Narrative:

On taxi to runway 23L at cle we were instructed to utilize the 'brown' route. The brown route is explained in the coded taxi route section of our commercial chart manuals. The first officer and I discussed and briefed the routing to runway 23L being cautious of the unconventional field markings and hold short lines. As we approached the hold short bar on runway 28 for takeoff on runway 23L I was positioning the aircraft in a manner that I could monitor visually the inbound traffic landing on runway 23R&left. As I was applying the brakes and making a slight right turn, the controller transmitted 'xyz stop, xyz stop.' at that point in time I was already in the process of stopping the aircraft. When the instructions were given, due the vigor in the controller's voice, I took my left hand off the steering control wheel to pick up the hand-held microphone to respond and assure him of compliance. The slight movement of the aircraft nose back to the left (due to a ctring mechanism) when I released the nose steering wheel may have given the tower controller the impression we were crossing the hold short bar. At no point of the taxi were we unaware of our position. Some suggestions about the poor markings in cle for this particular runway would to be increase the lighting intensity of the centerline lights along with maybe a flashing red light on either side of the hold short bar. This hold short bar also becomes unfamiliar because of the uncommon distance from the takeoff runway for which it is designed for aircraft to hold short. Another observation would be that the tower can get a visual illusion of what the aircraft is actually doing due to the angle of the hold short line to the tower's line of sight. At the time of the evening with the sun at the level it was along with the tower controller looking to the wnw into the sun, he/she may have difficulty judging the actual position of the aircraft. With the high amount of problems in the past at this exact point, I suggest more resources are utilized to come up with a more friendly hold short bar. This area puts an unacceptable amount of visual awareness responsibility on the control tower and could lead them to make hasty instructions based on visual illusions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALLEGED UNCONVENTIONAL FIELD MARKINGS AND HOLD SHORT LINES FOR RWY 28 AND RWY 23.

Narrative: ON TAXI TO RWY 23L AT CLE WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO UTILIZE THE 'BROWN' RTE. THE BROWN RTE IS EXPLAINED IN THE CODED TAXI RTE SECTION OF OUR COMMERCIAL CHART MANUALS. THE FO AND I DISCUSSED AND BRIEFED THE ROUTING TO RWY 23L BEING CAUTIOUS OF THE UNCONVENTIONAL FIELD MARKINGS AND HOLD SHORT LINES. AS WE APCHED THE HOLD SHORT BAR ON RWY 28 FOR TKOF ON RWY 23L I WAS POSITIONING THE ACFT IN A MANNER THAT I COULD MONITOR VISUALLY THE INBOUND TFC LNDG ON RWY 23R&L. AS I WAS APPLYING THE BRAKES AND MAKING A SLIGHT R TURN, THE CTLR XMITTED 'XYZ STOP, XYZ STOP.' AT THAT POINT IN TIME I WAS ALREADY IN THE PROCESS OF STOPPING THE ACFT. WHEN THE INSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN, DUE THE VIGOR IN THE CTLR'S VOICE, I TOOK MY L HAND OFF THE STEERING CTL WHEEL TO PICK UP THE HAND-HELD MIKE TO RESPOND AND ASSURE HIM OF COMPLIANCE. THE SLIGHT MOVEMENT OF THE ACFT NOSE BACK TO THE L (DUE TO A CTRING MECHANISM) WHEN I RELEASED THE NOSE STEERING WHEEL MAY HAVE GIVEN THE TWR CTLR THE IMPRESSION WE WERE XING THE HOLD SHORT BAR. AT NO POINT OF THE TAXI WERE WE UNAWARE OF OUR POS. SOME SUGGESTIONS ABOUT THE POOR MARKINGS IN CLE FOR THIS PARTICULAR RWY WOULD TO BE INCREASE THE LIGHTING INTENSITY OF THE CTRLINE LIGHTS ALONG WITH MAYBE A FLASHING RED LIGHT ON EITHER SIDE OF THE HOLD SHORT BAR. THIS HOLD SHORT BAR ALSO BECOMES UNFAMILIAR BECAUSE OF THE UNCOMMON DISTANCE FROM THE TKOF RWY FOR WHICH IT IS DESIGNED FOR ACFT TO HOLD SHORT. ANOTHER OBSERVATION WOULD BE THAT THE TWR CAN GET A VISUAL ILLUSION OF WHAT THE ACFT IS ACTUALLY DOING DUE TO THE ANGLE OF THE HOLD SHORT LINE TO THE TWR'S LINE OF SIGHT. AT THE TIME OF THE EVENING WITH THE SUN AT THE LEVEL IT WAS ALONG WITH THE TWR CTLR LOOKING TO THE WNW INTO THE SUN, HE/SHE MAY HAVE DIFFICULTY JUDGING THE ACTUAL POS OF THE ACFT. WITH THE HIGH AMOUNT OF PROBS IN THE PAST AT THIS EXACT POINT, I SUGGEST MORE RESOURCES ARE UTILIZED TO COME UP WITH A MORE FRIENDLY HOLD SHORT BAR. THIS AREA PUTS AN UNACCEPTABLE AMOUNT OF VISUAL AWARENESS RESPONSIBILITY ON THE CTL TWR AND COULD LEAD THEM TO MAKE HASTY INSTRUCTIONS BASED ON VISUAL ILLUSIONS.

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.