Narrative:

I was taxiing out of the X ramp at sfb on jun/xa/01. Ground control instructed me to taxi to runway 9C at intersection left via taxiway C. As I taxied out of the tie-down area, I saw a taxiway sign. I stopped and checked my commercial airport diagram and even rechked it to make certain I was heading where I was told to go. (There has been a lot of construction at sfb in the past few yrs and I only go there every 9 months or so.) as I taxied past the sign on the side of the arrow, ground control called me and told me to stop and call the tower. I had inadvertently taxied onto the displaced threshold of runway 9C. Both ground and tower were very nice about this (and very busy). But this sign placement is quite confusing. Maybe I just 'blew it.' callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter acknowledged unfamiliarity of ramp operation and that the airport was under significant activity. Reporter has not returned to sfb since the incident and is now not sure of taxiway signage location. Tower specialist advised that signage is clear and well placed to alert aircraft to keep away from non-surface movement areas.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MU2 PLT IS ADVISED BY SFB TWR THAT HE HAS TAXIED IN TO A RAMP NON MOVEMENT AREA IN THE VICINITY OF RWY 9C.

Narrative: I WAS TAXIING OUT OF THE X RAMP AT SFB ON JUN/XA/01. GND CTL INSTRUCTED ME TO TAXI TO RWY 9C AT INTXN L VIA TXWY C. AS I TAXIED OUT OF THE TIE-DOWN AREA, I SAW A TXWY SIGN. I STOPPED AND CHKED MY COMMERCIAL ARPT DIAGRAM AND EVEN RECHKED IT TO MAKE CERTAIN I WAS HDG WHERE I WAS TOLD TO GO. (THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION AT SFB IN THE PAST FEW YRS AND I ONLY GO THERE EVERY 9 MONTHS OR SO.) AS I TAXIED PAST THE SIGN ON THE SIDE OF THE ARROW, GND CTL CALLED ME AND TOLD ME TO STOP AND CALL THE TWR. I HAD INADVERTENTLY TAXIED ONTO THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD OF RWY 9C. BOTH GND AND TWR WERE VERY NICE ABOUT THIS (AND VERY BUSY). BUT THIS SIGN PLACEMENT IS QUITE CONFUSING. MAYBE I JUST 'BLEW IT.' CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ACKNOWLEDGED UNFAMILIARITY OF RAMP OP AND THAT THE ARPT WAS UNDER SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITY. RPTR HAS NOT RETURNED TO SFB SINCE THE INCIDENT AND IS NOW NOT SURE OF TXWY SIGNAGE LOCATION. TWR SPECIALIST ADVISED THAT SIGNAGE IS CLR AND WELL PLACED TO ALERT ACFT TO KEEP AWAY FROM NON-SURFACE MOVEMENT AREAS.

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.