Narrative:

Ground control at bwi cleared us to taxi from the north side terminal gates 'to runway 15R.' while taxiing on taxiway alpha another aircraft was calling for taxi out near the end of the northeast corner of the D concourse. Ground instructed him to follow us 'on the outer.' I saw a sign in the grass area next to the ramp that said 'inner,' so I proceeded past the grass area to the next strip of pavement which I assumed was the outer. I looked at my airport diagram as I was doing this and at first glance it appeared I was doing things correctly. I incorrectly located myself on the diagram. Upon making the right turn, we saw the T/O zone marks and realized we were on runway 22. After re-entering the ramp at charlie, after about 1000' on the runway, we were instructed by ground to 'taxi via the inner to runway 15R.' ground never commented about us being on the runway, which I believe was inactive. The way the ramp and txwys are designated between txwys alpha and charlie are totally non standard with any other airport I have been to in the us the outer txwys are normally totally separate from the ramp area. When you continue around at bwi from charlie to the east and northwest, the outer is a separate taxiway from the ramp, as it should be. By having the ramp labeled both outer and inner, you have a confusing non standard situation. The sign labeled 'inner' located in the grass area should be removed and replaced with a 'runway 22 hold line' sign. Supplemental information from acn 143965: once on charlie there were 2 signs--one for the inner and one F the outer, so as we started to go down the outer, ground then told us to go down the inner.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG FLT CREW MISTAKES RWY 22 FOR THE OUTER TXWY AT BSI.

Narrative: GND CTL AT BWI CLRED US TO TAXI FROM THE N SIDE TERMINAL GATES 'TO RWY 15R.' WHILE TAXIING ON TXWY ALPHA ANOTHER ACFT WAS CALLING FOR TAXI OUT NEAR THE END OF THE NE CORNER OF THE D CONCOURSE. GND INSTRUCTED HIM TO FOLLOW US 'ON THE OUTER.' I SAW A SIGN IN THE GRASS AREA NEXT TO THE RAMP THAT SAID 'INNER,' SO I PROCEEDED PAST THE GRASS AREA TO THE NEXT STRIP OF PAVEMENT WHICH I ASSUMED WAS THE OUTER. I LOOKED AT MY ARPT DIAGRAM AS I WAS DOING THIS AND AT FIRST GLANCE IT APPEARED I WAS DOING THINGS CORRECTLY. I INCORRECTLY LOCATED MYSELF ON THE DIAGRAM. UPON MAKING THE RIGHT TURN, WE SAW THE T/O ZONE MARKS AND REALIZED WE WERE ON RWY 22. AFTER RE-ENTERING THE RAMP AT CHARLIE, AFTER ABOUT 1000' ON THE RWY, WE WERE INSTRUCTED BY GND TO 'TAXI VIA THE INNER TO RWY 15R.' GND NEVER COMMENTED ABOUT US BEING ON THE RWY, WHICH I BELIEVE WAS INACTIVE. THE WAY THE RAMP AND TXWYS ARE DESIGNATED BTWN TXWYS ALPHA AND CHARLIE ARE TOTALLY NON STANDARD WITH ANY OTHER ARPT I HAVE BEEN TO IN THE U.S. THE OUTER TXWYS ARE NORMALLY TOTALLY SEPARATE FROM THE RAMP AREA. WHEN YOU CONTINUE AROUND AT BWI FROM CHARLIE TO THE E AND NW, THE OUTER IS A SEPARATE TXWY FROM THE RAMP, AS IT SHOULD BE. BY HAVING THE RAMP LABELED BOTH OUTER AND INNER, YOU HAVE A CONFUSING NON STANDARD SITUATION. THE SIGN LABELED 'INNER' LOCATED IN THE GRASS AREA SHOULD BE REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH A 'RWY 22 HOLD LINE' SIGN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 143965: ONCE ON CHARLIE THERE WERE 2 SIGNS--ONE FOR THE INNER AND ONE F THE OUTER, SO AS WE STARTED TO GO DOWN THE OUTER, GND THEN TOLD US TO GO DOWN THE INNER.

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.