Narrative:

We were cleared across runway 23L to runway 23R, position and hold. First officer read clearance back. Due to the angle of runway 28 and runway 23L, I could not see arrival traffic to runway 23L from the left side of the airplane while holding short on runway 28. I started the right turn to cross runway 23L. The first officer called 'traffic on short final,' so I stopped. I was still not in a position to actually see the traffic. I told the first officer to tell the tower we had stopped and were over the hold lines. At this point the nose of the airplane was over (beyond) the hold lines, but still quite a distance from the edge lines that define the runway. Tower told the other airplane to go around on about a 2 mi final. Cle departure gave us the tower number and asked me to call when I got on the ground. We discussed why I stopped and she requested that I have a little more faith in them. When discussing this with the first officer (new hire), he felt like he had over responded, but was surprised to see an airplane come out of the clouds after reading back the crossing clearance. He believed the airplane was closer. I don't remember the controller giving a distance advisory on/with the crossing clearance, however, they may have issued it. The young lady I talked to over the phone said it was still 2 1/2 mi out at the time. I do believe the controller's instructions were good, however from my position, when my first officer says there's a traffic conflict that I can't see, I have to believe him/her. We erred on the conservative side. The intersection and runway arrangement at cle have been a great source of pain and potential mishaps for a lot of pilots and controllers, even with all lighting improvements.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN LTT AT CLE, OH, HAS A RWY INCURSION.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED ACROSS RWY 23L TO RWY 23R, POS AND HOLD. FO READ CLRNC BACK. DUE TO THE ANGLE OF RWY 28 AND RWY 23L, I COULD NOT SEE ARR TFC TO RWY 23L FROM THE L SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE WHILE HOLDING SHORT ON RWY 28. I STARTED THE R TURN TO CROSS RWY 23L. THE FO CALLED 'TFC ON SHORT FINAL,' SO I STOPPED. I WAS STILL NOT IN A POS TO ACTUALLY SEE THE TFC. I TOLD THE FO TO TELL THE TWR WE HAD STOPPED AND WERE OVER THE HOLD LINES. AT THIS POINT THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE WAS OVER (BEYOND) THE HOLD LINES, BUT STILL QUITE A DISTANCE FROM THE EDGE LINES THAT DEFINE THE RWY. TWR TOLD THE OTHER AIRPLANE TO GAR ON ABOUT A 2 MI FINAL. CLE DEP GAVE US THE TWR NUMBER AND ASKED ME TO CALL WHEN I GOT ON THE GND. WE DISCUSSED WHY I STOPPED AND SHE REQUESTED THAT I HAVE A LITTLE MORE FAITH IN THEM. WHEN DISCUSSING THIS WITH THE FO (NEW HIRE), HE FELT LIKE HE HAD OVER RESPONDED, BUT WAS SURPRISED TO SEE AN AIRPLANE COME OUT OF THE CLOUDS AFTER READING BACK THE XING CLRNC. HE BELIEVED THE AIRPLANE WAS CLOSER. I DON'T REMEMBER THE CTLR GIVING A DISTANCE ADVISORY ON/WITH THE XING CLRNC, HOWEVER, THEY MAY HAVE ISSUED IT. THE YOUNG LADY I TALKED TO OVER THE PHONE SAID IT WAS STILL 2 1/2 MI OUT AT THE TIME. I DO BELIEVE THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS WERE GOOD, HOWEVER FROM MY POS, WHEN MY FO SAYS THERE'S A TFC CONFLICT THAT I CAN'T SEE, I HAVE TO BELIEVE HIM/HER. WE ERRED ON THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE. THE INTXN AND RWY ARRANGEMENT AT CLE HAVE BEEN A GREAT SOURCE OF PAIN AND POTENTIAL MISHAPS FOR A LOT OF PLTS AND CTLRS, EVEN WITH ALL LIGHTING IMPROVEMENTS.

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.