Narrative:

Ground issued taxi instructions for us to go to runway 23R, hold short of runway 23L on runway 28. I was doing the before takeoff check as the captain was taxiing. He said he thought he had gone past his taxiway, but would take the next one onto runway 28. As he taxied onto the runway, I noticed an aircraft on short final, but was unsure as to what runway he was using. I questioned ATC as to our location. ATC told the aircraft to go around. He had inadvertently taxied onto runway 23L thinking it was runway 28. The captain had taken a left on taxiway west and not yet reached our assigned taxiway (I believe it was taxiway U). He should have turned right onto taxiway west, then a short left onto taxiway U(?) to runway 28, up to runway 23L. Neither of us realized we were at the wrong position until ATC told the landing aircraft to go around. Supplemental information from acn 423338: taxi instructions were runway 23L via taxiway west, taxiway U, runway 28, short of runway 23L. That area of the airport is very confusing and I ended up turning the wrong way on taxiway west. I cleared the area first, and taxied onto what I thought was runway 28. Since tower and ground were combined, I heard the controller talking about an aircraft going around. I realized I had taxied onto runway 23L and exited the runway quickly at taxiway left, a short distance away. When I was clear, the controller gave me the same taxi instructions, taxiway west, taxiway U, runway 28, short of runway 23L and told me about the aircraft on final that had to go around because of me. The controller did not say anything more about the incident. I did clear the area as best I could before taxiing onto the runway, but because it was the right side, behind me, I could not see the aircraft on final. Other contributing factors were night, the WX, and that I knew I would be taxiing onto runway 28 -- so seeing runway lights was what I expected. I never saw the aircraft on final.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A TAXIING SF340 ENTERS RWY 23L AT CLE WITHOUT AUTH, THINKING IT WAS RWY 28.

Narrative: GND ISSUED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS FOR US TO GO TO RWY 23R, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 23L ON RWY 28. I WAS DOING THE BEFORE TKOF CHK AS THE CAPT WAS TAXIING. HE SAID HE THOUGHT HE HAD GONE PAST HIS TXWY, BUT WOULD TAKE THE NEXT ONE ONTO RWY 28. AS HE TAXIED ONTO THE RWY, I NOTICED AN ACFT ON SHORT FINAL, BUT WAS UNSURE AS TO WHAT RWY HE WAS USING. I QUESTIONED ATC AS TO OUR LOCATION. ATC TOLD THE ACFT TO GO AROUND. HE HAD INADVERTENTLY TAXIED ONTO RWY 23L THINKING IT WAS RWY 28. THE CAPT HAD TAKEN A L ON TXWY W AND NOT YET REACHED OUR ASSIGNED TXWY (I BELIEVE IT WAS TXWY U). HE SHOULD HAVE TURNED R ONTO TXWY W, THEN A SHORT L ONTO TXWY U(?) TO RWY 28, UP TO RWY 23L. NEITHER OF US REALIZED WE WERE AT THE WRONG POS UNTIL ATC TOLD THE LNDG ACFT TO GAR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 423338: TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WERE RWY 23L VIA TXWY W, TXWY U, RWY 28, SHORT OF RWY 23L. THAT AREA OF THE ARPT IS VERY CONFUSING AND I ENDED UP TURNING THE WRONG WAY ON TXWY W. I CLRED THE AREA FIRST, AND TAXIED ONTO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS RWY 28. SINCE TWR AND GND WERE COMBINED, I HEARD THE CTLR TALKING ABOUT AN ACFT GOING AROUND. I REALIZED I HAD TAXIED ONTO RWY 23L AND EXITED THE RWY QUICKLY AT TXWY L, A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY. WHEN I WAS CLR, THE CTLR GAVE ME THE SAME TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, TXWY W, TXWY U, RWY 28, SHORT OF RWY 23L AND TOLD ME ABOUT THE ACFT ON FINAL THAT HAD TO GO AROUND BECAUSE OF ME. THE CTLR DID NOT SAY ANYTHING MORE ABOUT THE INCIDENT. I DID CLR THE AREA AS BEST I COULD BEFORE TAXIING ONTO THE RWY, BUT BECAUSE IT WAS THE R SIDE, BEHIND ME, I COULD NOT SEE THE ACFT ON FINAL. OTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE NIGHT, THE WX, AND THAT I KNEW I WOULD BE TAXIING ONTO RWY 28 -- SO SEEING RWY LIGHTS WAS WHAT I EXPECTED. I NEVER SAW THE ACFT ON FINAL.

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.