PA32 PLT INADVERTENTLY TAXIES ONTO ACTIVE RWY AT UNCTLED ARPT.

Date: 2002-11 · Aircraft: PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga/6X · Phase: taxi

Anomalies: atc-issue-all-types|conflict-ground-conflict|less-severe|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|ground-incursion-runway

Synopsis

PA32 PLT INADVERTENTLY TAXIES ONTO ACTIVE RWY AT UNCTLED ARPT.

Narrative

ARRIVED AT THE ARPT IN PLENTY OF TIME TO DEPART F70 AND ARRIVE AT MY HOME ARPT (Q99) BEFORE DARK. FUELED AND PREFLTED THE ACFT AS NORMAL; THEN STARTED TAXIING TOWARDS THE ACTIVE RWY 36. DID NOT HAVE MY HEADSETS ON AND I WAS PROGRAMMING THE ONBOARD GPS FLT PLAN WHILE TAXIING ON THE RAMP. CAME TO END OF RAMP AND WENT STRAIGHT AHEAD ONTO A SMALL INTERCONNECTING TXWY TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A PARALLEL TXWY TO THE EDGE OF THE RAMP. I REMEMBERED LOOKING DOWN THE EDGE OF THE RAMP (WHICH HAD TAXI STRIPES ALONG THE EDGE) BUT DIDN'T TAKE IT TO THE ACTIVE RWY BECAUSE I WASN'T SURE IT WOULD GO ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE DEP END OF RWY 36. DID NOT NOTICE ANY RWY SIGNS AT ENTRY TO THE SMALL INTERCONNECTING TXWY SHOWING THE RWY NUMBERS. TURNED ONTO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE RWY PARALLEL TXWY TOWARD RWY 36 AND THEN REALIZED I WAS ON THE RWY; NOT A TXWY. I IMMEDIATELY LOOKED TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY LNDG TFC (THERE WAS NONE ON FINAL); DONNED MY HEADSETS; HEARD THERE WAS SOMEONE ON R BASE; STARTED A FAST TAXI TO CLR THE RWY AND THEN ANNOUNCED MY BACK TAXIING ON THE ACTIVE RWY TO THE ACFT IN THE PATTERN. BY THE TIME I CLRED THE RWY; THE ACFT ON BASE HAD TURNED FINAL BUT THE PLT WAS ABLE TO LAND WITHOUT INCIDENT. MY INATTN TO THE TASK AT HAND (PROGRAMMING THE GPS WHILE TAXIING); INADEQUATE PREFLT PLANNING (SUPPOSED FAMILIARITY WITH THE ARPT) AND NOT HAVING MY HEADSETS ON (NO CTL TWR) TO HEAR THE PERSONS IN THE TFC PATTERN AND OTHERS TAXIING; WERE THE CAUSES OF WHY I DID NOT SEE THE RWY ENTRANCE SIGNS OR HOLD SHORT LINES. IN THE FUTURE; I AM GOING TO CONCENTRATE ON THE TASK AT HAND; PROGRAM THE GPS BEFORE STARTING ANY TAXIING (SIDE BENEFIT IS LETTING THE ENG OIL WARM UP BEFORE RUNUP); ADD REVIEWING THE TXWY PLAN AND PUT ON MY HEADSETS BEFORE STARTING THE ENG TO ENSURE I CAN HEAR ALL OTHER COMS BEFORE STARTING TO TAXI. I WAS JUST PLAIN LUCKY NOT TO HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE OF AN INCIDENT OR WORSE.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.