Narrative:

Sfo was using runway 28L and right for landing and runway 1L and right for takeoff. I picked my IFR clearance to monterey airport, then called sfo ground for taxi instruction. I was instructed to taxi to runway 1L via the inner and hold at kilo. I taxied out of the GA parking and held at kilo, then I was told to taxi to runway 1L via the outer at juliett. I followed the instruction which took me to the outer taxiway southbound to runway 1L. I also know by listening on the radio that an small aircraft was following me to runway 1L. After reaching hotel intersection I called ground and them to verify that I should make a left turn at that point to reach runway 1L. Ground told me 'yes, make a left right there.' I made a left turn and looked ahead and saw what I thought was a taxiway parallel to runway 1L. I proceeded to cross that taxiway. However, about the middle of it I looked to my left and saw the threshold marking of runway 1L. I hit the brakes and stopped immediately, then switched to tower frequency. I transmitted, 'san francisco tower xyz at runway 1L.' the tower answered back immediately, 'xyz, you are on runway 1L, make a left turn and you are clear for takeoff.' I started the takeoff roll immediately on runway 1L. Just after liftoff the tower told me that an medium large transport was taking off on runway 1R and would be turning away from me. After that the tower handed me to departure control. I landed at monterey 30 mins later and parked the airplane. I had no request from anyone, in flight or on the ground, to call or contact sfo tower. When I discovered I was on the runway I stopped immediately. The corrective action I would have taken would be to make a 180 degree turn and go back to the holding lines. However, I know that I was followed by another airplane and most likely that airplane was right behind me and I would not have been able to go back to holding lines because he would have been there. I also think that the most important point I want to mention is the contributing factor, which is the holding lines. They are so faded in color at that runway. I think if the paint was visible I would have not gone past them. Also the arrows pointing to the landing displaced threshold are so faded in color, which also was a contributing factor, which made me think that it was a taxiway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLEARED TO RWY 1L HOLD SHORT 1L. ENTERED RWY 1L WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: SFO WAS USING RWY 28L AND R FOR LNDG AND RWY 1L AND R FOR TKOF. I PICKED MY IFR CLRNC TO MONTEREY ARPT, THEN CALLED SFO GND FOR TAXI INSTRUCTION. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO RWY 1L VIA THE INNER AND HOLD AT KILO. I TAXIED OUT OF THE GA PARKING AND HELD AT KILO, THEN I WAS TOLD TO TAXI TO RWY 1L VIA THE OUTER AT JULIETT. I FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTION WHICH TOOK ME TO THE OUTER TXWY SBND TO RWY 1L. I ALSO KNOW BY LISTENING ON THE RADIO THAT AN SMA WAS FOLLOWING ME TO RWY 1L. AFTER REACHING HOTEL INTXN I CALLED GND AND THEM TO VERIFY THAT I SHOULD MAKE A LEFT TURN AT THAT POINT TO REACH RWY 1L. GND TOLD ME 'YES, MAKE A LEFT RIGHT THERE.' I MADE A LEFT TURN AND LOOKED AHEAD AND SAW WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A TXWY PARALLEL TO RWY 1L. I PROCEEDED TO CROSS THAT TXWY. HOWEVER, ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF IT I LOOKED TO MY LEFT AND SAW THE THRESHOLD MARKING OF RWY 1L. I HIT THE BRAKES AND STOPPED IMMEDIATELY, THEN SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ. I XMITTED, 'SAN FRANCISCO TWR XYZ AT RWY 1L.' THE TWR ANSWERED BACK IMMEDIATELY, 'XYZ, YOU ARE ON RWY 1L, MAKE A LEFT TURN AND YOU ARE CLR FOR TKOF.' I STARTED THE TKOF ROLL IMMEDIATELY ON RWY 1L. JUST AFTER LIFTOFF THE TWR TOLD ME THAT AN MLG WAS TAKING OFF ON RWY 1R AND WOULD BE TURNING AWAY FROM ME. AFTER THAT THE TWR HANDED ME TO DEP CTL. I LANDED AT MONTEREY 30 MINS LATER AND PARKED THE AIRPLANE. I HAD NO REQUEST FROM ANYONE, IN FLT OR ON THE GND, TO CALL OR CONTACT SFO TWR. WHEN I DISCOVERED I WAS ON THE RWY I STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. THE CORRECTIVE ACTION I WOULD HAVE TAKEN WOULD BE TO MAKE A 180 DEG TURN AND GO BACK TO THE HOLDING LINES. HOWEVER, I KNOW THAT I WAS FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER AIRPLANE AND MOST LIKELY THAT AIRPLANE WAS RIGHT BEHIND ME AND I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GO BACK TO HOLDING LINES BECAUSE HE WOULD HAVE BEEN THERE. I ALSO THINK THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT I WANT TO MENTION IS THE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR, WHICH IS THE HOLDING LINES. THEY ARE SO FADED IN COLOR AT THAT RWY. I THINK IF THE PAINT WAS VISIBLE I WOULD HAVE NOT GONE PAST THEM. ALSO THE ARROWS POINTING TO THE LNDG DISPLACED THRESHOLD ARE SO FADED IN COLOR, WHICH ALSO WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR, WHICH MADE ME THINK THAT IT WAS A TXWY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.