Small Aircraft
Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 5; Flight Crew Total 513; Flight Crew Type 346
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Incursion Runway
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Procedure; Airport; Human Factors
I accidently took the active runway without authorization. At Deer Valley (DVT) the northwest run-up area for 7L is a large area with several lanes for run-up. On initial contact with Ground pilots are given instructions to taxi to the Northwest run-up area via Alpha and advise when run-up is complete. I taxied to the run-up area and did my run-up. Upon completing my run-up I contacted ground and advised run-up complete. Ground said to taxi to Runway 7L via Alpha. Noticing very little traffic at the usually very busy DVT; when I was told to taxi to Runway 7L I thought wow; that's nice; cleared to take the runway and I proceeded to taxi onto the runway. This was obviously wrong since I never even talked to Tower. By the time I realized what I did I was on the runway and immediately contacted Tower and advised I took the active runway. They cleared me for departure and eventually gave me a phone number to call when I landed. There were no airplanes on final and my mistake did not cause any traffic to be diverted. I got lucky!I find it possibly confusing to taxi to a large run-up area; do the run-up; and then having to contact Ground to say run-up complete and get instructions to taxi to the runway which was is literally right there. In my situation I was thinking that I was at a 'normal' run-up area and I was talking to Tower after the run-up.If the old wording of 'Position and hold' was too confusing and had to be placed with 'Lineup and wait' then maybe it would be useful when getting instructions from Ground to taxi to Runway 7L; to be changed to something like 'taxi to Runway 7L via Alpha and hold short' or 'taxi to runway 7L via Alpha and contact Tower when ready to depart'.
A general aviation pilot became confused by the pre-departure procedures at Deer Valley Airport and taxied onto the runway without a clearance.