An ATR42 first officer's report on a near runway incursion due to questionable signage placement at ...

Attributes
ACN	473868
Time
Date	200004
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mfe.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	ATR 42
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 4100 flight time type : 1350
ASRS Report	473868
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Airport ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Situations
Airport	signage : mfe.airport

Narrative:

After receiving ground taxi clearance from tower to taxi from ramp to active runway, captain turned the airplane around to proceed to active runway via taxiway a. Taxiway a is parallel to active runway with an intersecting taxiway to the runway. Captain proceeded on intersecting taxiway until first officer alerted him that he was about to taxi onto the active runway. This occurred because the airport had improperly placed the taxiway sign after the taxiway on the right side of the intersecting taxiway. The only indication of a runway sign was the red runway sign on the left side of the intersecting runway. This design is an accident waiting to happen. The airport needs to reposition sign to a location prior to the taxiway. Although there is a runway sign on the left, this can be ignored or not seen in reduced visibility or if pilots are not familiar with airfield ramp area.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ATR42 FO'S RPT ON A NEAR RWY INCURSION DUE TO QUESTIONABLE SIGNAGE PLACEMENT AT MFE, TX.

Narrative: AFTER RECEIVING GND TAXI CLRNC FROM TWR TO TAXI FROM RAMP TO ACTIVE RWY, CAPT TURNED THE AIRPLANE AROUND TO PROCEED TO ACTIVE RWY VIA TXWY A. TXWY A IS PARALLEL TO ACTIVE RWY WITH AN INTERSECTING TXWY TO THE RWY. CAPT PROCEEDED ON INTERSECTING TXWY UNTIL FO ALERTED HIM THAT HE WAS ABOUT TO TAXI ONTO THE ACTIVE RWY. THIS OCCURRED BECAUSE THE ARPT HAD IMPROPERLY PLACED THE TXWY SIGN AFTER THE TXWY ON THE R SIDE OF THE INTERSECTING TXWY. THE ONLY INDICATION OF A RWY SIGN WAS THE RED RWY SIGN ON THE L SIDE OF THE INTERSECTING RWY. THIS DESIGN IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. THE ARPT NEEDS TO REPOSITION SIGN TO A LOCATION PRIOR TO THE TXWY. ALTHOUGH THERE IS A RWY SIGN ON THE L, THIS CAN BE IGNORED OR NOT SEEN IN REDUCED VIS OR IF PLTS ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH AIRFIELD RAMP AREA.

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.

An ATR42 first officer's report on a near runway incursion due to questionable signage placement at mfe, tx.