Narrative:

We were executing practice instrument apches to 8L at publication. Tower frequency and ground control were combined with one controller, although aircraft could not hear the aircraft north the other frequency. Tower/ground controller was extremely busy with having to work 2 very busy positions. Upon landing from a practice instrument approach we turned off 8L onto taxiway G. Crew can't recall whether tower instructed us to hold short of 8R. Because the hold line for runway 8R is the only warning that an aircraft has that they are approaching the runway, I accidentally taxied over the hold line before stopping the aircraft just short of the actual runway. Alert controller ordered small aircraft trainer on final for runway 8R to execute a missed approach because I taxied over the hold line. My aircraft never entered the runway! I feel that a number of factors are at play here. During busy periods where training activity is great, I feel that combined controller positions are extremely distracting to the controller, particularly when 2 different aircraft are talking to the controller at the same time. Clrncs and communications are frequently missed and have to be restated by the controller, and a high level of confusion creates lots of problems. The fact that most aircraft are training aircraft, does not help matters. Second, at publication runway 8R/26L is part of the terminal ramp area. I feel that a threat exists by allowing aircraft to takeoff and land in such close proximity to aircraft parked at the terminal or FBO. This runway is marked, but incursion into the runway area is easy because there are no runway signs as you approach the runway, other than the hold line. If a controller should fail to tell an aircraft to hold short, there is no real warning to the taxiing aircraft that they are approaching the active runway. I feel that by simply placing runway signs on taxiway G would help to come degree. At least pilots would be more cautious and verify their clearance to cross the wy. The only warning right now, is the hold line, and a clear and unquestionable clearance from the tower. At airports where manpwr of controllers is short at busy times, signs should be set up to assist pilots. Controller never discussed incursion with us after he ordered the light aircraft to execute go around probably because he was too busy with 2 controller positions. Although safety of flight was not really at issue here, I commend the controller for being alert under such a stressful situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MLG ON TRAINING FLT AFTER ROLLOUT RWY 8L AT PUB TURNED OFF AT TXWY G AND OVERRAN THE HOLD LINE AT RWY 84.

Narrative: WE WERE EXECUTING PRACTICE INSTRUMENT APCHES TO 8L AT PUB. TWR FREQ AND GND CTL WERE COMBINED WITH ONE CTLR, ALTHOUGH ACFT COULD NOT HEAR THE ACFT N THE OTHER FREQ. TWR/GND CTLR WAS EXTREMELY BUSY WITH HAVING TO WORK 2 VERY BUSY POSITIONS. UPON LNDG FROM A PRACTICE INSTRUMENT APCH WE TURNED OFF 8L ONTO TXWY G. CREW CAN'T RECALL WHETHER TWR INSTRUCTED US TO HOLD SHORT OF 8R. BECAUSE THE HOLD LINE FOR RWY 8R IS THE ONLY WARNING THAT AN ACFT HAS THAT THEY ARE APCHING THE RWY, I ACCIDENTALLY TAXIED OVER THE HOLD LINE BEFORE STOPPING THE ACFT JUST SHORT OF THE ACTUAL RWY. ALERT CTLR ORDERED SMA TRAINER ON FINAL FOR RWY 8R TO EXECUTE A MISSED APCH BECAUSE I TAXIED OVER THE HOLD LINE. MY ACFT NEVER ENTERED THE RWY! I FEEL THAT A NUMBER OF FACTORS ARE AT PLAY HERE. DURING BUSY PERIODS WHERE TRAINING ACTIVITY IS GREAT, I FEEL THAT COMBINED CTLR POSITIONS ARE EXTREMELY DISTRACTING TO THE CTLR, PARTICULARLY WHEN 2 DIFFERENT ACFT ARE TALKING TO THE CTLR AT THE SAME TIME. CLRNCS AND COMS ARE FREQUENTLY MISSED AND HAVE TO BE RESTATED BY THE CTLR, AND A HIGH LEVEL OF CONFUSION CREATES LOTS OF PROBLEMS. THE FACT THAT MOST ACFT ARE TRAINING ACFT, DOES NOT HELP MATTERS. SECOND, AT PUB RWY 8R/26L IS PART OF THE TERMINAL RAMP AREA. I FEEL THAT A THREAT EXISTS BY ALLOWING ACFT TO TKOF AND LAND IN SUCH CLOSE PROX TO ACFT PARKED AT THE TERMINAL OR FBO. THIS RWY IS MARKED, BUT INCURSION INTO THE RWY AREA IS EASY BECAUSE THERE ARE NO RWY SIGNS AS YOU APCH THE RWY, OTHER THAN THE HOLD LINE. IF A CTLR SHOULD FAIL TO TELL AN ACFT TO HOLD SHORT, THERE IS NO REAL WARNING TO THE TAXIING ACFT THAT THEY ARE APCHING THE ACTIVE RWY. I FEEL THAT BY SIMPLY PLACING RWY SIGNS ON TXWY G WOULD HELP TO COME DEG. AT LEAST PLTS WOULD BE MORE CAUTIOUS AND VERIFY THEIR CLRNC TO CROSS THE WY. THE ONLY WARNING RIGHT NOW, IS THE HOLD LINE, AND A CLEAR AND UNQUESTIONABLE CLRNC FROM THE TWR. AT ARPTS WHERE MANPWR OF CTLRS IS SHORT AT BUSY TIMES, SIGNS SHOULD BE SET UP TO ASSIST PLTS. CTLR NEVER DISCUSSED INCURSION WITH US AFTER HE ORDERED THE LIGHT ACFT TO EXECUTE GO AROUND PROBABLY BECAUSE HE WAS TOO BUSY WITH 2 CTLR POSITIONS. ALTHOUGH SAFETY OF FLT WAS NOT REALLY AT ISSUE HERE, I COMMEND THE CTLR FOR BEING ALERT UNDER SUCH A STRESSFUL SITUATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.