Narrative:

I was on the ground at palwaukee airport near FBO aviation. I had a copilot with me. We picked up our instrument clearance and were cleared to taxi to runway 16 via taxiway alpha, to runway 30R, and then to back taxi runway 16. We were to hold short of runway 24. I was having a problem with my headset so my copilot read me our taxi instructions. When it was too late to stop before runway 24 I slammed the brakes, but before I stopped the controller told me to keep rolling as he noticed that we may not stop in time. I was not taxiing fast for the airplane, but since it is a high performance twin, the taxi was faster than it would have been in other light aircraft. Basically, I believe the problem arose because the sign identing runway 24 was very small. It appeared to be much smaller than a license plate. Also the sign was only an inch or so off the ground. Since I was taxiing on a runway, there were no holding lines before runway 24 where I was to hold short, so my only indication of runway 24 was the small sign. The above factors coupled with the fact that many of palwaukee's runways (runway 24 included) are very skinny and may be easily mistaken for taxiways, making it easy to miss holding short of one of the runways. I believe a bigger sign near the runway would have definitely averted the problem. I think that for such a busy airport, larger more legible signs are very important and would avert future incidents and accidents. I believe the accident between a widebody transport and medium large transport some time ago at detroit metropolitan clearly illustrates the important need for clear taxiway and runway markings.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRAINING FLT FAILS TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY.

Narrative: I WAS ON THE GND AT PALWAUKEE ARPT NEAR FBO AVIATION. I HAD A COPLT WITH ME. WE PICKED UP OUR INST CLRNC AND WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 16 VIA TAXIWAY ALPHA, TO RWY 30R, AND THEN TO BACK TAXI RWY 16. WE WERE TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 24. I WAS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH MY HEADSET SO MY COPLT READ ME OUR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. WHEN IT WAS TOO LATE TO STOP BEFORE RWY 24 I SLAMMED THE BRAKES, BUT BEFORE I STOPPED THE CTLR TOLD ME TO KEEP ROLLING AS HE NOTICED THAT WE MAY NOT STOP IN TIME. I WAS NOT TAXIING FAST FOR THE AIRPLANE, BUT SINCE IT IS A HIGH PERFORMANCE TWIN, THE TAXI WAS FASTER THAN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IN OTHER LIGHT ACFT. BASICALLY, I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM AROSE BECAUSE THE SIGN IDENTING RWY 24 WAS VERY SMALL. IT APPEARED TO BE MUCH SMALLER THAN A LICENSE PLATE. ALSO THE SIGN WAS ONLY AN INCH OR SO OFF THE GND. SINCE I WAS TAXIING ON A RWY, THERE WERE NO HOLDING LINES BEFORE RWY 24 WHERE I WAS TO HOLD SHORT, SO MY ONLY INDICATION OF RWY 24 WAS THE SMALL SIGN. THE ABOVE FACTORS COUPLED WITH THE FACT THAT MANY OF PALWAUKEE'S RWYS (RWY 24 INCLUDED) ARE VERY SKINNY AND MAY BE EASILY MISTAKEN FOR TAXIWAYS, MAKING IT EASY TO MISS HOLDING SHORT OF ONE OF THE RWYS. I BELIEVE A BIGGER SIGN NEAR THE RWY WOULD HAVE DEFINITELY AVERTED THE PROBLEM. I THINK THAT FOR SUCH A BUSY ARPT, LARGER MORE LEGIBLE SIGNS ARE VERY IMPORTANT AND WOULD AVERT FUTURE INCIDENTS AND ACCIDENTS. I BELIEVE THE ACCIDENT BTWN A WDB AND MLG SOME TIME AGO AT DETROIT METRO CLRLY ILLUSTRATES THE IMPORTANT NEED FOR CLR TAXIWAY AND RWY MARKINGS.

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.