RWY INCURSION BY A BELL 430 ATP PLT WHEN MISUNDERSTANDING THE ACTIVE RWY AT ABE; PA.

2004-06 · NASA ASRS report 620184

Date: 2004-06 · Aircraft: Bell Helicopter Textron Undifferentiated or Other Model · Phase: takeoff

Anomalies: conflict-airborne-conflict|deviation-track-heading-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|ground-incursion-runway

Synopsis

RWY INCURSION BY A BELL 430 ATP PLT WHEN MISUNDERSTANDING THE ACTIVE RWY AT ABE; PA.

Narrative

I WAS PIC OF A BELL HELI; MODEL 430; DEPARTING ABE ON AN FAR 135 CHARTER FLT CARRYING PAX TO AN OFF ARPT LNDG SITE. CHK OF PAX MANIFEST; SECURING BAGGAGE; LOADING/BRIEFING PAX; FINAL WALKAROUND; AND ACFT START/RUN-UP WERE NORMAL; BUT CONTAINED MANY; MANY STEPS. I WAS PARKED AT HANGAR WHICH IS DUE S OF THE INTXN OF RWY 24 AND RWY 31. I LISTENED TO ATIS AND CALLED TWR FOR TKOF CLRNC; REQUESTED 'PRESENT POS TKOF; INTO THE WIND; R TURN OUT ON COURSE TO THE N.' TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO CALL CLRNC FOR DEP. I CALLED CLRNC FOR 'VFR DEP NBOUND AT 2000 FT.' CLRNC ISSUED ME SQUAWK CODE AND FREQ. I AGAIN CALLED TWR 'PRESENT POS TKOF; INTO THE WIND; R TURN OUT ON COURSE TO THE N.' I BELIEVE TWR CORRECTLY GAVE ME APPROVAL FOR TKOF 'REMAIN S OF RWY 31; ACFT ON 1 MI FINAL.' I HAD OBSERVED SEVERAL ACFT LAND ON RWY 24 WHILE WAITING ON THE RAMP TO LOAD PAX. IN MY HASTE TO GET GOING; I HAD NOT REALLY LISTENED TO THE RWY THAT TWR HAD CALLED OUT TO REMAIN S OF; I HAD PICTURED IN MY MIND IT WAS THAT PIECE OF ASPHALT JUST OFF MY NOSE ABOUT 700 YARDS; AND BELIEVED THAT I WAS CLRED TO CROSS THE RWY THAT WAS TO MY R (RWY 31). I HAD JUST WATCHED AN AIRPLANE LAND ON RWY 24 AND DID NOT CONSIDER THAT TWR COULD BE USING BOTH RWYS WITH THE PREVAILING WIND CONDITIONS. I WAS HEAVILY LOADED AND WAS CONCENTRATING ON ACFT PERFORMANCE. THE TKOF WENT AS I HAD PLANNED; I WAS CLBING NEBOUND PARALLELING RWY 24 WELL S (AND E) OF THE RWY 24 EDGE MARKINGS WHEN TWR CALLED TO TELL ME I HAD JUST FLOWN ACROSS AN ACTIVE RWY 31. THAT WAS THE FIRST I REALIZED THAT RWY 31 WAS THE OTHER RWY FROM THE ONE I THOUGHT I WAS TO STAY CLR OF. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW CLOSE THE ACFT THAT HAD BEEN ON FINAL TO THE RWY I HAD JUST CROSSED WAS. I WAS WATCHING THE FINAL APCH AREA OF RWY 24 TO IDENT WHAT I EXPECTED TO BE MY TFC. I EXPECTED HIM TO BE TO MY L; PARALLEL TO MY PATH; IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION; AND BELOW ME. I THINK I NEGLECTED TO READ BACK THE RWY NUMBER FOR MY 'REMAIN S OF' CLRNC. I TRY TO RELIGIOUSLY; FOLLOW THIS PRACTICE; BUT I ALLOWED MYSELF TO RUSH AND MISSED IT THIS ONE TIME. IF I DID VERBALIZE THE NUMBER; IN MY MIND I PICTURED THE PIECE OF ASPHALT THAT LIES ON RWY 24. IN THE FUTURE I SHALL FOCUS ON THE NUMBER; THE MEANING OF IT; NOT THE PICTURE OF THE RWY THAT I MIGHT CONFUSE WITH ANY RWY OF NOTE AT THE MOMENT. I ALLOWED MYSELF TO RUSH; RATHER THAN COMPLETING ONE TASK BEFORE MOVING ON TO THE NEXT. I WILL REMIND MYSELF TO SLOW DOWN WHEN I FEEL RUSHED AT HIGH WORKLOAD TIMES.

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

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