Narrative:

The incident occurred as I was rolling to a stop after landing on runway X at ZZZ; which is an airport I had not visited recently. As I approached the point where runway X crosses runway Y; I am advised that I received the following instruction from ATC; 'continue through the intersection; say FBO.' I interpreted this instruction; as I gave the FBO name to the controller; to mean; 'take the next intersection off the runway and proceed to the FBO.' unfortunately; the next intersection; into which I turned; was runway Y on which an aircraft had just been cleared to take off. The conflict thus generated caused the incident. I recollect hearing the controller telling the other aircraft to abort but not the transmission telling the other aircraft that it was cleared for takeoff. I was aware that both runways X and Y were in use. As soon as I turned left off runway X I realized that I was on runway Y; but by this time it was too late to turn back and; in any event; I thought my instructions were to proceed in this way; vacating runway X as soon as possible. Contributing factors to this incident were difficult WX conditions at ZZZ. The airport had been closed the previous day as a result of heavy snow and as a result it was exceptionally busy. When I arrived; there was a gusty wind which made landing relatively awkward; as a result of which I used rather more of runway X for the landing roll than I would normally have done. There was still a large amount of snow and ice on the ground; including on many of the txwys; making it harder than usual to distinguish between txwys and runways. There was a substantial amount of activity on the field and non-stop use of the tower frequency. Once I had turned off runway X; the tower controller evidently realized promptly that there was a potential conflict as a result of my aircraft being on runway Y. I was told by the controller to vacate the runway as soon as possible and to contact the tower by phone as soon as I could do so to discuss what had happened and to initiate any reporting action which might be necessary. I spoke to the supervisor who was exceptionally courteous and helpful. What could have been done better to avoid this situation occurring? I appreciate that the tower controller was very busy; but I do believe that the instruction I was given which led to my turning onto runway 1 was very ambiguous. There are 7 intxns altogether on runway X; the 5TH being runway Y. It was not at all clear that 'continue through the intersection;' the instruction which I received when I was at about intersection left; referred specifically to the intersection between runway X and runway Y and not to intxns generally; which usually involve turning off the active runway. I am sure that the incident would not have happened if the instruction I had received had been 'continue to the end of the runway' or 'cross runway Y before vacating runway X.' again; I understand the pressure which everyone was under at ZZZ at the time of the incident; but it also seems to me to have been wrong to have cleared the aircraft on runway Y for takeoff before I was clear of the northern end of this runway. A few moments' delay would have been ensured that I would not have been on runway Y; either as a result of my crossing it having been completed as the controller obviously intended should happen; or my taxiing off runway Y onto taxiway B; which would have taken only a few seconds longer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C525 CLEARED THE RUNWAY AFTER LANDING BY TURNING ONTO ANOTHER ACTIVE RUNWAY; CAUSING AN AIRCRAFT THAT WAS CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF TO ABORT.

