But my understanding is that the plane was taxiing. At this point, the problem isn't just the lack of red lights: the pilot took a wrong turn. There are reasons

But my understanding is that the plane was taxiing. At this point, the problem isn't just the lack of red lights: the pilot took a wrong turn. There are reasons other than the possibility of crossing an active runway why you follow directions, among them that you want to end up at your destination.