Narrative:

On dec/mon/06; at XA25 hours I was preparing to depart abilene regional airport (abi) for a sbound flight in my grumman tiger. The ATIS report indicated runways 17L and 17R were being used for arrs and departures; however the winds were reported as 250 degrees at 17 KTS gusting to 26 KTS. Since this exceeds the crosswind component of my airplane; I asked abilene ground control (121.7) for runway 22. Ground control granted my request and issued me a clearance to 'taxi to runway 22.' it is my understanding that this clearance auths me to cross any runway intersecting my taxi route; but does not authority/authorized me to taxi onto the runway I've been cleared to. This was the 3RD time I have flown out of this field in about a yr; but as is my practice; I had a taxiway diagram in my lap for guidance. All of my previous arrs and departures had been on runway 17R. At the time; I observed very little activity on the field; nevertheless; I monitored the tower frequency so I could be aware of any arrs or departures I may not be able to see. I taxied north on taxiway C and turned left onto C4. I noticed the hold short lines on C4 at the entrance to runway 17R; and knew that runway 22 was on the other side of runway 17R. I paused and looked to the right to ensure there was no traffic landing on either runways 17R or 22 and assumed that there would be another set of hold short lines for runway 22 just on the other side of runway 17R. I looked past runway 17R to try to confirm this; but due to the distance; the sun's angle; and my low elevation above the surface; I could not confirm they existed. However; since I was cleared 'to' runway 22 and not given any specific hold short instructions; I proceeded across runway 17R; feeling confident that I was authority/authorized to do so. On the other side of runway 17R; I realized I was already at the end of runway 22 and no separate hold short lines existed for runway 22. At this time even though I thought it peculiar; I still believed I had been authority/authorized to proceed to this point. On my call up to tower for takeoff clearance; I was informed by the controller (in a very professional and courteous manner) that in the future; I should honor the hold short lines on the east side of runway 17R as they are meant as a hold short for both runways. Basically; I had entered an active runway without authority/authorized. To me this is confusing. I realize now that the correct thing to do would have been to contact ground to confirm I was authority/authorized to cross runway 17R; but my clearance to runway 22 had already done this. In my opinion; the authority/authorized to cross runway 17R (which by default came with the clearance 'to' runway 22) put me in violation by entering an active runway without authority/authorized. I feel this is due primarily to the way the runways are aligned and also their proximity to each other. If a transcript of the tapes revealed that I missed something; or if a review of the runway/taxiway markings shows that I failed to heed their directions; I will humbly stand corrected. However; if neither of those exist; I would offer 3 possible solutions to prevent a reoccurrence. 1) apply hold short markings at the end of runway 22. Unfortunately; this would probably shorten its effective length. 2) install signage at C-4 indicating the present hold short lines apply to both runways 17R and 22. 3) require ground controllers when giving clearance to runway 22 to issue a hold short advisory at runway 17R.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AA5B; CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 22 AT ABI; TAXIED ACROSS THE HOLD SHORT LINE AT RWY 17R THAT APPLIES TO RWY 22 ALSO.