Narrative: THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AS I WAS ROLLING TO A STOP AFTER LNDG ON RWY X AT ZZZ; WHICH IS AN ARPT I HAD NOT VISITED RECENTLY. AS I APCHED THE POINT WHERE RWY X CROSSES RWY Y; I AM ADVISED THAT I RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTION FROM ATC; 'CONTINUE THROUGH THE INTXN; SAY FBO.' I INTERPRETED THIS INSTRUCTION; AS I GAVE THE FBO NAME TO THE CTLR; TO MEAN; 'TAKE THE NEXT INTXN OFF THE RWY AND PROCEED TO THE FBO.' UNFORTUNATELY; THE NEXT INTXN; INTO WHICH I TURNED; WAS RWY Y ON WHICH AN ACFT HAD JUST BEEN CLRED TO TAKE OFF. THE CONFLICT THUS GENERATED CAUSED THE INCIDENT. I RECOLLECT HEARING THE CTLR TELLING THE OTHER ACFT TO ABORT BUT NOT THE XMISSION TELLING THE OTHER ACFT THAT IT WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. I WAS AWARE THAT BOTH RWYS X AND Y WERE IN USE. AS SOON AS I TURNED L OFF RWY X I REALIZED THAT I WAS ON RWY Y; BUT BY THIS TIME IT WAS TOO LATE TO TURN BACK AND; IN ANY EVENT; I THOUGHT MY INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO PROCEED IN THIS WAY; VACATING RWY X AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS INCIDENT WERE DIFFICULT WX CONDITIONS AT ZZZ. THE ARPT HAD BEEN CLOSED THE PREVIOUS DAY AS A RESULT OF HVY SNOW AND AS A RESULT IT WAS EXCEPTIONALLY BUSY. WHEN I ARRIVED; THERE WAS A GUSTY WIND WHICH MADE LNDG RELATIVELY AWKWARD; AS A RESULT OF WHICH I USED RATHER MORE OF RWY X FOR THE LNDG ROLL THAN I WOULD NORMALLY HAVE DONE. THERE WAS STILL A LARGE AMOUNT OF SNOW AND ICE ON THE GND; INCLUDING ON MANY OF THE TXWYS; MAKING IT HARDER THAN USUAL TO DISTINGUISH BTWN TXWYS AND RWYS. THERE WAS A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF ACTIVITY ON THE FIELD AND NON-STOP USE OF THE TWR FREQ. ONCE I HAD TURNED OFF RWY X; THE TWR CTLR EVIDENTLY REALIZED PROMPTLY THAT THERE WAS A POTENTIAL CONFLICT AS A RESULT OF MY ACFT BEING ON RWY Y. I WAS TOLD BY THE CTLR TO VACATE THE RWY ASAP AND TO CONTACT THE TWR BY PHONE AS SOON AS I COULD DO SO TO DISCUSS WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND TO INITIATE ANY RPTING ACTION WHICH MIGHT BE NECESSARY. I SPOKE TO THE SUPVR WHO WAS EXCEPTIONALLY COURTEOUS AND HELPFUL. WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE BETTER TO AVOID THIS SIT OCCURRING? I APPRECIATE THAT THE TWR CTLR WAS VERY BUSY; BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT THE INSTRUCTION I WAS GIVEN WHICH LED TO MY TURNING ONTO RWY 1 WAS VERY AMBIGUOUS. THERE ARE 7 INTXNS ALTOGETHER ON RWY X; THE 5TH BEING RWY Y. IT WAS NOT AT ALL CLR THAT 'CONTINUE THROUGH THE INTXN;' THE INSTRUCTION WHICH I RECEIVED WHEN I WAS AT ABOUT INTXN L; REFERRED SPECIFICALLY TO THE INTXN BTWN RWY X AND RWY Y AND NOT TO INTXNS GENERALLY; WHICH USUALLY INVOLVE TURNING OFF THE ACTIVE RWY. I AM SURE THAT THE INCIDENT WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF THE INSTRUCTION I HAD RECEIVED HAD BEEN 'CONTINUE TO THE END OF THE RWY' OR 'CROSS RWY Y BEFORE VACATING RWY X.' AGAIN; I UNDERSTAND THE PRESSURE WHICH EVERYONE WAS UNDER AT ZZZ AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT; BUT IT ALSO SEEMS TO ME TO HAVE BEEN WRONG TO HAVE CLRED THE ACFT ON RWY Y FOR TKOF BEFORE I WAS CLR OF THE NORTHERN END OF THIS RWY. A FEW MOMENTS' DELAY WOULD HAVE BEEN ENSURED THAT I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ON RWY Y; EITHER AS A RESULT OF MY XING IT HAVING BEEN COMPLETED AS THE CTLR OBVIOUSLY INTENDED SHOULD HAPPEN; OR MY TAXIING OFF RWY Y ONTO TXWY B; WHICH WOULD HAVE TAKEN ONLY A FEW SECONDS LONGER.

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.