Narrative:

Cleared to taxi to runway 28L at cmh, with no hold short of intersecting runways instructions. Nighttime operation, taxiing on newly constructed ramp, taxiway area. Aircraft crossed hold short line for both runways 23 and 28L. Note: must cross runway 23 to get to runway 28L via our taxi route. Both pilots consulted the commercial airport diagram to aid in taxi route. From our starting position to runway 28L there were 2 ways to get to runway 28L. One way was to taxi to end of runway 23, cross it and continue to runway 28L. The other way is to taxi to runway 23, onto runway 23 and either back taxi on runway 23 to runway 28 or taxi onto runway 28 and back taxi and do a 180 degree turn to position the aircraft for takeoff. We had planned to taxi via the first taxi route mentioned -- the more direct as indicated by the airport diagram. Due to the darkness, the new taxiway and ramp, and what I believe is confusing signage, the aircraft taxied onto runway 23 short of the end of the runway. At this point we believed we were at the end of the runway 23, the first mentioned taxi route and the most direct. The aircraft stopped on runway 23 well short of runway 28L. Tower asked if we had seen the hold short line. We mentioned that we had not and there was some confusion as to which runway the hold short line was for. Because we were cleared all the way to runway 28L and based on the airport diagram we believed we could cross runway 23 and once on the other side of runway 23, hold short there for runway 28L. My belief as to cause of this is an incorrect airport diagram, the fact that it was dark and had confusing signage. To prevent occurrences like this I believe the airport diagram should be corrected and enhanced, and taxi instructions to runway 28L include direction to hold short of runway 23. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this reporter was a first officer on a DC9-30 operating from cmh during the early evening. As they taxied out to runway 28L they realized that they would have to cross runway 23 to get to runway 28L. The ramp surface had just been recoated and no taxi lines were visible to the flight crew. There were several signs indicating several directions to runway 28L. The flight crew became disoriented and followed one set of signs. They thought that they were approaching the end of runway 23, but instead they crossed runway 23 about 500 ft down from the end and onto an unmapped taxiway that allowed them (later) to make a right turn onto the end of runway 28L. They realized that they had made an error as they entered runway 23 and heard the tower send another aircraft around. The tower then instructed the reporter's crew to continue across runway 23 and to hold short of runway 28L. The tower also informed the flight crew that regardless of their understanding of the meaning of the term 'cleared to' the ground controller at cmh did not intend for the crew to cross an active runway. The reporter has not heard from the FAA. He has flown to cmh since and he has confirmed that the unmapped taxiway is there, but he also noted that he now understands the signs better in light of his knowledge of that taxiway. The captain, in a later conversation, told him that a friend of his who flies for another airline had a similar experience at about the same month.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH RWY ENTRY -- ACR FLC TAXIES ONTO AN ACTIVE RWY DURING A NIGHT DEP FROM AN ARPT WITH A NEWLY REFINISHED RAMP TXWY SURFACE WITHOUT LINES.

