Narrative:

After pushback, we were cleared to 'taxi to runway 23R, hold short runway 23L.' during the preflight briefing the first officer and I had discussed special page comments regarding the possibility of confusion taxiing to runway 23R due to the layout of cle runways 28, 22L, and 22R. Since the taxi clearance had not specified a route, we taxied via shortest route utilizing taxiway J. Due to the close proximity of the approach ends of the 3 runways, I chose to hold short of runway 28 at taxiway J, and changed to tower frequency. Tower instructed us to taxi onto runway 28, hold short of runway 23L. We began to taxi slowly. He (tower) then began discussing the fact that usually ground control brings aircraft 'farther east' to taxi to runway 23R due to the confusing arrangement of the runways. I glanced down to look at my airport diagram to make sure I was where I thought I was, and then looked up again searching for the runway 23L hold line. At the same time, tower said 'you can hold right there' as I was stopping the aircraft. I realized that the nose of the aircraft was over the hold short line. I feel that, if tower had left me holding short of runway 28 until ready to clear me across runway 23L, this could have been avoided. Or, if ground had a different, more commonly used routing, they could have issued it to me. Also, obviously, if I had seen the hold short line for runway 23L sooner, there would have been no problem. I was shocked how quickly I came up to it. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the captain said that when they were given their clearance to taxi the ground controller did not specify a particular route and their company briefing pages had no special instructions for the taxi-out. However, when they called the tower for takeoff clearance, the controller said that he did not get many aircraft 'in that position.' the captain said that he was then cleared to taxi up to, but hold short of runway 23L. The captain knew that the hold line was near, but was surprised at how near. He told the tower controller that he had crossed the hold line and shortly afterwards was cleared into position on runway 23L. The captain suggests a sign be installed at taxiway J that tells all aircraft for runway 23L to go to taxiway U. He said that the sign would help insure that aircraft use runway 28 for their taxi approach to runway 23L.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MD88 FLC TAXIES BEYOND THE HOLD LINE FOR RWY 23L AT CLE WITHOUT AUTH. THE FLC USED TXWY J.

Narrative: AFTER PUSHBACK, WE WERE CLRED TO 'TAXI TO RWY 23R, HOLD SHORT RWY 23L.' DURING THE PREFLT BRIEFING THE FO AND I HAD DISCUSSED SPECIAL PAGE COMMENTS REGARDING THE POSSIBILITY OF CONFUSION TAXIING TO RWY 23R DUE TO THE LAYOUT OF CLE RWYS 28, 22L, AND 22R. SINCE THE TAXI CLRNC HAD NOT SPECIFIED A RTE, WE TAXIED VIA SHORTEST RTE UTILIZING TXWY J. DUE TO THE CLOSE PROX OF THE APCH ENDS OF THE 3 RWYS, I CHOSE TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 28 AT TXWY J, AND CHANGED TO TWR FREQ. TWR INSTRUCTED US TO TAXI ONTO RWY 28, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 23L. WE BEGAN TO TAXI SLOWLY. HE (TWR) THEN BEGAN DISCUSSING THE FACT THAT USUALLY GND CTL BRINGS ACFT 'FARTHER E' TO TAXI TO RWY 23R DUE TO THE CONFUSING ARRANGEMENT OF THE RWYS. I GLANCED DOWN TO LOOK AT MY ARPT DIAGRAM TO MAKE SURE I WAS WHERE I THOUGHT I WAS, AND THEN LOOKED UP AGAIN SEARCHING FOR THE RWY 23L HOLD LINE. AT THE SAME TIME, TWR SAID 'YOU CAN HOLD RIGHT THERE' AS I WAS STOPPING THE ACFT. I REALIZED THAT THE NOSE OF THE ACFT WAS OVER THE HOLD SHORT LINE. I FEEL THAT, IF TWR HAD LEFT ME HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 28 UNTIL READY TO CLR ME ACROSS RWY 23L, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. OR, IF GND HAD A DIFFERENT, MORE COMMONLY USED ROUTING, THEY COULD HAVE ISSUED IT TO ME. ALSO, OBVIOUSLY, IF I HAD SEEN THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 23L SOONER, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO PROB. I WAS SHOCKED HOW QUICKLY I CAME UP TO IT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CAPT SAID THAT WHEN THEY WERE GIVEN THEIR CLRNC TO TAXI THE GND CTLR DID NOT SPECIFY A PARTICULAR RTE AND THEIR COMPANY BRIEFING PAGES HAD NO SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE TAXI-OUT. HOWEVER, WHEN THEY CALLED THE TWR FOR TKOF CLRNC, THE CTLR SAID THAT HE DID NOT GET MANY ACFT 'IN THAT POS.' THE CAPT SAID THAT HE WAS THEN CLRED TO TAXI UP TO, BUT HOLD SHORT OF RWY 23L. THE CAPT KNEW THAT THE HOLD LINE WAS NEAR, BUT WAS SURPRISED AT HOW NEAR. HE TOLD THE TWR CTLR THAT HE HAD CROSSED THE HOLD LINE AND SHORTLY AFTERWARDS WAS CLRED INTO POS ON RWY 23L. THE CAPT SUGGESTS A SIGN BE INSTALLED AT TXWY J THAT TELLS ALL ACFT FOR RWY 23L TO GO TO TXWY U. HE SAID THAT THE SIGN WOULD HELP INSURE THAT ACFT USE RWY 28 FOR THEIR TAXI APCH TO RWY 23L.

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.