Narrative:

Aircraft was being utilized for a local training flight of touch and go's with a private pilot applicant. I was pilot in command of that flight. The student conducted a preflight inspection followed by a normal supervised engine start. The student then copied the current ATIS and contacted ground control for taxi clearance in the following manner: 'providence ground small aircraft X at 'location' with current ATIS code touch and go's, taxi.' ground control responded with the command: 'taxi to runway 23R.' no specific taxi rtes or hold short commands were given. As depicted in the diagram, I taxied up to, and held short of, the broad yellow line that indicates the beginning of the displaced threshold for runway 23R. Holding short of 23R on taxiway V, the student began the ground check sequence. At this time, ground control stated: 'for your information the hold short lines are 150 ft to your rear.' since I followed the previously given taxi instruction, I was confused and queried ground control with: 'did you tell us to hold short.' ground control did not respond, and I continued to supervise the student on the assumption that it was not an important matter. After conducting the ground check, we received takeoff clearance for 23R and were instructed to make right close traffic. Upon completion of the training flight and receipt of landing clearance, I was advised to contact the ATC supervisor by phone, which I did immediately after securing the aircraft. The supervisor informed me a pilot deviation could be filed because of my actions. I was shocked, having complied with all clrncs. After conferring with a controller in the backgnd who was obviously adamant about filing such a deviation, the supervisor said: 'we've had some confusion about the markings in that area, and it probably won't hurt you much, but we're going to file a deviation to maybe get some action out of the state about clearing that area up.' the markings in that area are confusing and faded and I have witnessed on several occasions aircraft to include general aviation and business jets in violation of those particular hold lines. Additionally, upon hearing familiar tail numbers ground control will simply say taxi to runway 'X' or taxi to parking, without issuing a specific route clearance even though there may be several different ways to get there. Many times, I have been forced to ask for such a clearance to stay out of trouble. I did not the day in question because the runway was close to our FBO. To prevent further misunderstandings and possible safety hazards, I would recommend the runway and taxiway markings be repainted, and further lines added to make the area in question less confusing. Additionally, ground controllers should issue specific route clrncs to the active runway, regardless of how familiar with the airport the pilot is, or how close to the runway the aircraft is.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION.

Narrative: ACFT WAS BEING UTILIZED FOR A LCL TRAINING FLT OF TOUCH AND GO'S WITH A PRIVATE PLT APPLICANT. I WAS PLT IN COMMAND OF THAT FLT. THE STUDENT CONDUCTED A PREFLT INSPECTION FOLLOWED BY A NORMAL SUPERVISED ENG START. THE STUDENT THEN COPIED THE CURRENT ATIS AND CONTACTED GND CTL FOR TAXI CLRNC IN THE FOLLOWING MANNER: 'PROVIDENCE GND SMA X AT 'LOCATION' WITH CURRENT ATIS CODE TOUCH AND GO'S, TAXI.' GND CTL RESPONDED WITH THE COMMAND: 'TAXI TO RWY 23R.' NO SPECIFIC TAXI RTES OR HOLD SHORT COMMANDS WERE GIVEN. AS DEPICTED IN THE DIAGRAM, I TAXIED UP TO, AND HELD SHORT OF, THE BROAD YELLOW LINE THAT INDICATES THE BEGINNING OF THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD FOR RWY 23R. HOLDING SHORT OF 23R ON TAXIWAY V, THE STUDENT BEGAN THE GND CHK SEQUENCE. AT THIS TIME, GND CTL STATED: 'FOR YOUR INFO THE HOLD SHORT LINES ARE 150 FT TO YOUR REAR.' SINCE I FOLLOWED THE PREVIOUSLY GIVEN TAXI INSTRUCTION, I WAS CONFUSED AND QUERIED GND CTL WITH: 'DID YOU TELL US TO HOLD SHORT.' GND CTL DID NOT RESPOND, AND I CONTINUED TO SUPERVISE THE STUDENT ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT IT WAS NOT AN IMPORTANT MATTER. AFTER CONDUCTING THE GND CHK, WE RECEIVED TKOF CLRNC FOR 23R AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO MAKE R CLOSE TFC. UPON COMPLETION OF THE TRAINING FLT AND RECEIPT OF LNDG CLRNC, I WAS ADVISED TO CONTACT THE ATC SUPVR BY PHONE, WHICH I DID IMMEDIATELY AFTER SECURING THE ACFT. THE SUPVR INFORMED ME A PLTDEV COULD BE FILED BECAUSE OF MY ACTIONS. I WAS SHOCKED, HAVING COMPLIED WITH ALL CLRNCS. AFTER CONFERRING WITH A CTLR IN THE BACKGND WHO WAS OBVIOUSLY ADAMANT ABOUT FILING SUCH A DEV, THE SUPVR SAID: 'WE'VE HAD SOME CONFUSION ABOUT THE MARKINGS IN THAT AREA, AND IT PROBABLY WON'T HURT YOU MUCH, BUT WE'RE GOING TO FILE A DEV TO MAYBE GET SOME ACTION OUT OF THE STATE ABOUT CLRING THAT AREA UP.' THE MARKINGS IN THAT AREA ARE CONFUSING AND FADED AND I HAVE WITNESSED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS ACFT TO INCLUDE GENERAL AVIATION AND BUSINESS JETS IN VIOLATION OF THOSE PARTICULAR HOLD LINES. ADDITIONALLY, UPON HEARING FAMILIAR TAIL NUMBERS GND CTL WILL SIMPLY SAY TAXI TO RWY 'X' OR TAXI TO PARKING, WITHOUT ISSUING A SPECIFIC RTE CLRNC EVEN THOUGH THERE MAY BE SEVERAL DIFFERENT WAYS TO GET THERE. MANY TIMES, I HAVE BEEN FORCED TO ASK FOR SUCH A CLRNC TO STAY OUT OF TROUBLE. I DID NOT THE DAY IN QUESTION BECAUSE THE RWY WAS CLOSE TO OUR FBO. TO PREVENT FURTHER MISUNDERSTANDINGS AND POSSIBLE SAFETY HAZARDS, I WOULD RECOMMEND THE RWY AND TAXIWAY MARKINGS BE REPAINTED, AND FURTHER LINES ADDED TO MAKE THE AREA IN QUESTION LESS CONFUSING. ADDITIONALLY, GND CTLRS SHOULD ISSUE SPECIFIC RTE CLRNCS TO THE ACTIVE RWY, REGARDLESS OF HOW FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT THE PLT IS, OR HOW CLOSE TO THE RWY THE ACFT IS.

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.