Narrative:

We (flight crew) unsure if we incurred on runway 3 at chs while taxiing on taxiway B. We do know that we did not pass hold short lines painted near runway 3 on taxiway B, approximately 300 ft from end of runway 3. However, there were no runway number signs at that point, so we don't know if we missed a sign. Neither of us (captain nor first officer) recall seeing signs. I have submitted a similar ASRS report about the signage issue at chs about 2 yrs previous to this, in which we nearly incurred on another runway. I was a first officer at the time. I recall that chs has poor runway and taxiway signage, so I pay extra attention when taxiing. This time I was taxiing to an unfamiliar runway. Again, neither of us saw a runway sign and we did see hold short lines which we did not cross. Factors: 1) poor signage at chs. 2) division of attention while taxiing. 3) no marking on commercial chart airport diagrams indicating hold short points. Final points: there was no conflict with another aircraft movement. Tower/ground did not, at any time, indicate a problem. Taxi was normal. When we contacted tower, they cleared us for takeoff. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated prior to seeing the hold short line he stopped the aircraft to confirm he was on the right taxiway and headed in the right direction, as there were no runway number signs to aid him. Satisfied he was on the correct route, he continued to taxi, holding short of the hold line. His report is mainly to expose, what he feels is, poor signage at charleston AFB/international. The reporter also noted the lack of signage may be due to charleston 'kchs' previously being primarily a military field. Reporter also acknowledges that in his report his reference to taxiway B was meant to be taxiway C.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN E145 CREW CONCERNED WITH THE RWY SIGNAGE AT CHARLESTON AFB INTL.

Narrative: WE (FLC) UNSURE IF WE INCURRED ON RWY 3 AT CHS WHILE TAXIING ON TXWY B. WE DO KNOW THAT WE DID NOT PASS HOLD SHORT LINES PAINTED NEAR RWY 3 ON TXWY B, APPROX 300 FT FROM END OF RWY 3. HOWEVER, THERE WERE NO RWY NUMBER SIGNS AT THAT POINT, SO WE DON'T KNOW IF WE MISSED A SIGN. NEITHER OF US (CAPT NOR FO) RECALL SEEING SIGNS. I HAVE SUBMITTED A SIMILAR ASRS RPT ABOUT THE SIGNAGE ISSUE AT CHS ABOUT 2 YRS PREVIOUS TO THIS, IN WHICH WE NEARLY INCURRED ON ANOTHER RWY. I WAS A FO AT THE TIME. I RECALL THAT CHS HAS POOR RWY AND TXWY SIGNAGE, SO I PAY EXTRA ATTN WHEN TAXIING. THIS TIME I WAS TAXIING TO AN UNFAMILIAR RWY. AGAIN, NEITHER OF US SAW A RWY SIGN AND WE DID SEE HOLD SHORT LINES WHICH WE DID NOT CROSS. FACTORS: 1) POOR SIGNAGE AT CHS. 2) DIVISION OF ATTN WHILE TAXIING. 3) NO MARKING ON COMMERCIAL CHART ARPT DIAGRAMS INDICATING HOLD SHORT POINTS. FINAL POINTS: THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER ACFT MOVEMENT. TWR/GND DID NOT, AT ANY TIME, INDICATE A PROB. TAXI WAS NORMAL. WHEN WE CONTACTED TWR, THEY CLRED US FOR TKOF. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED PRIOR TO SEEING THE HOLD SHORT LINE HE STOPPED THE ACFT TO CONFIRM HE WAS ON THE RIGHT TXWY AND HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, AS THERE WERE NO RWY NUMBER SIGNS TO AID HIM. SATISFIED HE WAS ON THE CORRECT RTE, HE CONTINUED TO TAXI, HOLDING SHORT OF THE HOLD LINE. HIS RPT IS MAINLY TO EXPOSE, WHAT HE FEELS IS, POOR SIGNAGE AT CHARLESTON AFB/INTL. THE RPTR ALSO NOTED THE LACK OF SIGNAGE MAY BE DUE TO CHARLESTON 'KCHS' PREVIOUSLY BEING PRIMARILY A MIL FIELD. RPTR ALSO ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IN HIS RPT HIS REF TO TXWY B WAS MEANT TO BE TXWY C.

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.