Narrative:

There I was; conducting a line check; when I observed a crew mis-read runway signs and markings. This resulted in their ri crossing the hold short line for runway 4 at taxiway F without a clearance. (Note that this was not a runway incursion by definition; since there was no conflicting traffic.) the crew screwed up; but they had a lot of help from poor airport signage and markings and an ambiguous clearance from ATC. The takeoff was planned for runway 4 at taxiway F; due to airport construction. The clearance was to taxi via runway 18 and taxiway F; hold short of runway 4 on taxiway F and clear of runway 18. Taxiway F is short; with two hold short lines about 50 feet apart; one for runway 4-22 at the west end and one for runway 18-36 further east. It is not possible to hold short of runway 4 on taxiway F and remain clear of runway 18-36 at the same time in an airplane this size. This crew taxied to the back side of the runway 18-36 hold short marking in an effort to comply with the clearance before realizing that they had crossed the correct hold short line in the process. A takeoff clearance from the tower followed less than a minute thereafter. I am suggesting several counter measures to solve this problem: 1) remind ATC that a transport aircraft holding short of runway 4 at taxiway F will encroach on runway runway 18-36; and vice versa due to the short length of the taxiway. 2) publish a company NOTAM as above; cautioning for closely-spaced runways. This NOTAM may be cancelled when airport construction is completed. 3) repaint the existing hold short (faded and worn) markings to comply with modern standards. Double-wide outline in contrasting paint; and the 150 ft 'zipper' marking; as per the commercial chart manual introduction. 4) replace the blank back sides of the runway hold short signs with runway boundary signs as per commercial chart. 5) wig-wags and hold short signs on both sides of the taxiway wouldn't hurt. 6) put a designation on the commercial chart. 7) publish a separate 10-9 chart. This would allow the scale to be expanded to show more detail; such as the location of hold short lines.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the unusual taxi route was done because of construction on the airport requiring the use of an intersection takeoff. The error was used as a training opportunity once discovered. There was no other traffic involved.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ200 CREW AT EVV RPTS INADVERTENT RWY INCURSION ON RWY 4 AT TXWY F DUE TO POSITION OF HOLD LINES; BUT REMAINS CLEAR OF RWY 18 AS REQUESTED.

Narrative: THERE I WAS; CONDUCTING A LINE CHECK; WHEN I OBSERVED A CREW MIS-READ RUNWAY SIGNS AND MARKINGS. THIS RESULTED IN THEIR RI CROSSING THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 4 AT TXWY F WITHOUT A CLEARANCE. (NOTE THAT THIS WAS NOT A RUNWAY INCURSION BY DEFINITION; SINCE THERE WAS NO CONFLICTING TRAFFIC.) THE CREW SCREWED UP; BUT THEY HAD A LOT OF HELP FROM POOR AIRPORT SIGNAGE AND MARKINGS AND AN AMBIGUOUS CLEARANCE FROM ATC. THE TAKEOFF WAS PLANNED FOR RWY 4 AT TXWY F; DUE TO AIRPORT CONSTRUCTION. THE CLEARANCE WAS TO TAXI VIA RWY 18 AND TXWY F; HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4 ON TXWY F AND CLEAR OF RWY 18. TXWY F IS SHORT; WITH TWO HOLD SHORT LINES ABOUT 50 FEET APART; ONE FOR RWY 4-22 AT THE WEST END AND ONE FOR RWY 18-36 FURTHER EAST. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4 ON TXWY F AND REMAIN CLEAR OF RWY 18-36 AT THE SAME TIME IN AN AIRPLANE THIS SIZE. THIS CREW TAXIED TO THE BACK SIDE OF THE RWY 18-36 HOLD SHORT MARKING IN AN EFFORT TO COMPLY WITH THE CLEARANCE BEFORE REALIZING THAT THEY HAD CROSSED THE CORRECT HOLD SHORT LINE IN THE PROCESS. A TAKEOFF CLEARANCE FROM THE TOWER FOLLOWED LESS THAN A MINUTE THEREAFTER. I AM SUGGESTING SEVERAL COUNTER MEASURES TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM: 1) REMIND ATC THAT A TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 4 AT TXWY F WILL ENCROACH ON RUNWAY RWY 18-36; AND VICE VERSA DUE TO THE SHORT LENGTH OF THE TAXIWAY. 2) PUBLISH A COMPANY NOTAM AS ABOVE; CAUTIONING FOR CLOSELY-SPACED RWYS. THIS NOTAM MAY BE CANCELLED WHEN AIRPORT CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETED. 3) REPAINT THE EXISTING HOLD SHORT (FADED AND WORN) MARKINGS TO COMPLY WITH MODERN STANDARDS. DOUBLE-WIDE OUTLINE IN CONTRASTING PAINT; AND THE 150 FT 'ZIPPER' MARKING; AS PER THE COMMERCIAL CHART MANUAL INTRODUCTION. 4) REPLACE THE BLANK BACK SIDES OF THE RWY HOLD SHORT SIGNS WITH RWY BOUNDARY SIGNS AS PER COMMERCIAL CHART. 5) WIG-WAGS AND HOLD SHORT SIGNS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TXWY WOULDN'T HURT. 6) PUT A DESIGNATION ON THE COMMERCIAL CHART. 7) PUBLISH A SEPARATE 10-9 CHART. THIS WOULD ALLOW THE SCALE TO BE EXPANDED TO SHOW MORE DETAIL; SUCH AS THE LOCATION OF HOLD SHORT LINES.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE UNUSUAL TAXI RTE WAS DONE BECAUSE OF CONSTRUCTION ON THE ARPT REQUIRING THE USE OF AN INTERSECTION TKOF. THE ERROR WAS USED AS A TRAINING OPPORTUNITY ONCE DISCOVERED. THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC INVOLVED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.