Narrative:

Upon arrival at cle, solely for the purpose to clear customs, ground control at cle was advised that pilot was unfamiliar with the airport and that it was the pilot's first time on the airport. Progressive instructions were then issued by cle ground control to the customs terminal. Upon clearing customs, pilot requested of ground control taxiing instructions to the FBO for refueling. Hasty and confused instructions were given by cle ground causing pilot to taxi in the opposite direction toward an FBO sign. Upon questioning from pilot to ground control, ground control advised pilot to taxi to the 'south' and 'do a 180 degree turn and to taxi in front of the terminal.' pilot complied by completing 180 degree turn and taxiing with progressive instructions requesting right/left instructions from cle ground control. Pilot thereafter requested 2 additional right/left instructions from ground control until arrival at the FBO. Upon refueling, pilot noted a private jet awaiting taxi. Pilot contacted ground and requested progressive taxi instructions. Cle ground instructed pilot to 'follow the citation jet in front of you to runway 23R.' pilot thereafter followed the citation jet along taxiway J arriving at the intersection of taxiway J and taxiway left in front of the cle control tower. At this point, pilot stopped and requested of cle ground control that 'pilot can take an intersection departure for runway 23R, if that will help.' cle ground control replied, 'no, just follow the citation jet to runway 23R.' no hold short instructions were given. No further xmissions were received from cle ground until after the problem. Pilot then continued to follow the taxiing citation jet to the inactive runway 28/10. From pilot's position on the inactive runway, there were confusing yellow lines and there was a solid yellow taxi line giving the appearance that there was a taxiway from the inactive runway 28/10 to runway 23R. The citation jet was observed to taxi to runway 23R in one motion, further supporting the appearance of a taxiway from the inactive runway to runway 23R. Observing the jet depart, pilot began to taxi toward runway 23R with the purpose to approach the hold short line for runway 23R. On approaching runway 23L, the solid yellow line stopped. Immediately stopped approximately 60 ft prior to entering runway 23L. Corrective actions: a) cle ground controllers should be directed to exercise positive control of taxiing aircraft where 1) they have been affirmatively informed that the aircraft are unfamiliar with the airport environment, 2) where an aircraft unfamiliarity is implied and taxies in the opposite direction and must be told to do a 180 degree turn. Either aircraft above should receive more positive control from cle ground. B) the confusing solid yellow lines on the txwys approaching runway 23L and runway 23R should be repainted. The hold short line for runway 23L and runway 23R should be clearly indicated by sign or by clearly marked hold short lines on the pavement. As cle appears to be a busy hub airport, perhaps more ground controllers could be hired, especially during the afternoon rush. Human performance considerations. The communication between taxiing aircraft and ground control should be clear and concise. There should be sufficient ground personnel at crowded busy hubs such as cle to provide precise, positive control for all taxiing aircraft, particularly aircraft unfamiliar with the airport. Where inactive runways and unclr and inadequate runway markings are factors such as at cle, ground controllers have an added duty to assist pilots taxiing aircraft. The solid yellow lines on the taxiway approach to runway 23L and runway 23R should be removed and a clear hold short line should be painted and/or signs erected indicating the precise hold short point for runway 23L and runway 23R. Pilot was told to 'follow the citation jet to runway 23R.' pilot was following the last instructions of ground control. The confusing runway markers, solid yellow taxi lines, and lack of hold short lines were factors affecting the quality of performance. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he had the airport diagram in the aircraft and that he had checked it over. When ground indicated for him to follow the citation it was an easy taxi until on inactive runway 28 which is used as a taxiway. He saw no hold short lines whatsoever. A passenger who is a rated pilot saw no hold short either. Reporter feels he was never on the active runway, but he did receive a message to call the tower. When he had discussed the situation with tower controller he was told this would be treated as an incident. Reporter says it would be helpful to have signs indicating where a hold short line is since they have painted taxi lines on the inactive runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE55 PLT FOLLOWS CITATION TO ASSIGNED RWY BUT IS UNABLE TO SEE ANY HOLD SHORT LINES AND TAXIES BEYOND HOLD SHORT AREA. TAXI LINES ARE PAINTED ON AN INACTIVE RWY AND DISAPPEAR JUST PRIOR TO INTXN WITH THE ACTIVE RWY.

