A SOCATA PLT TAXIED ONTO THE ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC AT RIC; FORCING ANOTHER ACFT TO GO AROUND.

Narrative

THIS WAS ONLY MY SECOND TIME AT THIS ARPT. I CONSIDER MYSELF A STUDENT OF AVIATION; ATTENDING SAFETY SEMINARS; GOING UP WITH AN INSTRUCTOR MORE OFTEN THAN BIENNIALLY; SUBSCRIBING TO 2 AVIATION MAGAZINES; READING OTHER AVIATION-RELATED PUBS WHEN I CAN; AND REVIEWING THE AIM FROM TIME-TO-TIME. I LEFT THE FBO WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY. IN THE SEA OF BLUE LIGHTS I BECAME SLIGHTLY CONFUSED WHILE TAXIING. I STOPPED AND ASKED GND FOR DIRECTIONS AND THEY REPLIED KEEP TAXIING; THE RWY WAS 'STRAIGHT AHEAD.' I CONTINUED ON AND KEPT LOOKING FOR THE RED AND WHITE RWY IDENT SIGNS. THE FIRST ONE I SAW HAD AN ARROW ON IT POINTING TO THE R; SO THAT'S THE WAY I WENT. THE SIGN DID CONTRADICT THE CTLR'S STATEMENT OF STRAIGHT AHEAD; BUT I FOCUSED MY ATTN ON THAT BRIGHTLY LIT RED AND WHITE SIGN IN FRONT OF ME. I DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE FLASHING YELLOW LIGHTS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE TXWY AS THE HOLD SHORT LIGHTS. WHEN THE PAINTED LINES WENT FROM YELLOW TO WHITE I KNEW I HAD GONE TOO FAR. ADDITIONALLY; THERE WAS AN ACFT ON FINAL WHOSE LNDG LIGHTS WERE VISIBLE TO ME. THE ACFT ON FINAL WAS INSTRUCTED TO GO AROUND. FACTORS IN THIS TRANSGRESSION INCLUDE: FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE FLASHING YELLOW LIGHTS AS HOLD SHORT LIGHTS; FAILURE TO SEE PAINTED HOLD SHORT LINES; I WAS SLIGHTLY FATIGUED; UNFAMILIAR ARPT AT NIGHT; LOW KEY COMMENT FROM PLT RATED PAX WHEN HE FELT I MISSED HOLD SHORT LINE. MY PAX PROBABLY DID NOT SPEAK UP LOUDER BECAUSE HE IS NEWLY RATED; AND LIKELY DEFERRED TO MY PRESUMED GREATER KNOWLEDGE. IF YOU SEE SOMETHING WRONG OR IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE FOR ANY REASON; SPEAK UP OR TAKE ACTION. NOT TO OVER-DRAMATIZE THINGS; BUT YOU COULD BE KILLED TOO. SHORT TAXI. I WAS NOT MENTALLY PREPARED TO GET TO THE RWY SO SOON. BY THE WAY; MY ONLY REASON FOR FLYING 3.5 HRS TO RIC AND BACK THAT NIGHT; AND PAYING A GOOD DEAL FOR THE PRIVILEGE; WAS TO ATTEND AN AIR SAFETY FOUNDATION SEMINAR ON OPS AT TWRED ARPTS; INCLUDING RWY INCURSIONS.