Narrative:

I was working the FD/clearance delivery/ground control (flight delivery/clearance delivery/ground crew) position. A fuel truck called from the bottleneck hangars requesting instructions to another ramp. I instructed the truck to proceed via taxiway B4 and to hold short of taxiway C. The truck read back to hold short of taxiway D. I corrected this read back error by again issuing the instruction to hold short of taxiway C. At this time another aircraft on the other side of the airport called for taxi instructions. I issued the required taxi instructions and then looked back to the entrance/exit of the bottle neck hangars. The truck had missed his turn onto B4 and had continued straight ahead onto taxiway A1 and crossed runway 21R. The B4/A1 intersection is considered a 'hot spot' because the taxiway signage is not very clear. As a pilot/vehicle operator exits the bottleneck hangars A1 goes straight ahead towards the departure end of runway 21R. B4 makes an immediate right 90 degree turn off of A1 and away from the runway. There is also a very short distance from the exit of the bottleneck hangars to the turn onto B4 and it is extremely difficult to see from the tower exactly when an aircraft or vehicle should begin the turn. If not caught in time; the aircraft/vehicle is almost guaranteed to be crossing the 21R hold short line before anything can be done to prevent it. Both A1 and B4 lead directly to taxiway C. After this event was over with; we discovered that the operator of truck was a substitute driver and was not as familiar with the airport layout and procedures as the normal drivers. I believe that the combined complexity of the taxiway layout; poor signage and unfamiliarity on the part of the driver led to the accidental crossing of the active runway. Better signage would definitely be my first recommendation. If the standard; low on the ground signs are not easy enough to understand; maybe specially designed signs depicting which way leads to A1 and B4 should be made for that area. Maybe make these signs closer to eye level with taxiing pilots. I would also recommend more airport layout training to any and all personnel who might be operating a vehicle or aircraft on the airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Tower Controller described an unauthorized runway crossing by a fuel truck transiting to another airport location; the event occurring at an identified 'hot spot' on the airport.

Narrative: I was working the FD/CD/GC (Flight Delivery/Clearance Delivery/Ground Crew) position. A fuel truck called from the bottleneck hangars requesting instructions to another ramp. I instructed the truck to proceed via Taxiway B4 and to hold short of Taxiway C. The truck read back to hold short of Taxiway D. I corrected this read back error by again issuing the instruction to hold short of Taxiway C. At this time another aircraft on the other side of the airport called for taxi instructions. I issued the required taxi instructions and then looked back to the entrance/exit of the bottle neck hangars. The truck had missed his turn onto B4 and had continued straight ahead onto Taxiway A1 and crossed Runway 21R. The B4/A1 Intersection is considered a 'hot spot' because the taxiway signage is not very clear. As a pilot/vehicle operator exits the bottleneck hangars A1 goes straight ahead towards the departure end of Runway 21R. B4 makes an immediate right 90 degree turn off of A1 and away from the runway. There is also a very short distance from the exit of the bottleneck hangars to the turn onto B4 and it is extremely difficult to see from the Tower exactly when an aircraft or vehicle should begin the turn. If not caught in time; the aircraft/vehicle is almost guaranteed to be crossing the 21R hold short line before anything can be done to prevent it. Both A1 and B4 lead directly to Taxiway C. After this event was over with; we discovered that the operator of truck was a substitute driver and was not as familiar with the airport layout and procedures as the normal drivers. I believe that the combined complexity of the taxiway layout; poor signage and unfamiliarity on the part of the driver led to the accidental crossing of the active runway. Better signage would definitely be my first recommendation. If the standard; low on the ground signs are not easy enough to understand; maybe specially designed signs depicting which way leads to A1 and B4 should be made for that area. Maybe make these signs closer to eye level with taxiing pilots. I would also recommend more airport layout training to any and all personnel who might be operating a vehicle or aircraft on the airport.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.