Narrative:

I believe this incident was spawned by a chain of events which cumulatively affected me more than I realized. Event 1. Enroute I had some odd behavior from the autoplt; which was a concern due to the length of the intended flight that day. It had just been repaired a week or so before. The autoplt eventually failed during the trip. That concern was on my mind as other elements developed. Event 2. Approach advised expect runway 27L; then cleared me for the approach to runway 27L; and switched me to the tower. Tower cleared me to land; I repeated runway 27L; tower came back and said runway 32; not runway 27L. I scrambled to review and land on the unexpected; newly assigned runway. I was not very familiar with the airport; and made a successful; though a bit rushed landing. Event 3. Preparing for departure; I was cleared to taxi to runway 32. As mentioned; being unfamiliar with the airport; I got a little confused as to the direction; even though I had printed out the pilot group taxi diagram and had it in the cockpit. Tower called and pointed out my error. I was embarrassed; got on track; and went to the hold short line for my run-up. Event 4. I was #1 for departure; and knew another aircraft was waiting. And for some reason I thought I needed to move forward and to the right to get in the proper position for departure. I found the diagram and layout somewhat confusing; as the departure end of runway 32 lay just to the right of runway 27L. As I looked at the diagram; after my run-up; I erroneously pulled forward. As soon as I crossed the lines; I knew I had made a mistake. I was almost directly in front of the tower; and he saw me as well. I had stopped; but the full aircraft had crossed the line. The tower called and advised me of the incursion at about the same time I realized what I had done. I think that I was a bit rattled by what seemed like a lot of things going a bit wrong that entire morning. I cannot explain my error in any other way. I believe that particular place on the airport is quite confusing if you are unfamiliar with it. Having said that; the runway marking is clear; and my error is still mystifying to me. Some time ago; when the issue of runway incursions became one of focus; I had even taken the pilot group course on it. I have always been a cautious and conservative pilot; and I am very disappointed to have made this mistake. I keep wondering if some better markings at more unusual points on the airport would be helpful. Something that cautions a pilot about the unusual layout. I will be reviewing the runway incursion material once more and at length; to assure I never make such a mistake again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AUTOPLT FAILURE AND CLOSE-IN RWY CHANGE ARE PRECURSORS TO TXWY AND RWY INCURSIONS AT OSU.

Narrative: I BELIEVE THIS INCIDENT WAS SPAWNED BY A CHAIN OF EVENTS WHICH CUMULATIVELY AFFECTED ME MORE THAN I REALIZED. EVENT 1. ENROUTE I HAD SOME ODD BEHAVIOR FROM THE AUTOPLT; WHICH WAS A CONCERN DUE TO THE LENGTH OF THE INTENDED FLT THAT DAY. IT HAD JUST BEEN REPAIRED A WEEK OR SO BEFORE. THE AUTOPLT EVENTUALLY FAILED DURING THE TRIP. THAT CONCERN WAS ON MY MIND AS OTHER ELEMENTS DEVELOPED. EVENT 2. APCH ADVISED EXPECT RWY 27L; THEN CLEARED ME FOR THE APCH TO RWY 27L; AND SWITCHED ME TO THE TOWER. TOWER CLEARED ME TO LAND; I REPEATED RWY 27L; TOWER CAME BACK AND SAID RWY 32; NOT RWY 27L. I SCRAMBLED TO REVIEW AND LAND ON THE UNEXPECTED; NEWLY ASSIGNED RWY. I WAS NOT VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT; AND MADE A SUCCESSFUL; THOUGH A BIT RUSHED LNDG. EVENT 3. PREPARING FOR DEP; I WAS CLEARED TO TAXI TO RWY 32. AS MENTIONED; BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT; I GOT A LITTLE CONFUSED AS TO THE DIRECTION; EVEN THOUGH I HAD PRINTED OUT THE PLT GROUP TAXI DIAGRAM AND HAD IT IN THE COCKPIT. TOWER CALLED AND POINTED OUT MY ERROR. I WAS EMBARRASSED; GOT ON TRACK; AND WENT TO THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR MY RUN-UP. EVENT 4. I WAS #1 FOR DEP; AND KNEW ANOTHER ACFT WAS WAITING. AND FOR SOME REASON I THOUGHT I NEEDED TO MOVE FORWARD AND TO THE RIGHT TO GET IN THE PROPER POSITION FOR DEP. I FOUND THE DIAGRAM AND LAYOUT SOMEWHAT CONFUSING; AS THE DEP END OF RWY 32 LAY JUST TO THE RIGHT OF RWY 27L. AS I LOOKED AT THE DIAGRAM; AFTER MY RUN-UP; I ERRONEOUSLY PULLED FORWARD. AS SOON AS I CROSSED THE LINES; I KNEW I HAD MADE A MISTAKE. I WAS ALMOST DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE TOWER; AND HE SAW ME AS WELL. I HAD STOPPED; BUT THE FULL ACFT HAD CROSSED THE LINE. THE TOWER CALLED AND ADVISED ME OF THE INCURSION AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME I REALIZED WHAT I HAD DONE. I THINK THAT I WAS A BIT RATTLED BY WHAT SEEMED LIKE A LOT OF THINGS GOING A BIT WRONG THAT ENTIRE MORNING. I CANNOT EXPLAIN MY ERROR IN ANY OTHER WAY. I BELIEVE THAT PARTICULAR PLACE ON THE ARPT IS QUITE CONFUSING IF YOU ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH IT. HAVING SAID THAT; THE RWY MARKING IS CLEAR; AND MY ERROR IS STILL MYSTIFYING TO ME. SOME TIME AGO; WHEN THE ISSUE OF RWY INCURSIONS BECAME ONE OF FOCUS; I HAD EVEN TAKEN THE PLT GROUP COURSE ON IT. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A CAUTIOUS AND CONSERVATIVE PLT; AND I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED TO HAVE MADE THIS MISTAKE. I KEEP WONDERING IF SOME BETTER MARKINGS AT MORE UNUSUAL POINTS ON THE ARPT WOULD BE HELPFUL. SOMETHING THAT CAUTIONS A PLT ABOUT THE UNUSUAL LAYOUT. I WILL BE REVIEWING THE RWY INCURSION MATERIAL ONCE MORE AND AT LENGTH; TO ASSURE I NEVER MAKE SUCH A MISTAKE AGAIN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.