Medium large transport taxiing in snow gets lost, almost taxies onto runway. Forces gars.

Attributes
ACN	264410
Time
Date	199402
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cle
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	264410
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented other other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Heavy fresh snow in cle obscured taxi rtes. Clearance was received to taxi to runway 5R. I proceeded to taxi thinking I knew the route. Ground called and said I missed the required turn and to take the next left. Could not see any defined taxiway in that direction, and continued straight ahead looking for a left turnoff when it became apparent to the first officer, myself, and ground control that I was going to infringe on runway 5R. Stopped aircraft at about the time ground control called to hold position. Aircraft stopped about 50 ft from the runway, but not before tower sent 2 aircraft on approach around. Lesson learned is to not move the aircraft when you are not really positive where you are going. I thought my familiarity with the airport would negate the problem of the snow covered txwys.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG TAXIING IN SNOW GETS LOST, ALMOST TAXIES ONTO RWY. FORCES GARS.

Narrative: HVY FRESH SNOW IN CLE OBSCURED TAXI RTES. CLRNC WAS RECEIVED TO TAXI TO RWY 5R. I PROCEEDED TO TAXI THINKING I KNEW THE RTE. GND CALLED AND SAID I MISSED THE REQUIRED TURN AND TO TAKE THE NEXT L. COULD NOT SEE ANY DEFINED TXWY IN THAT DIRECTION, AND CONTINUED STRAIGHT AHEAD LOOKING FOR A L TURNOFF WHEN IT BECAME APPARENT TO THE FO, MYSELF, AND GND CTL THAT I WAS GOING TO INFRINGE ON RWY 5R. STOPPED ACFT AT ABOUT THE TIME GND CTL CALLED TO HOLD POS. ACFT STOPPED ABOUT 50 FT FROM THE RWY, BUT NOT BEFORE TWR SENT 2 ACFT ON APCH AROUND. LESSON LEARNED IS TO NOT MOVE THE ACFT WHEN YOU ARE NOT REALLY POSITIVE WHERE YOU ARE GOING. I THOUGHT MY FAMILIARITY WITH THE ARPT WOULD NEGATE THE PROB OF THE SNOW COVERED TXWYS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.