A PILOT EXITING A CARGO RAMP ENTERED RWY XX INADVERTENTLY BECAUSE HE DID NOT SEE THE RWY HOLD SHORT SIGN IN SNOW AND LOW VISIBILITY.
Synopsis
A PILOT EXITING A CARGO RAMP ENTERED RWY XX INADVERTENTLY BECAUSE HE DID NOT SEE THE RWY HOLD SHORT SIGN IN SNOW AND LOW VISIBILITY.
Narrative
WHILE TAXI OUT OF N CARGO RAMP; TAXIED ONTO RWY XX. AFTER MISTAKE HAD BEEN NOTICED; CLRED RWY BEFORE ATC NOTICED. THE TXWY OUT OF N CARGO HAD NOT BEEN PLOWED (TXWY A); THERE WAS NO HOLD SHORT LINE (VISIBLE); NO HOLD SHORT LIGHTS; AND NO RWY SIGN! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER STATED THAT AT THE TIME OF THIS EVENT THERE WAS ABOUT AN INCH OF SNOW ON THE RWY AND POSSIBLY 4-6 INCHES ON THE TXWY SIDES. VISIBILITY WAS APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE IN SNOW. THE REPORTER STATED THAT AS HE ENTERED WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS TXWY A HE SAW A REGIONAL JET ENTERING THE TXWY DIRECTLY OPPOSITE HIM. HE REALIZED AT THAT POINT THAT SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT AND AFTER LOOKING TO HIS RIGHT RECOGNIZED THAT HE WAS PROBABLY ENTERING THE RWY. HE MADE A LEFT TURN ONTO RWY XX AND PROCEEDED TO THE END WHERE HE EXITED. THE REGIONAL JET ASKED TOWER ABOUT HIS ACFT AND AFTER THE REPORTER IDENTIFIED HIMSELF TOWER ASKED HOW HE GOT ONTO THE RWY. HE WAS THEN TOLD THAT A PILOT DEVIATION WITH A RWY INCURSION REPORT WAS BEING FILED.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.