A PA-44 PILOT TAXIED ACROSS A RUNWAY HOLD SHORT LINE DUE TO UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE AIRPORT AND RELYING ON HIS PASSENGER TO READ THE CHART.

Date: 2008-10 · Aircraft: PA-44 Seminole/Turbo Seminole · Phase: taxi

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|ground-incursion-runway

Synopsis

A PA-44 PILOT TAXIED ACROSS A RUNWAY HOLD SHORT LINE DUE TO UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE AIRPORT AND RELYING ON HIS PASSENGER TO READ THE CHART.

Narrative

WE ARRIVE AT MELBOURNE ARPT (MLB) ON RWY 9R. OVER Q INTXN; AND THEN WE REQUESTED PROGRESSIVE TAXI FOR FUEL. WHEN WE GOT TO THE RAMP THE PERSON DID NOT EXPLAIN HIMSELF WELL; AND WE UNDERSTOOD THAT THEY WERE CLOSED. LATER WE ASKED GND CTL TO GIVE US DIRECTION TO A DIFFERENT FBO. HIS CLRNC WAS 'SEMINOLE OVER QUEBEC TXWY TURN L ON TXWY K TO THE E.' I READ BACK THE INSTRUCTION AS HE SAID. WHEN I ASKED THE OTHER PLT FRIEND OF MINE IF HE UNDERSTOOD THE INSTRUCTION; (HE WAS HELPING ME READ THE ARPT DIAGRAM); HE SAID TO ME GO STRAIGHT AHEAD. WHILE I WAS TAXIING SOMETHING IN ME SAID THAT IS NOT RIGHT; THAT DOES NOT SOUND RIGHT; AND THEN I THOUGHT I SAW KILO INTXN BEFORE; SO I ASKED GND IF I WAS CLR TO CROSS RWY 9L; IMMEDIATELY GND SAID NO SIR. TURN L ON KILO. WHEN I HEARD THE WORD NO I APPLIED BRAKES IMMEDIATELY; BUT IT WAS TOO LATE. ALREADY I HAD CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE OF RWY 9L; BUT I WAS ON TOP OF THE HOLD SHORT LINE. SO I SAID TO MYSELF I DID RWY INCURSION; SO I ASKED THE GND FACILITY PERMISSION TO CROSS RWY 9L; AND THEN I TOLD MY PLT FRIEND TO HAND ME OVER THE ARPT DIAGRAM. WHEN HE WAS PASSING ME THE ARPT DIAGRAM HE WAS TRYING TO SHOW ME WHERE WE WERE ON THE DIAGRAM; RIGHT IN THERE I REALIZE THAT HE HAD THE ARPT DIAGRAM IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION MEANING HE WAS LOOKING AT THE WRONG SIDE OF THIS; SO GND FACILITY ASKED ME IF I HAD CROSSED RWY 9L; SO MY RESPONSE WAS NO; AND I SAID TO THEM 'I AM TOO TIGHT TO TURN BACK AND GO ON IN TXWY KILO.' AT THE MOMENT I FELT BAD BECAUSE I SHOULD SAID SOMETHING LIKE 'NO I DID NOT CROSS RWY 9L; BUT I AM ON TOP OF THE HOLD SHORT LINE TO 9L NINE L' AND ASSUME THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT HAVING THE ARPT DIAGRAM MYSELF AND CHK WHAT THE OTHER PLT WAS INSTRUCTING ME; AND NOT PUT MORE ATTN FOR THE SIGNS. SO I COULD HAVE DONE A LOT TO PREVENT THIS SITUATION; BUT INEXPERIENCE IN CONDUCTING A FLT WITH CREW; LACK OF COM; NOT ENOUGH VISIBILITY; POOR SIGN INDICATION AND INSTRUCTION; AND NOT PROPER HELP FROM GND CTL PLAY A ROLE FOR THIS RWY INCURSION.

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