Narrative: CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 28L AT CMH, WITH NO HOLD SHORT OF INTERSECTING RWYS INSTRUCTIONS. NIGHTTIME OP, TAXIING ON NEWLY CONSTRUCTED RAMP, TXWY AREA. ACFT CROSSED HOLD SHORT LINE FOR BOTH RWYS 23 AND 28L. NOTE: MUST CROSS RWY 23 TO GET TO RWY 28L VIA OUR TAXI RTE. BOTH PLTS CONSULTED THE COMMERCIAL ARPT DIAGRAM TO AID IN TAXI RTE. FROM OUR STARTING POS TO RWY 28L THERE WERE 2 WAYS TO GET TO RWY 28L. ONE WAY WAS TO TAXI TO END OF RWY 23, CROSS IT AND CONTINUE TO RWY 28L. THE OTHER WAY IS TO TAXI TO RWY 23, ONTO RWY 23 AND EITHER BACK TAXI ON RWY 23 TO RWY 28 OR TAXI ONTO RWY 28 AND BACK TAXI AND DO A 180 DEG TURN TO POS THE ACFT FOR TKOF. WE HAD PLANNED TO TAXI VIA THE FIRST TAXI RTE MENTIONED -- THE MORE DIRECT AS INDICATED BY THE ARPT DIAGRAM. DUE TO THE DARKNESS, THE NEW TXWY AND RAMP, AND WHAT I BELIEVE IS CONFUSING SIGNAGE, THE ACFT TAXIED ONTO RWY 23 SHORT OF THE END OF THE RWY. AT THIS POINT WE BELIEVED WE WERE AT THE END OF THE RWY 23, THE FIRST MENTIONED TAXI RTE AND THE MOST DIRECT. THE ACFT STOPPED ON RWY 23 WELL SHORT OF RWY 28L. TWR ASKED IF WE HAD SEEN THE HOLD SHORT LINE. WE MENTIONED THAT WE HAD NOT AND THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION AS TO WHICH RWY THE HOLD SHORT LINE WAS FOR. BECAUSE WE WERE CLRED ALL THE WAY TO RWY 28L AND BASED ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM WE BELIEVED WE COULD CROSS RWY 23 AND ONCE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF RWY 23, HOLD SHORT THERE FOR RWY 28L. MY BELIEF AS TO CAUSE OF THIS IS AN INCORRECT ARPT DIAGRAM, THE FACT THAT IT WAS DARK AND HAD CONFUSING SIGNAGE. TO PREVENT OCCURRENCES LIKE THIS I BELIEVE THE ARPT DIAGRAM SHOULD BE CORRECTED AND ENHANCED, AND TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO RWY 28L INCLUDE DIRECTION TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 23. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS RPTR WAS A FO ON A DC9-30 OPERATING FROM CMH DURING THE EARLY EVENING. AS THEY TAXIED OUT TO RWY 28L THEY REALIZED THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO CROSS RWY 23 TO GET TO RWY 28L. THE RAMP SURFACE HAD JUST BEEN RECOATED AND NO TAXI LINES WERE VISIBLE TO THE FLC. THERE WERE SEVERAL SIGNS INDICATING SEVERAL DIRECTIONS TO RWY 28L. THE FLC BECAME DISORIENTED AND FOLLOWED ONE SET OF SIGNS. THEY THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE APCHING THE END OF RWY 23, BUT INSTEAD THEY CROSSED RWY 23 ABOUT 500 FT DOWN FROM THE END AND ONTO AN UNMAPPED TXWY THAT ALLOWED THEM (LATER) TO MAKE A R TURN ONTO THE END OF RWY 28L. THEY REALIZED THAT THEY HAD MADE AN ERROR AS THEY ENTERED RWY 23 AND HEARD THE TWR SEND ANOTHER ACFT AROUND. THE TWR THEN INSTRUCTED THE RPTR'S CREW TO CONTINUE ACROSS RWY 23 AND TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 28L. THE TWR ALSO INFORMED THE FLC THAT REGARDLESS OF THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE MEANING OF THE TERM 'CLRED TO' THE GND CTLR AT CMH DID NOT INTEND FOR THE CREW TO CROSS AN ACTIVE RWY. THE RPTR HAS NOT HEARD FROM THE FAA. HE HAS FLOWN TO CMH SINCE AND HE HAS CONFIRMED THAT THE UNMAPPED TXWY IS THERE, BUT HE ALSO NOTED THAT HE NOW UNDERSTANDS THE SIGNS BETTER IN LIGHT OF HIS KNOWLEDGE OF THAT TXWY. THE CAPT, IN A LATER CONVERSATION, TOLD HIM THAT A FRIEND OF HIS WHO FLIES FOR ANOTHER AIRLINE HAD A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE AT ABOUT THE SAME MONTH.

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.