SMA PLT CROSSES ACTIVE RWY ON TAXI OUT FOR TKOF.

Narrative

I WAS FLYING FROM ABBOTSFORD; BC; TO BELLINGHAM; WA (BLI) TO CHK IN AT CUSTOMS. MY AIRPLANE HAS NO ELECTRICAL SYS; SO I WAS USING A HAND-HELD RADIO FOR COMS. I CALLED THE BLI TWR INBOUND. THE TWR WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY RECEIVING MY XMISSION; AND TOLD ME THAT MY SIGNAL WAS GARBLED. I COULD NOT MAKE OUT EVERYTHING THE TWR SAID; BUT IT SOUNDED LIKE THEY WANTED ME TO PROCEED INBOUND. SO I CONTINUED TOWARD THE ARPT. I BELIEVE THAT I WAS WITHIN THE ATA BY THE TIME CLR 2-WAY COMS WAS ESTABLISHED. I DID NOT BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS AN ALTERNATE (UNCTLED) ARPT WITH A TELEPHONE CLOSE ENOUGH TO LAND AT AND CLOSE MY FLT PLAN IN TIME. I WAS ALSO EAGER TO GET TO CUSTOMS DURING THEIR NORMAL WORKING HRS; TO AVOID THE OVERTIME FEE. AFTER COMPLETING CUSTOMS; I SPENT APPROX 1/2 HR RESTING IN THE CUSTOMS PARKING AREA BEFORE CONTINUING MY FLT HOME. I INFORMED THE GND FACILITY THAT I WAS READY TO TAXI. GND CLRED ME TO THE ACTIVE RWY (RWY 34). WHILE TAXIING; I TUNED MY RADIO TO THE TWR FREQ. AS SOON AS I HAD SWITCHED FREQ; I HEARD THE CTLR CALL MY N NUMBER; AND ASK ME IF I KNEW THAT I HAD CROSSED THE HOLD LINE ONTO THE ACTIVE RWY. I STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. (I HAD NOT BEEN AWARE OF MY ERROR UNTIL BEING TOLD BY THE CTLR; HOWEVER; I BELIEVE THAT I RESPONDED 'YES' AFTER THINKING A MOMENT AND LOOKING OVER MY SHOULDER TO ASCERTAIN MY POS). THE CTLR INFORMED ME OF THE SERIOUSNESS OF MY ERROR; AND CLRED ME TO DEPART. THERE ARE SEVERAL FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT. I HAD HAD LITTLE RECENT EXPERIENCE AT CTLED ARPTS. MY AIRPLANE HAS NO ELECTRICAL SYS; AND I USE A BORROWED HAND-HELD COMS RADIO ONLY ON RARE OCCASIONS WHEN I FLY TO A CTLED ARPT. I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH MY RELATIVE LACK OF CURRENCY CONCERNING RADIO AND CLRNC PROCS. I WAS ALSO SOMEWHAT ABSORBED IN THE PHYSICAL PROCESS OF OPERATING THE RADIO; TAKING THE RADIO FROM ITS HOLDER; BALANCING IT ON MY LAP TO ENTER THE TWR FREQ; AND REPLACING IT IN ITS HOLDER. ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IS STRESS. I HAD SPENT THE PRECEDING SEVERAL DAYS PREPARING FOR A TRIP TO ALASKA; VIA B.C. I HAD MADE A PRIOR COMMITMENT TO BE IN ALASKA; BUT HAD CHANGED MY MIND AND CURTAILED THE TRIP IN ABBOTSFORD. I HAD MADE THIS DECISION DUE TO FATIGUE AND A GENERAL FEELING OF DOUBT ABOUT MY PRESENT CONDITION AND ABILITY TO COMPLETE THE TRIP SUCCESSFULLY. I KNEW THAT I WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH THOUGHTS ABOUT THE CANCELLED TRIP AND ITS CONSEQUENCES. FINALLY; MY PHYSICAL CONDITION WAS A FACTOR. I HAD RECENTLY RECOVERED FROM AN ILLNESS; FOR WHICH I WAS STILL TAKING ANTIBIOTIC MEDICATION. I REALIZE THAT I HAD NOT YET FULLY REGAINED MY STRENGTH. THIS; COMBINED WITH THE UNUSUALLY HIGH HEAT AND HUMIDITY OF THE DAY; CONTRIBUTED TO MY FATIGUE.