Narrative:

On jan/xa/00 on our taxi, both the first officer and I experienced major confusion on our assigned taxi route. This misunderstanding led to our aircraft accidentally crossing the hold short point on the runway. Several factors were involved in this event that led to the occurrence. The WX was marginal at the airport with blowing snow which reduced visibility. Prior snow showers at the airport obscured taxiway and runway markings and signs. Due to snow removal operations at the airport, an unusual and nonstandard taxi route to the active runway was in use. As the flight crew, we feel we have learned greatly from this experience and may have addressed some issues for future reference which might have stopped the situation before it had occurred. If the ground control has to issue a nonstandard taxi route and instructions, it would be beneficial to have a prior notification of the outline of the new proposed route -- possibly a notice on ATIS of the expected taxi route to be given prior to taxi to allow the crew time to review it and brief their actions. Most importantly, any time a hold short instruction is to be given, make it as short and simple as possible with no extra information included with the clearance. Informing aircraft of making turns on txwys, or expected runways for takeoff should be dropped and more clear emphasis placed on just holding short. Also, in poor light, reduced visibility conditions, or other taxiway/runway obscuring conditions, always use plainly marked intxns and rtes. Confusing and tedious taxi rtes with poor surface conditions that take place next to active runways are going to cause problems. Taxi instructions that are not the standard route, but are being implemented should stay consistent to all aircraft as much as possible. When issuing the hold short instruction, keep the point consistent to all aircraft using that intersection.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB145 FLC HAS A RWY INCURSION DURING A HVY SNOW FALL CONDITION WHEN XING THE HOLD SHORT LINE AT CLE, OH.

Narrative: ON JAN/XA/00 ON OUR TAXI, BOTH THE FO AND I EXPERIENCED MAJOR CONFUSION ON OUR ASSIGNED TAXI RTE. THIS MISUNDERSTANDING LED TO OUR ACFT ACCIDENTALLY XING THE HOLD SHORT POINT ON THE RWY. SEVERAL FACTORS WERE INVOLVED IN THIS EVENT THAT LED TO THE OCCURRENCE. THE WX WAS MARGINAL AT THE ARPT WITH BLOWING SNOW WHICH REDUCED VISIBILITY. PRIOR SNOW SHOWERS AT THE ARPT OBSCURED TXWY AND RWY MARKINGS AND SIGNS. DUE TO SNOW REMOVAL OPS AT THE ARPT, AN UNUSUAL AND NONSTANDARD TAXI RTE TO THE ACTIVE RWY WAS IN USE. AS THE FLC, WE FEEL WE HAVE LEARNED GREATLY FROM THIS EXPERIENCE AND MAY HAVE ADDRESSED SOME ISSUES FOR FUTURE REF WHICH MIGHT HAVE STOPPED THE SIT BEFORE IT HAD OCCURRED. IF THE GND CTL HAS TO ISSUE A NONSTANDARD TAXI RTE AND INSTRUCTIONS, IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO HAVE A PRIOR NOTIFICATION OF THE OUTLINE OF THE NEW PROPOSED RTE -- POSSIBLY A NOTICE ON ATIS OF THE EXPECTED TAXI RTE TO BE GIVEN PRIOR TO TAXI TO ALLOW THE CREW TIME TO REVIEW IT AND BRIEF THEIR ACTIONS. MOST IMPORTANTLY, ANY TIME A HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTION IS TO BE GIVEN, MAKE IT AS SHORT AND SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE WITH NO EXTRA INFO INCLUDED WITH THE CLRNC. INFORMING ACFT OF MAKING TURNS ON TXWYS, OR EXPECTED RWYS FOR TKOF SHOULD BE DROPPED AND MORE CLR EMPHASIS PLACED ON JUST HOLDING SHORT. ALSO, IN POOR LIGHT, REDUCED VISIBILITY CONDITIONS, OR OTHER TXWY/RWY OBSCURING CONDITIONS, ALWAYS USE PLAINLY MARKED INTXNS AND RTES. CONFUSING AND TEDIOUS TAXI RTES WITH POOR SURFACE CONDITIONS THAT TAKE PLACE NEXT TO ACTIVE RWYS ARE GOING TO CAUSE PROBS. TAXI INSTRUCTIONS THAT ARE NOT THE STANDARD RTE, BUT ARE BEING IMPLEMENTED SHOULD STAY CONSISTENT TO ALL ACFT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. WHEN ISSUING THE HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTION, KEEP THE POINT CONSISTENT TO ALL ACFT USING THAT INTXN.

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.