Narrative:

After being cleared by elko ground control to taxi from the transient parking area to runway 23, I crossed the runway threshold lines at taxiway east and entered taxiway east, which leads to a runway extension labeled taxiway C. I recognized the error and stopped. Ground control then instructed me to turn 180 degrees, which I did, returning to taxiway a. I was confused by the unusual configuration of the ramp, taxiway, and runway extension. There is no demarcation to show the extension of taxiway a across the boundary of the ramp. Therefore, the runway threshold lines are at the edge of the parking area, something I have not seen before in my 39 yrs of flying. In addition, taxi path lines go directly from the ramp to the runway extension (taxiway C). Finally, when on taxiway east, there is no indication that the area ahead (taxiway C) is, in fact, part of the runway. Finally, the runway sign is set beyond the threshold lines. The combination of non-standard layouts and markings caused me to confuse the runway extension (taxiway C) with a parallel taxiway. Callback conversation with rtpr revealed the following information: reporter 'a' stated that this was his second trip into eko. The first time he was taxiing from the northeast ramp to runway 23 and had to stop for taxiing traffic. While stopped he realized or felt that there was a perceptual illusion problem with where the taxiway was in relationship to the runway and the ramp. In that event, he did not taxi onto 'echo'. The second time he was from the other direction and failed to discern the differences and passed the ramp line and went over the hold short line. He said that he did not see a single line near the edge of 'C' but thought the double line was near the edge of the ramp. Reporter feels that had the displaced threshold and extension 'C' been painted with the standard chevrons he would have noted the difference and stopped well back on taxiway 'east'. Callback conversation with airport spokesman revealed the following information: said that there is a single line marking the edge of the ramp at 'east'. The hold short line is about 1/2 the distance to the extension of runway 05, taxiway 'C'. The hold short sign is just past that hold short double line. Shortly, the airport is obliged to adhere to an FAA advisory circular in painting the hold short lines double their width which should make transient pilots more aware of the stopping area. There is some conflict between reality and the airport chart. Taxiway 'D' is not labeled as such and is simply a curved area from 'C' back the ramp.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MOONEY 201 COMMERCIAL PLT TAXIES PAST THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR THE EXTENSION OF RWY 05/23 WHEN CLRD TO TAXI TO RWY 23 AT EKO, NV.

Narrative: AFTER BEING CLRED BY ELKO GND CTL TO TAXI FROM THE TRANSIENT PARKING AREA TO RWY 23, I CROSSED THE RWY THRESHOLD LINES AT TXWY E AND ENTERED TXWY E, WHICH LEADS TO A RWY EXTENSION LABELED TXWY C. I RECOGNIZED THE ERROR AND STOPPED. GND CTL THEN INSTRUCTED ME TO TURN 180 DEGS, WHICH I DID, RETURNING TO TXWY A. I WAS CONFUSED BY THE UNUSUAL CONFIGURATION OF THE RAMP, TXWY, AND RWY EXTENSION. THERE IS NO DEMARCATION TO SHOW THE EXTENSION OF TXWY A ACROSS THE BOUNDARY OF THE RAMP. THEREFORE, THE RWY THRESHOLD LINES ARE AT THE EDGE OF THE PARKING AREA, SOMETHING I HAVE NOT SEEN BEFORE IN MY 39 YRS OF FLYING. IN ADDITION, TAXI PATH LINES GO DIRECTLY FROM THE RAMP TO THE RWY EXTENSION (TXWY C). FINALLY, WHEN ON TXWY E, THERE IS NO INDICATION THAT THE AREA AHEAD (TXWY C) IS, IN FACT, PART OF THE RWY. FINALLY, THE RWY SIGN IS SET BEYOND THE THRESHOLD LINES. THE COMBINATION OF NON-STANDARD LAYOUTS AND MARKINGS CAUSED ME TO CONFUSE THE RWY EXTENSION (TXWY C) WITH A PARALLEL TXWY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RTPR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR 'A' STATED THAT THIS WAS HIS SECOND TRIP INTO EKO. THE FIRST TIME HE WAS TAXIING FROM THE NE RAMP TO RWY 23 AND HAD TO STOP FOR TAXIING TFC. WHILE STOPPED HE REALIZED OR FELT THAT THERE WAS A PERCEPTUAL ILLUSION PROB WITH WHERE THE TXWY WAS IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE RWY AND THE RAMP. IN THAT EVENT, HE DID NOT TAXI ONTO 'ECHO'. THE SECOND TIME HE WAS FROM THE OTHER DIRECTION AND FAILED TO DISCERN THE DIFFERENCES AND PASSED THE RAMP LINE AND WENT OVER THE HOLD SHORT LINE. HE SAID THAT HE DID NOT SEE A SINGLE LINE NEAR THE EDGE OF 'C' BUT THOUGHT THE DOUBLE LINE WAS NEAR THE EDGE OF THE RAMP. RPTR FEELS THAT HAD THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD AND EXTENSION 'C' BEEN PAINTED WITH THE STANDARD CHEVRONS HE WOULD HAVE NOTED THE DIFFERENCE AND STOPPED WELL BACK ON TXWY 'E'. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH ARPT SPOKESMAN REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: SAID THAT THERE IS A SINGLE LINE MARKING THE EDGE OF THE RAMP AT 'E'. THE HOLD SHORT LINE IS ABOUT 1/2 THE DISTANCE TO THE EXTENSION OF RWY 05, TXWY 'C'. THE HOLD SHORT SIGN IS JUST PAST THAT HOLD SHORT DOUBLE LINE. SHORTLY, THE ARPT IS OBLIGED TO ADHERE TO AN FAA ADVISORY CIRCULAR IN PAINTING THE HOLD SHORT LINES DOUBLE THEIR WIDTH WHICH SHOULD MAKE TRANSIENT PLTS MORE AWARE OF THE STOPPING AREA. THERE IS SOME CONFLICT BTWN REALITY AND THE ARPT CHART. TXWY 'D' IS NOT LABELED AS SUCH AND IS SIMPLY A CURVED AREA FROM 'C' BACK THE RAMP.

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.