Narrative: UPON ARR AT CLE, SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE TO CLR CUSTOMS, GND CTL AT CLE WAS ADVISED THAT PLT WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT AND THAT IT WAS THE PLT'S FIRST TIME ON THE ARPT. PROGRESSIVE INSTRUCTIONS WERE THEN ISSUED BY CLE GND CTL TO THE CUSTOMS TERMINAL. UPON CLRING CUSTOMS, PLT REQUESTED OF GND CTL TAXIING INSTRUCTIONS TO THE FBO FOR REFUELING. HASTY AND CONFUSED INSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN BY CLE GND CAUSING PLT TO TAXI IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TOWARD AN FBO SIGN. UPON QUESTIONING FROM PLT TO GND CTL, GND CTL ADVISED PLT TO TAXI TO THE 'S' AND 'DO A 180 DEG TURN AND TO TAXI IN FRONT OF THE TERMINAL.' PLT COMPLIED BY COMPLETING 180 DEG TURN AND TAXIING WITH PROGRESSIVE INSTRUCTIONS REQUESTING R/L INSTRUCTIONS FROM CLE GND CTL. PLT THEREAFTER REQUESTED 2 ADDITIONAL R/L INSTRUCTIONS FROM GND CTL UNTIL ARR AT THE FBO. UPON REFUELING, PLT NOTED A PVT JET AWAITING TAXI. PLT CONTACTED GND AND REQUESTED PROGRESSIVE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. CLE GND INSTRUCTED PLT TO 'FOLLOW THE CITATION JET IN FRONT OF YOU TO RWY 23R.' PLT THEREAFTER FOLLOWED THE CITATION JET ALONG TXWY J ARRIVING AT THE INTXN OF TXWY J AND TXWY L IN FRONT OF THE CLE CTL TWR. AT THIS POINT, PLT STOPPED AND REQUESTED OF CLE GND CTL THAT 'PLT CAN TAKE AN INTXN DEP FOR RWY 23R, IF THAT WILL HELP.' CLE GND CTL REPLIED, 'NO, JUST FOLLOW THE CITATION JET TO RWY 23R.' NO HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN. NO FURTHER XMISSIONS WERE RECEIVED FROM CLE GND UNTIL AFTER THE PROB. PLT THEN CONTINUED TO FOLLOW THE TAXIING CITATION JET TO THE INACTIVE RWY 28/10. FROM PLT'S POS ON THE INACTIVE RWY, THERE WERE CONFUSING YELLOW LINES AND THERE WAS A SOLID YELLOW TAXI LINE GIVING THE APPEARANCE THAT THERE WAS A TXWY FROM THE INACTIVE RWY 28/10 TO RWY 23R. THE CITATION JET WAS OBSERVED TO TAXI TO RWY 23R IN ONE MOTION, FURTHER SUPPORTING THE APPEARANCE OF A TXWY FROM THE INACTIVE RWY TO RWY 23R. OBSERVING THE JET DEPART, PLT BEGAN TO TAXI TOWARD RWY 23R WITH THE PURPOSE TO APCH THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 23R. ON APCHING RWY 23L, THE SOLID YELLOW LINE STOPPED. IMMEDIATELY STOPPED APPROX 60 FT PRIOR TO ENTERING RWY 23L. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: A) CLE GND CTLRS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO EXERCISE POSITIVE CTL OF TAXIING ACFT WHERE 1) THEY HAVE BEEN AFFIRMATIVELY INFORMED THAT THE ACFT ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT ENVIRONMENT, 2) WHERE AN ACFT UNFAMILIARITY IS IMPLIED AND TAXIES IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND MUST BE TOLD TO DO A 180 DEG TURN. EITHER ACFT ABOVE SHOULD RECEIVE MORE POSITIVE CTL FROM CLE GND. B) THE CONFUSING SOLID YELLOW LINES ON THE TXWYS APCHING RWY 23L AND RWY 23R SHOULD BE REPAINTED. THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 23L AND RWY 23R SHOULD BE CLRLY INDICATED BY SIGN OR BY CLRLY MARKED HOLD SHORT LINES ON THE PAVEMENT. AS CLE APPEARS TO BE A BUSY HUB ARPT, PERHAPS MORE GND CTLRS COULD BE HIRED, ESPECIALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON RUSH. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS. THE COM BTWN TAXIING ACFT AND GND CTL SHOULD BE CLR AND CONCISE. THERE SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT GND PERSONNEL AT CROWDED BUSY HUBS SUCH AS CLE TO PROVIDE PRECISE, POSITIVE CTL FOR ALL TAXIING ACFT, PARTICULARLY ACFT UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT. WHERE INACTIVE RWYS AND UNCLR AND INADEQUATE RWY MARKINGS ARE FACTORS SUCH AS AT CLE, GND CTLRS HAVE AN ADDED DUTY TO ASSIST PLTS TAXIING ACFT. THE SOLID YELLOW LINES ON THE TXWY APCH TO RWY 23L AND RWY 23R SHOULD BE REMOVED AND A CLR HOLD SHORT LINE SHOULD BE PAINTED AND/OR SIGNS ERECTED INDICATING THE PRECISE HOLD SHORT POINT FOR RWY 23L AND RWY 23R. PLT WAS TOLD TO 'FOLLOW THE CITATION JET TO RWY 23R.' PLT WAS FOLLOWING THE LAST INSTRUCTIONS OF GND CTL. THE CONFUSING RWY MARKERS, SOLID YELLOW TAXI LINES, AND LACK OF HOLD SHORT LINES WERE FACTORS AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF PERFORMANCE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE HAD THE ARPT DIAGRAM IN THE ACFT AND THAT HE HAD CHKED IT OVER. WHEN GND INDICATED FOR HIM TO FOLLOW THE CITATION IT WAS AN EASY TAXI UNTIL ON INACTIVE RWY 28 WHICH IS USED AS A TXWY. HE SAW NO HOLD SHORT LINES WHATSOEVER. A PAX WHO IS A RATED PLT SAW NO HOLD SHORT EITHER. RPTR FEELS HE WAS NEVER ON THE ACTIVE RWY, BUT HE DID RECEIVE A MESSAGE TO CALL THE TWR. WHEN HE HAD DISCUSSED THE SIT WITH TWR CTLR HE WAS TOLD THIS WOULD BE TREATED AS AN INCIDENT. RPTR SAYS IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE SIGNS INDICATING WHERE A HOLD SHORT LINE IS SINCE THEY HAVE PAINTED TAXI LINES ON THE INACTIVE RWY.

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.