Narrative: ON DEC/MON/06; AT XA25 HRS I WAS PREPARING TO DEPART ABILENE REGIONAL ARPT (ABI) FOR A SBOUND FLT IN MY GRUMMAN TIGER. THE ATIS RPT INDICATED RWYS 17L AND 17R WERE BEING USED FOR ARRS AND DEPS; HOWEVER THE WINDS WERE RPTED AS 250 DEGS AT 17 KTS GUSTING TO 26 KTS. SINCE THIS EXCEEDS THE XWIND COMPONENT OF MY AIRPLANE; I ASKED ABILENE GND CTL (121.7) FOR RWY 22. GND CTL GRANTED MY REQUEST AND ISSUED ME A CLRNC TO 'TAXI TO RWY 22.' IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS CLRNC AUTHS ME TO CROSS ANY RWY INTERSECTING MY TAXI RTE; BUT DOES NOT AUTH ME TO TAXI ONTO THE RWY I'VE BEEN CLRED TO. THIS WAS THE 3RD TIME I HAVE FLOWN OUT OF THIS FIELD IN ABOUT A YR; BUT AS IS MY PRACTICE; I HAD A TXWY DIAGRAM IN MY LAP FOR GUIDANCE. ALL OF MY PREVIOUS ARRS AND DEPS HAD BEEN ON RWY 17R. AT THE TIME; I OBSERVED VERY LITTLE ACTIVITY ON THE FIELD; NEVERTHELESS; I MONITORED THE TWR FREQ SO I COULD BE AWARE OF ANY ARRS OR DEPS I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SEE. I TAXIED N ON TXWY C AND TURNED L ONTO C4. I NOTICED THE HOLD SHORT LINES ON C4 AT THE ENTRANCE TO RWY 17R; AND KNEW THAT RWY 22 WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF RWY 17R. I PAUSED AND LOOKED TO THE R TO ENSURE THERE WAS NO TFC LNDG ON EITHER RWYS 17R OR 22 AND ASSUMED THAT THERE WOULD BE ANOTHER SET OF HOLD SHORT LINES FOR RWY 22 JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF RWY 17R. I LOOKED PAST RWY 17R TO TRY TO CONFIRM THIS; BUT DUE TO THE DISTANCE; THE SUN'S ANGLE; AND MY LOW ELEVATION ABOVE THE SURFACE; I COULD NOT CONFIRM THEY EXISTED. HOWEVER; SINCE I WAS CLRED 'TO' RWY 22 AND NOT GIVEN ANY SPECIFIC HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS; I PROCEEDED ACROSS RWY 17R; FEELING CONFIDENT THAT I WAS AUTH TO DO SO. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF RWY 17R; I REALIZED I WAS ALREADY AT THE END OF RWY 22 AND NO SEPARATE HOLD SHORT LINES EXISTED FOR RWY 22. AT THIS TIME EVEN THOUGH I THOUGHT IT PECULIAR; I STILL BELIEVED I HAD BEEN AUTH TO PROCEED TO THIS POINT. ON MY CALL UP TO TWR FOR TKOF CLRNC; I WAS INFORMED BY THE CTLR (IN A VERY PROFESSIONAL AND COURTEOUS MANNER) THAT IN THE FUTURE; I SHOULD HONOR THE HOLD SHORT LINES ON THE E SIDE OF RWY 17R AS THEY ARE MEANT AS A HOLD SHORT FOR BOTH RWYS. BASICALLY; I HAD ENTERED AN ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT AUTH. TO ME THIS IS CONFUSING. I REALIZE NOW THAT THE CORRECT THING TO DO WOULD HAVE BEEN TO CONTACT GND TO CONFIRM I WAS AUTH TO CROSS RWY 17R; BUT MY CLRNC TO RWY 22 HAD ALREADY DONE THIS. IN MY OPINION; THE AUTH TO CROSS RWY 17R (WHICH BY DEFAULT CAME WITH THE CLRNC 'TO' RWY 22) PUT ME IN VIOLATION BY ENTERING AN ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT AUTH. I FEEL THIS IS DUE PRIMARILY TO THE WAY THE RWYS ARE ALIGNED AND ALSO THEIR PROX TO EACH OTHER. IF A TRANSCRIPT OF THE TAPES REVEALED THAT I MISSED SOMETHING; OR IF A REVIEW OF THE RWY/TXWY MARKINGS SHOWS THAT I FAILED TO HEED THEIR DIRECTIONS; I WILL HUMBLY STAND CORRECTED. HOWEVER; IF NEITHER OF THOSE EXIST; I WOULD OFFER 3 POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO PREVENT A REOCCURRENCE. 1) APPLY HOLD SHORT MARKINGS AT THE END OF RWY 22. UNFORTUNATELY; THIS WOULD PROBABLY SHORTEN ITS EFFECTIVE LENGTH. 2) INSTALL SIGNAGE AT C-4 INDICATING THE PRESENT HOLD SHORT LINES APPLY TO BOTH RWYS 17R AND 22. 3) REQUIRE GND CTLRS WHEN GIVING CLRNC TO RWY 22 TO ISSUE A HOLD SHORT ADVISORY AT RWY 17R.

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.