What have I done

[Finn602]

The other day I was given a hold short instruction and I inadvertly blew through the cross runway. No other aircraft involved ground asked what's up then gave me directions to continue. I understand this is a class d runway incursion how likely is it the fed will come a knocking? Needless to say I feel like a donkey but what's done is done I filled out the NASA report and now I sit here wondering if I need to dread the mail box for the next 6 months.
Anyone ever do this and what happend.
Thanks
Huck

[Danscowpie]

I'm not US based but in the UK if, as you appear have to have done, you held your hands up and admitted your guilt that should be that. In all likelyhood the CAA would "give you guidance" and, providing that it's your first misdameanour, your Chief Pilot (or the Senior Based Pilot) probably would have a word in your ear, possibly roster you with a check Captain for a few flights.
Runway incursions are a very serious issue and the UK CAA and associated organisations encourage ATC to report such incidents so that we can all learn from our errors rather than point fingers.
Hopefully the FAA would take the same stance.

[FlightPathOBN]

sorry dude...

AOPA Online: The AOPA Legal Services Plan: Common Fines and Penalties (http://www.aopa.org/info/certified/lsp/fines.html)

[ZOOKER]

Finn602,
don't panic, help is on it's way.......
"NATS opens doors in America".
Seriously though, don't worry too much. Pilot's, like ATCOs are 'only human', and humans occasionally screw-up. (see current World economic crisis for details).
Best Wishes, and keep us informed.

[vector4fun]

Provided you haven't committed another violation recently, you'll be fine. AOPA likes to sell legal plans for profit, so it's not in their interest to minimize what *may* happen. However, since you've filled out the NASA ASRS form and of course, have the receipt or proof thereof....

c.The filing of a report with NASA concerning an incident or occurrence involving a violation of 49 U.S.C. Subtitle VII, or the FAR is considered by FAA to be indicative of a constructive attitude. Such an attitude will tend to prevent future violations. Accordingly, although a finding of violation may be made, neither a civil penalty nor certificate suspension will be imposed if:
1.the violation was inadvertent and not deliberate;
2.the violation did not involve a criminal offense, or accident. or action under 49 U.S.C. Section 44709 which discloses a lack of qualification or competency, which is wholly excluded from this policy;
3.the person has not been found in any prior FAA enforcement action to have committed a violation of 49 U.S.C. Subtitle VII, or any regulation promulgated there for a period of 5 years prior to the date of occurrence; and
4.the person proves that, within 10 days after the violation, he or she completed and delivered or mailed a written report of the incident or occurrence to NASA under ASRS. See paragraphs 5c and 7b.

[FlightPathOBN]

Following any incursion, the FAA conducts an investigation to determine who is at fault and why the incursion happened. If the violating pilot is cooperative, and the incursion did not result in an accident, the FAA usually does not pursue a civil penalty action or suspension. In such cases, the pilot may receive a warning and have to complete corrective action. However, if the incursion arose because of a lack of qualification, the FAA may pursue a re-examination or even license revocation against the pilot.

To understand more about runway incursions, consult the FAA website on general airway safety regulations. As you have been personally involved in an airway incursion, you should also consult with an attorney to determine any issues that might arise.

Good luck...

What are the legal consequences for an airplane that experiences a Runway Incursion? | AviationAttorneys.com (http://www.aviationattorneys.com/legal-advice/runway-incursion-law-liability)

[Spitoon]

You've made an error.

I can't offer any thoughts about the way the FAA approaches such things but we are all human....and we all make errors.

Assuming it was an honest mistake - and I'm not suggesting it was anything other in this instance - I would expect an investigation to be carried out. The objective of the investigation should be to find out why you were able, or even encouraged, to make the error so that we can all learn from your experience and, ideally, make changes to the system to make others less likely to do the same thing.

This may - and, ideally, should - mean that someone from an investigation team comes knocking to ask you for your perceptions etc. Questions that might be of interest are what training you had on the topic of airport layout, were the ATC instructions clear, were the makings/signage clear....and so on. Unfortunately not all incidents are fully investigated but you might like to think about whether any of these factors contributed to your error so that you can share the information with others locally if nothing else.

I wouldn't worry too much about FlightPathOBN's comments. Be honest - with yourself and anyone else who wants to know what happened. Hopefully that will be the end of the FAA's interest....and if that's the worst error you make in your aviation career you'll have done better than most!

[Voel]

A runway incursion is an incident where an unauthorized aircraft, vehicle or person is on a runway. This adversely affects runway safety, as it creates the risk that an airplane taking off or landing will collide with the object. It is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on April 27, 2006, as:

Any occurrence at an aerodrome involving the incorrect presence of an aircraft, vehicle, or person on the protected area of a surface designated for the landing and take-off of aircraft.

In October 2007, the Federal Aviation Administration dropped its own definition of "runway incursion" and adopted the above. The difference between the two was "that ICAO defines a runway incursion as any unauthorized intrusion onto a runway, regardless of whether or not an aircraft presents a potential conflict. For the FAA, an incident without an aircraft in potential conflict– such as an unauthorized aircraft crossing an empty runway– was defined as a 'surface incident' and not a runway incursion."

(source Wikipedia)