Narrative:

The reason I am filing this report is because we crossed an active runway without clearance. The misunderstanding happened while taxiing at cle. The controller said to taxi on txwys left, west, J, runway 28, hold short of runway 23L, expect runway 23R for departure. This is what we heard: taxi northeast on txwys left, west, runway 28, runway 23R, expect runway 23R for departure. This is what we actually did: northeast on taxiway left turned left on taxiway west, crossed runway 23L and held short of runway 23R. If you look at the airport diagram, taxiway west is very confusing and it looks like from taxiway left you can only turn left. I feel that the contributing factors to this problem are: 1) that the controller gave us too many instructions all at once. 2) the txwys are very hard to understand. Finally, I think that I should have studied the diagram more and should have questioned ATC before proceeding any further. I think to help prevent this from happening in the future is to take a look at renaming some of the txwys. Also, to shorten up clrncs that are given out by ATC. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: crew was flying a beech king air 300. Crew were strangers at the cle airport. The captain stated that the ground controller was busy and gave a long clearance at a very fast speech rate. When the captain got to the northeast end of taxiway left, the taxiway signs became confusing to him. He stated that it appeared the only way to turn was left. He saw the hold short lines for runway 23L but thought he was clear to cross the runway. At no point did he ask for 'progressive' taxi instructions. On discussion with cle FSDO, FAA stated that the hold bar on runway 28 was added because of the many runway incursions happening there. Since this addition, and increased signage, and an educational effort with the acrs operating there, the runway incursions have gone away. The only hold for runway 23L is the standard hold paint markings. The runway is marked with standard runway signs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE30 CPR CREW BECAME CONFUSED WITH THE GND CTLR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AT CLE. HE MAY HAVE HAD A RWY INCURSION.

Narrative: THE REASON I AM FILING THIS RPT IS BECAUSE WE CROSSED AN ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC. THE MISUNDERSTANDING HAPPENED WHILE TAXIING AT CLE. THE CTLR SAID TO TAXI ON TXWYS L, W, J, RWY 28, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 23L, EXPECT RWY 23R FOR DEP. THIS IS WHAT WE HEARD: TAXI NE ON TXWYS L, W, RWY 28, RWY 23R, EXPECT RWY 23R FOR DEP. THIS IS WHAT WE ACTUALLY DID: NE ON TXWY L TURNED L ON TXWY W, CROSSED RWY 23L AND HELD SHORT OF RWY 23R. IF YOU LOOK AT THE ARPT DIAGRAM, TXWY W IS VERY CONFUSING AND IT LOOKS LIKE FROM TXWY L YOU CAN ONLY TURN L. I FEEL THAT THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS PROB ARE: 1) THAT THE CTLR GAVE US TOO MANY INSTRUCTIONS ALL AT ONCE. 2) THE TXWYS ARE VERY HARD TO UNDERSTAND. FINALLY, I THINK THAT I SHOULD HAVE STUDIED THE DIAGRAM MORE AND SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED ATC BEFORE PROCEEDING ANY FURTHER. I THINK TO HELP PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE IS TO TAKE A LOOK AT RENAMING SOME OF THE TXWYS. ALSO, TO SHORTEN UP CLRNCS THAT ARE GIVEN OUT BY ATC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CREW WAS FLYING A BEECH KING AIR 300. CREW WERE STRANGERS AT THE CLE ARPT. THE CAPT STATED THAT THE GND CTLR WAS BUSY AND GAVE A LONG CLRNC AT A VERY FAST SPEECH RATE. WHEN THE CAPT GOT TO THE NE END OF TXWY L, THE TXWY SIGNS BECAME CONFUSING TO HIM. HE STATED THAT IT APPEARED THE ONLY WAY TO TURN WAS L. HE SAW THE HOLD SHORT LINES FOR RWY 23L BUT THOUGHT HE WAS CLR TO CROSS THE RWY. AT NO POINT DID HE ASK FOR 'PROGRESSIVE' TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. ON DISCUSSION WITH CLE FSDO, FAA STATED THAT THE HOLD BAR ON RWY 28 WAS ADDED BECAUSE OF THE MANY RWY INCURSIONS HAPPENING THERE. SINCE THIS ADDITION, AND INCREASED SIGNAGE, AND AN EDUCATIONAL EFFORT WITH THE ACRS OPERATING THERE, THE RWY INCURSIONS HAVE GONE AWAY. THE ONLY HOLD FOR RWY 23L IS THE STANDARD HOLD PAINT MARKINGS. THE RWY IS MARKED WITH STANDARD RWY SIGNS.

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.