Narrative:

I landed on runway 30R at stl. As we rolled out on landing the tower advised us to clear the runway at the next intersection which was taxiway bravo (see attached page). Tower told us to hold short of runway 30L for landing traffic and to remain on their frequency. We acknowledged the instructions and taxied to the hold line for runway 30L on bravo and stopped. The landing aircraft passed by our position and the tower cleared us to cross the runway. I started the aircraft moving past the hold line and, just prior to entering the runway, I looked to my left to ensure that no aircraft were on a takeoff roll and to check if any aircraft were on a close final for landing that would require me to expedite my taxiing. As I brought my attention back to the front of the aircraft the first officer called out an alert to me to stop. By the time I stopped the aircraft, the nose gear had left the paved area on the far side of the runway by approximately 5'. I notified the tower and they closed that runway until we could get clear (approximately 10 mins). No passenger nor crew members were injured in the abrupt stop. Company maintenance checked the aircraft for damage (there was none) and at their direction I power backed the aircraft back onto the runway and taxied to the terminal. As a result of conversation with county airport officials, I have learned that this type of incident has happened at least twice before at this location. As can be seen from the airport diagram, taxiway bravo does not cross runway straight but instead splits into 2 high speed type turn offs to taxiway alpha and the ramp. The taxiway blue lighting on bravo split can give a very confusing with a quick glance that area across the runway is a usable paved surface. A lighted sight with arrows such as are used on other areas of the runway/taxiway for information could maybe prevent this type of incident from happening again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG RWY TXWY EXCURSION.

Narrative: I LANDED ON RWY 30R AT STL. AS WE ROLLED OUT ON LNDG THE TWR ADVISED US TO CLR THE RWY AT THE NEXT INTXN WHICH WAS TXWY BRAVO (SEE ATTACHED PAGE). TWR TOLD US TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 30L FOR LNDG TFC AND TO REMAIN ON THEIR FREQ. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE INSTRUCTIONS AND TAXIED TO THE HOLD LINE FOR RWY 30L ON BRAVO AND STOPPED. THE LNDG ACFT PASSED BY OUR POS AND THE TWR CLRED US TO CROSS THE RWY. I STARTED THE ACFT MOVING PAST THE HOLD LINE AND, JUST PRIOR TO ENTERING THE RWY, I LOOKED TO MY LEFT TO ENSURE THAT NO ACFT WERE ON A TKOF ROLL AND TO CHK IF ANY ACFT WERE ON A CLOSE FINAL FOR LNDG THAT WOULD REQUIRE ME TO EXPEDITE MY TAXIING. AS I BROUGHT MY ATTN BACK TO THE FRONT OF THE ACFT THE F/O CALLED OUT AN ALERT TO ME TO STOP. BY THE TIME I STOPPED THE ACFT, THE NOSE GEAR HAD LEFT THE PAVED AREA ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE RWY BY APPROX 5'. I NOTIFIED THE TWR AND THEY CLOSED THAT RWY UNTIL WE COULD GET CLR (APPROX 10 MINS). NO PAX NOR CREW MEMBERS WERE INJURED IN THE ABRUPT STOP. COMPANY MAINT CHKED THE ACFT FOR DAMAGE (THERE WAS NONE) AND AT THEIR DIRECTION I PWR BACKED THE ACFT BACK ONTO THE RWY AND TAXIED TO THE TERMINAL. AS A RESULT OF CONVERSATION WITH COUNTY ARPT OFFICIALS, I HAVE LEARNED THAT THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST TWICE BEFORE AT THIS LOCATION. AS CAN BE SEEN FROM THE ARPT DIAGRAM, TXWY BRAVO DOES NOT CROSS RWY STRAIGHT BUT INSTEAD SPLITS INTO 2 HIGH SPD TYPE TURN OFFS TO TXWY ALPHA AND THE RAMP. THE TXWY BLUE LIGHTING ON BRAVO SPLIT CAN GIVE A VERY CONFUSING WITH A QUICK GLANCE THAT AREA ACROSS THE RWY IS A USABLE PAVED SURFACE. A LIGHTED SIGHT WITH ARROWS SUCH AS ARE USED ON OTHER AREAS OF THE RWY/TXWY FOR INFO COULD MAYBE PREVENT THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.