Crew was disoriented and did not understand taxi instructions on taxi from gate at cle.

Attributes
ACN	507231
Time
Date	200104
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cle.airport
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Rain
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : cle.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 8500
ASRS Report	507231
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway incursion : taxiway inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other controllerb
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist controller : issued new clearance controller : issued alert flight crew : became reoriented other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance Airport
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

First officer called for taxi and received clearance to taxi to runway 23L via taxiway west and plan on departure on runway 23L from taxiway west. Having operated into cle for many years (no recent experience) I assumed after looking at the chart that we would go east on taxiway west to runway 28 and then taxi down runway 28 to runway 23L. This was my past experience at cle. Reinforcing my taxi plan was a 737 that had pushed back next to us and blocked my view of the runway 23L entrance, and comments to B737 from ground to leave room for us to pass behind added to the mix, given that we had a 15 minute ATC delay and had not received our weight and balance. After turning east on taxiway west the controller saw my error and instructed a 180 degree turn to get back to taxiway west. Since I was on taxiway west the first officer and I discussed my error and then he and I realized our mistake. Ground then said runway 28 available to turn around and as we approached runway 28 we were told to stop and contact tower. Tower said we were inside safety zone for runway 28 and he had to stop ILS approaches in progress. We then were cleared onto runway 28 down to runway 23L and then departed. To avoid future problems in this area I recommend that either the portion of the taxiway leading to runway 23L be renamed or the parallel to runway 28 be renamed. The chart currently gives the impression that taxiway west leads to both runway 23L and runway 28.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CREW WAS DISORIENTED AND DID NOT UNDERSTAND TAXI INSTRUCTIONS ON TAXI FROM GATE AT CLE.

Narrative: FO CALLED FOR TAXI AND RECEIVED CLEARANCE TO TAXI TO RWY 23L VIA TXWY W AND PLAN ON DEPARTURE ON RWY 23L FROM TXWY W. HAVING OPERATED INTO CLE FOR MANY YEARS (NO RECENT EXPERIENCE) I ASSUMED AFTER LOOKING AT THE CHART THAT WE WOULD GO E ON TXWY W TO RWY 28 AND THEN TAXI DOWN RWY 28 TO RWY 23L. THIS WAS MY PAST EXPERIENCE AT CLE. REINFORCING MY TAXI PLAN WAS A 737 THAT HAD PUSHED BACK NEXT TO US AND BLOCKED MY VIEW OF THE RWY 23L ENTRANCE, AND COMMENTS TO B737 FROM GND TO LEAVE ROOM FOR US TO PASS BEHIND ADDED TO THE MIX, GIVEN THAT WE HAD A 15 MINUTE ATC DELAY AND HAD NOT RECEIVED OUR WEIGHT AND BALANCE. AFTER TURNING EAST ON TXWY W THE CONTROLLER SAW MY ERROR AND INSTRUCTED A 180 DEG TURN TO GET BACK TO TXWY W. SINCE I WAS ON TXWY W THE FO AND I DISCUSSED MY ERROR AND THEN HE AND I REALIZED OUR MISTAKE. GND THEN SAID RWY 28 AVAILABLE TO TURN AROUND AND AS WE APPROACHED RWY 28 WE WERE TOLD TO STOP AND CONTACT TOWER. TOWER SAID WE WERE INSIDE SAFETY ZONE FOR RWY 28 AND HE HAD TO STOP ILS APPROACHES IN PROGRESS. WE THEN WERE CLEARED ONTO RWY 28 DOWN TO RWY 23L AND THEN DEPARTED. TO AVOID FUTURE PROBLEMS IN THIS AREA I RECOMMEND THAT EITHER THE PORTION OF THE TXWY LEADING TO RWY 23L BE RENAMED OR THE PARALLEL TO RWY 28 BE RENAMED. THE CHART CURRENTLY GIVES THE IMPRESSION THAT TXWY W LEADS TO BOTH RWY 23L AND RWY 28.

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.