Narrative:

Here is a potential human factors issue with airport signage and markings at paine field, wa. Scenario: landed on 16L, exited the runway on taxiway G4. Ground cleared us to taxi to central parking. Our route took us from G4, along D, right turn between the second and third hangars on the right. To look at the FAA published airport diagram, it looks like G4 is aligned with D, but it is not. One must taxi north on G a short distance, then turn left towards the approach end of 29, then snake up right onto D. The issue is, after you turn left towards runway 29, you are taxiing straight towards the entry 29. The entry looks about 150 ft wide, and the runway signage is located on the right side of the entry, far away from your position at this point. The signage is also unreadable since it is parallel to your position. If you don't snake right onto D, you will end up on 29. Although the hold short line is visible during the day, I don't know if it is as visible at night. One possible solution is to add signage on the left (south) side of the entrance to 29. Also, there are no taxiway lead-off lines from D to the central hangars. These would be nice. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: according to the reporter, the entire area is just one big cement pad with no different colors to differentiate between the runway and taxi way. The only sign for runway 29 is just to the right of the runway. The reporter said that the runway sign for runway 29 can't be seen when exiting runway 16L at taxiway G4. The reporter feels that it is very easy to inadvertently penetrate runway 29 while taxiing in this area due to the layout. The airport diagram shows a straight shot from G4 to taxiway D, when in fact one must turn north then left onto taxiway D to avoid runway 29.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C182 PLT IS CONCERNED WITH THE LACK OF RWY SIGNS AND MARKINGS IN AN ALL CEMENT LOCATION AT PAE.

Narrative: HERE IS A POTENTIAL HUMAN FACTORS ISSUE WITH ARPT SIGNAGE AND MARKINGS AT PAINE FIELD, WA. SCENARIO: LANDED ON 16L, EXITED THE RWY ON TXWY G4. GND CLEARED US TO TAXI TO CENTRAL PARKING. OUR ROUTE TOOK US FROM G4, ALONG D, R TURN BETWEEN THE SECOND AND THIRD HANGARS ON THE R. TO LOOK AT THE FAA PUBLISHED ARPT DIAGRAM, IT LOOKS LIKE G4 IS ALIGNED WITH D, BUT IT IS NOT. ONE MUST TAXI NORTH ON G A SHORT DISTANCE, THEN TURN LEFT TOWARDS THE APCH END OF 29, THEN SNAKE UP R ONTO D. THE ISSUE IS, AFTER YOU TURN L TOWARDS RWY 29, YOU ARE TAXIING STRAIGHT TOWARDS THE ENTRY 29. THE ENTRY LOOKS ABOUT 150 FT WIDE, AND THE RWY SIGNAGE IS LOCATED ON THE R SIDE OF THE ENTRY, FAR AWAY FROM YOUR POSITION AT THIS POINT. THE SIGNAGE IS ALSO UNREADABLE SINCE IT IS PARALLEL TO YOUR POSITION. IF YOU DON'T SNAKE RIGHT ONTO D, YOU WILL END UP ON 29. ALTHOUGH THE HOLD SHORT LINE IS VISIBLE DURING THE DAY, I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS AS VISIBLE AT NIGHT. ONE POSSIBLE SOLUTION IS TO ADD SIGNAGE ON THE L (SOUTH) SIDE OF THE ENTRANCE TO 29. ALSO, THERE ARE NO TAXIWAY LEAD-OFF LINES FROM D TO THE CENTRAL HANGARS. THESE WOULD BE NICE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ACCORDING TO THE RPTR, THE ENTIRE AREA IS JUST ONE BIG CEMENT PAD WITH NO DIFFERENT COLORS TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE RWY AND TAXI WAY. THE ONLY SIGN FOR RWY 29 IS JUST TO THE R OF THE RWY. THE RPTR SAID THAT THE RWY SIGN FOR RWY 29 CAN'T BE SEEN WHEN EXITING RWY 16L AT TXWY G4. THE RPTR FEELS THAT IT IS VERY EASY TO INADVERTENTLY PENETRATE RWY 29 WHILE TAXIING IN THIS AREA DUE TO THE LAYOUT. THE ARPT DIAGRAM SHOWS A STRAIGHT SHOT FROM G4 TO TXWY D, WHEN IN FACT ONE MUST TURN NORTH THEN L ONTO TXWY D TO AVOID RWY 29.

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.