY 18 TO PICK UP TXWY A. THE CTLR WAS OBVIOUSLY STARTLED AT MY MISTAKE AND STERNLY TOLD ME TO DO A 180 DEG TURN; RETURN TO THE TIE-DOWN AREA; PARK MY PLANE AND CALL THE TWR. I DID AS HE INSTRUCTED. IN MY 20 YRS OF FLYING I HAVEN'T HAD TO DO THAT.

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.