A B727 taxies onto runway at sdf, ky, because of confusing signage and runway confign. An EMB120 tax...

Attributes
ACN	371769
Time
Date	199706
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sdf
State Reference	KY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sat
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Brasilia EMB-120 All Series
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground other : taxi other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	371769
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	371768
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe incursion : runway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : rejected takeoff flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 8000
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

On taxi out from gate a at sdf the ground controller told us to take a left turn from our present position abeam gate B on the ramp and follow taxiway D to runway 35. After we crossed runway 19 we saw the black taxiway D sign and it pointed straight ahead and that combined with the yellow taxi line in the same direction leading away from the place where we should have made a 'hard' right turn onto taxiway D. Upon following that yellow taxi line we 'then' realized that we had taxied onto the overrun area for runway 35, we exited at taxiway east on the other side. I was then asked to call the watch supervisor at sdf. After arrival at dfw I called mr X, he informed me that there was a saab commuter on the takeoff end of runway 35 waiting to depart. He also said that the intersection has been a real problem due to the extremely confusing signs and that we were not the first air carrier to make the same error. Supplemental information from acn 371768: we proceeded to comply, but the signage was confusing and when we followed the taxi line towards the taxiway D indicator which we believed directed us straight ahead, it in fact took us onto the overrun of runway 35. Supplemental information from acn 371635: the runway and taxiway confign where the incident occurred is confusing. The departure end of 2 runways, runways 1 and 35, are close together and txwys K, D, and right meet, or cross, or turn, in the small area between the runways. Supplemental information from acn 372212: I, the captain of the EMB120, was cleared for takeoff on runway 35 by louisville tower. As I powered up I noticed an air carrier B727 accidentally had taxied onto the active runway 35/17 at the other end of runway 35. As I saw the air carrier B727 at the other end of the runway I throttled back and contacted tower at this time. I next taxied off runway 35. Tower at louisville stated that the air carrier B727 missed taxiway D and had taxied onto the active runway. The distance between the 2 aircraft was probably 7500 ft apart.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 TAXIES ONTO RWY AT SDF, KY, BECAUSE OF CONFUSING SIGNAGE AND RWY CONFIGN. AN EMB120 TAXIES ONTO ACTIVE RWY CLRED FOR TKOF, THE EMB120 CAPT SEES THE B727 AND TAXIES OFF OF RWY.

Narrative: ON TAXI OUT FROM GATE A AT SDF THE GND CTLR TOLD US TO TAKE A L TURN FROM OUR PRESENT POS ABEAM GATE B ON THE RAMP AND FOLLOW TXWY D TO RWY 35. AFTER WE CROSSED RWY 19 WE SAW THE BLACK TXWY D SIGN AND IT POINTED STRAIGHT AHEAD AND THAT COMBINED WITH THE YELLOW TAXI LINE IN THE SAME DIRECTION LEADING AWAY FROM THE PLACE WHERE WE SHOULD HAVE MADE A 'HARD' R TURN ONTO TXWY D. UPON FOLLOWING THAT YELLOW TAXI LINE WE 'THEN' REALIZED THAT WE HAD TAXIED ONTO THE OVERRUN AREA FOR RWY 35, WE EXITED AT TXWY E ON THE OTHER SIDE. I WAS THEN ASKED TO CALL THE WATCH SUPVR AT SDF. AFTER ARR AT DFW I CALLED MR X, HE INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A SAAB COMMUTER ON THE TKOF END OF RWY 35 WAITING TO DEPART. HE ALSO SAID THAT THE INTXN HAS BEEN A REAL PROB DUE TO THE EXTREMELY CONFUSING SIGNS AND THAT WE WERE NOT THE FIRST ACR TO MAKE THE SAME ERROR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 371768: WE PROCEEDED TO COMPLY, BUT THE SIGNAGE WAS CONFUSING AND WHEN WE FOLLOWED THE TAXI LINE TOWARDS THE TXWY D INDICATOR WHICH WE BELIEVED DIRECTED US STRAIGHT AHEAD, IT IN FACT TOOK US ONTO THE OVERRUN OF RWY 35. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 371635: THE RWY AND TXWY CONFIGN WHERE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED IS CONFUSING. THE DEP END OF 2 RWYS, RWYS 1 AND 35, ARE CLOSE TOGETHER AND TXWYS K, D, AND R MEET, OR CROSS, OR TURN, IN THE SMALL AREA BTWN THE RWYS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 372212: I, THE CAPT OF THE EMB120, WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 35 BY LOUISVILLE TWR. AS I POWERED UP I NOTICED AN ACR B727 ACCIDENTALLY HAD TAXIED ONTO THE ACTIVE RWY 35/17 AT THE OTHER END OF RWY 35. AS I SAW THE ACR B727 AT THE OTHER END OF THE RWY I THROTTLED BACK AND CONTACTED TWR AT THIS TIME. I NEXT TAXIED OFF RWY 35. TWR AT LOUISVILLE STATED THAT THE ACR B727 MISSED TXWY D AND HAD TAXIED ONTO THE ACTIVE RWY. THE DISTANCE BTWN THE 2 ACFT WAS PROBABLY 7500 FT APART.

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.

A B727 taxies onto runway at sdf, ky, because of confusing signage and runway confign. An EMB120 taxies onto active runway cleared for takeoff, the EMB120 captain sees the B727 and taxies off of runway.