Narrative:

Cle tower aborted a takeoff on a parallel runway (23L) because we did not quickly respond to a call to hold short. When the tower called we were busy, after the first officer landed on 23R stopping the aircraft to make taxiway K and switch control of the aircraft from first officer to captain, the hold short for 23L is painted on taxiway 'K' right along the edge of 23R. The captain (myself) was stopping short of 23L but did not see the orientation of the hold short markings for 23L till close aboard. The aircraft nose stopped just over the line with the aircraft tail well inside 23R, but the nose well clear of 23L. Since we were unable to respond to tower and the tower was uncertain of our intentions to stop, they elected to abort the flight on 23L shortly after they began their takeoff roll. I highly recommend a lighted sign pointing out the hold short. This runway layout is unusual. No pilot likes to hold short of a runway when his own is on an active runway. Since we approach the hold at a rate, though decelerating, higher than taxi rate and both holds are visible, one naturally assumes that the 23R hold is the correct hold. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. The reporting captain stated that the lines are 'backwards' compared to what one might expect in that they indicate that an aircraft, is to stop very short of the next runway, possibly leaving the aircraft's tail over the runway that was just left. In conversations with cle tower, the reporter confirmed that this is the way that cle wants the lines as there is very little distance (less than 300 ft according to the commercial airport page) between the runways 5/23. The abort was given because the aircraft was leaving the runway at a high speed and had not yet acknowledged the 'hold short' instruction.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN LGT CREW CROSSED A TAXIWAY 'HOLD SHORT' LINE THAT IS IN AN UNUSUAL POS.

Narrative: CLE TWR ABORTED A TKOF ON A PARALLEL RWY (23L) BECAUSE WE DID NOT QUICKLY RESPOND TO A CALL TO HOLD SHORT. WHEN THE TWR CALLED WE WERE BUSY, AFTER THE FO LANDED ON 23R STOPPING THE ACFT TO MAKE TAXIWAY K AND SWITCH CTL OF THE ACFT FROM FO TO CAPT, THE HOLD SHORT FOR 23L IS PAINTED ON TAXIWAY 'K' RIGHT ALONG THE EDGE OF 23R. THE CAPT (MYSELF) WAS STOPPING SHORT OF 23L BUT DID NOT SEE THE ORIENTATION OF THE HOLD SHORT MARKINGS FOR 23L TILL CLOSE ABOARD. THE ACFT NOSE STOPPED JUST OVER THE LINE WITH THE ACFT TAIL WELL INSIDE 23R, BUT THE NOSE WELL CLR OF 23L. SINCE WE WERE UNABLE TO RESPOND TO TWR AND THE TWR WAS UNCERTAIN OF OUR INTENTIONS TO STOP, THEY ELECTED TO ABORT THE FLT ON 23L SHORTLY AFTER THEY BEGAN THEIR TKOF ROLL. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND A LIGHTED SIGN POINTING OUT THE HOLD SHORT. THIS RWY LAYOUT IS UNUSUAL. NO PLT LIKES TO HOLD SHORT OF A RWY WHEN HIS OWN IS ON AN ACTIVE RWY. SINCE WE APCH THE HOLD AT A RATE, THOUGH DECELERATING, HIGHER THAN TAXI RATE AND BOTH HOLDS ARE VISIBLE, ONE NATURALLY ASSUMES THAT THE 23R HOLD IS THE CORRECT HOLD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. THE RPTING CAPT STATED THAT THE LINES ARE 'BACKWARDS' COMPARED TO WHAT ONE MIGHT EXPECT IN THAT THEY INDICATE THAT AN ACFT, IS TO STOP VERY SHORT OF THE NEXT RWY, POSSIBLY LEAVING THE ACFT'S TAIL OVER THE RWY THAT WAS JUST LEFT. IN CONVERSATIONS WITH CLE TWR, THE RPTR CONFIRMED THAT THIS IS THE WAY THAT CLE WANTS THE LINES AS THERE IS VERY LITTLE DISTANCE (LESS THAN 300 FT ACCORDING TO THE COMMERCIAL ARPT PAGE) BTWN THE RWYS 5/23. THE ABORT WAS GIVEN BECAUSE THE ACFT WAS LEAVING THE RWY AT A HIGH SPD AND HAD NOT YET ACKNOWLEDGED THE 'HOLD SHORT' INSTRUCTION.

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.