Narrative:

Before engine start, we received the latest ATIS information which indicated runway 5L&right were being used for takeoff. After engine start, the first officer called for taxi clearance. We were instructed to taxi for a runway 23 departure. During taxi out, the first officer left ground control frequency to talk to clearance delivery and pick up the new ATIS information. I was following another B737 when I was told to 'contact tower' (no frequency specified). Since the first officer was off frequency and I was taxiing the aircraft, I was unable to give as much attention to the act of changing the frequency as I would have liked. As a result, I did not tune the tower frequency correctly, and I was not in communication with the tower for about 1-2 mins. During that time, I continued to follow the B737 in front of me, which taxied onto runway 28 to a position short of runway 23L. This is the taxi route used probably 95% of the time runway 23 departures are being conducted. The aircraft I was following took off, and I held short of runway 23L on runway 28. What I did not know was that runway 28 was being used as the landing runway. This resulted in a dangerous situation because there was an aircraft on final for runway 28, which had to go around because I was on runway 28. There have been many runway incursions at cleveland in the past, and there will be more in the future as long as the procedures and physical layout remain the same. The physical layout presents problems because of the way the runways and txwys converge and intersect and the confusing way the txwys are labeled. The procedure of consistently using a runway for a taxiway also presents the potential for real problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION AT CLE, OH, WITH ACR INADVERTENTLY OFF FREQ.

Narrative: BEFORE ENG START, WE RECEIVED THE LATEST ATIS INFO WHICH INDICATED RWY 5L&R WERE BEING USED FOR TKOF. AFTER ENG START, THE FO CALLED FOR TAXI CLRNC. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI FOR A RWY 23 DEP. DURING TAXI OUT, THE FO LEFT GND CTL FREQ TO TALK TO CLRNC DELIVERY AND PICK UP THE NEW ATIS INFO. I WAS FOLLOWING ANOTHER B737 WHEN I WAS TOLD TO 'CONTACT TWR' (NO FREQ SPECIFIED). SINCE THE FO WAS OFF FREQ AND I WAS TAXIING THE ACFT, I WAS UNABLE TO GIVE AS MUCH ATTN TO THE ACT OF CHANGING THE FREQ AS I WOULD HAVE LIKED. AS A RESULT, I DID NOT TUNE THE TWR FREQ CORRECTLY, AND I WAS NOT IN COM WITH THE TWR FOR ABOUT 1-2 MINS. DURING THAT TIME, I CONTINUED TO FOLLOW THE B737 IN FRONT OF ME, WHICH TAXIED ONTO RWY 28 TO A POS SHORT OF RWY 23L. THIS IS THE TAXI RTE USED PROBABLY 95% OF THE TIME RWY 23 DEPS ARE BEING CONDUCTED. THE ACFT I WAS FOLLOWING TOOK OFF, AND I HELD SHORT OF RWY 23L ON RWY 28. WHAT I DID NOT KNOW WAS THAT RWY 28 WAS BEING USED AS THE LNDG RWY. THIS RESULTED IN A DANGEROUS SIT BECAUSE THERE WAS AN ACFT ON FINAL FOR RWY 28, WHICH HAD TO GO AROUND BECAUSE I WAS ON RWY 28. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY RWY INCURSIONS AT CLEVELAND IN THE PAST, AND THERE WILL BE MORE IN THE FUTURE AS LONG AS THE PROCS AND PHYSICAL LAYOUT REMAIN THE SAME. THE PHYSICAL LAYOUT PRESENTS PROBS BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE RWYS AND TXWYS CONVERGE AND INTERSECT AND THE CONFUSING WAY THE TXWYS ARE LABELED. THE PROC OF CONSISTENTLY USING A RWY FOR A TXWY ALSO PRESENTS THE POTENTIAL FOR REAL PROBS.

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.