Narrative:

The nonstandard runway hold short lines at cle are very confusing and can lead to a runway incursion. This situation still exists despite the exhaustive efforts by our company's safety department and our pilot's union to educate our pilots. The problem is that the area between the two hold short lines in between the runways at cle look just like every other area between two hold short lines in between runways everywhere else. Thus, there is a compelling signal that it is safe to taxi into this area, even though it means crossing a runway hold short line. I believe the solution is for the airport to paint the area between the reversed hold short lines some bizarre color, a bright magenta or a day-glo green, to make this area between hold short lines look different than all the rest. That different look would raise a question in a pilot which should trigger the pilot to remember the warnings about the nonstandard hold short lines. By the way, why is it that only cle has this problem? If the 'system' relies only on pilot education, we are going to continue to experience this problem. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stressed, in particular, the difficulty for flight crews of performing demanding landing and roll out tasks while being cleared to hold short of the parallel runway upon exiting the landing runway. He feels it is altogether possible for the flight crew to be so intent on the priorities of aircraft control, etc., that those demands can overwhelm their ability to remember the unique nature of the hold short lines between these runways. In addition, when clearance to remain clear of a runway (the 'hold short' clearance) requires that the flight crew simultaneously not clear another runway, the confusion factor is multiplied and the possibility that the flight crew clear/not clear the proper runway is predictable. Reporter feels that pilot education regarding this unique situation is unlikely to eradicate the problem; instead, suggesting that a visual reminder in the form of a similarly 'unique' runway marking will serve as a more dependable safeguard to incursions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR ADVISES THAT ONGOING EFFORTS TO IMPROVE PLT AWARENESS OF NONSTANDARD HOLD SHORT LINES AT CLE ARE INADEQUATE TO PREVENT RWY INCURSIONS.

Narrative: THE NONSTANDARD RWY HOLD SHORT LINES AT CLE ARE VERY CONFUSING AND CAN LEAD TO A RWY INCURSION. THIS SITUATION STILL EXISTS DESPITE THE EXHAUSTIVE EFFORTS BY OUR COMPANY'S SAFETY DEPARTMENT AND OUR PLT'S UNION TO EDUCATE OUR PLTS. THE PROB IS THAT THE AREA BETWEEN THE TWO HOLD SHORT LINES IN BETWEEN THE RWYS AT CLE LOOK JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER AREA BETWEEN TWO HOLD SHORT LINES IN BETWEEN RWYS EVERYWHERE ELSE. THUS, THERE IS A COMPELLING SIGNAL THAT IT IS SAFE TO TAXI INTO THIS AREA, EVEN THOUGH IT MEANS XING A RWY HOLD SHORT LINE. I BELIEVE THE SOLUTION IS FOR THE ARPT TO PAINT THE AREA BETWEEN THE REVERSED HOLD SHORT LINES SOME BIZARRE COLOR, A BRIGHT MAGENTA OR A DAY-GLO GREEN, TO MAKE THIS AREA BETWEEN HOLD SHORT LINES LOOK DIFFERENT THAN ALL THE REST. THAT DIFFERENT LOOK WOULD RAISE A QUESTION IN A PLT WHICH SHOULD TRIGGER THE PLT TO REMEMBER THE WARNINGS ABOUT THE NONSTANDARD HOLD SHORT LINES. BY THE WAY, WHY IS IT THAT ONLY CLE HAS THIS PROB? IF THE 'SYSTEM' RELIES ONLY ON PLT EDUCATION, WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE THIS PROB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STRESSED, IN PARTICULAR, THE DIFFICULTY FOR FLT CREWS OF PERFORMING DEMANDING LNDG AND ROLL OUT TASKS WHILE BEING CLEARED TO HOLD SHORT OF THE PARALLEL RWY UPON EXITING THE LNDG RWY. HE FEELS IT IS ALTOGETHER POSSIBLE FOR THE FLT CREW TO BE SO INTENT ON THE PRIORITIES OF ACFT CTL, ETC., THAT THOSE DEMANDS CAN OVERWHELM THEIR ABILITY TO REMEMBER THE UNIQUE NATURE OF THE HOLD SHORT LINES BETWEEN THESE RWYS. IN ADDITION, WHEN CLRNC TO REMAIN CLEAR OF A RWY (THE 'HOLD SHORT' CLRNC) REQUIRES THAT THE FLT CREW SIMULTANEOUSLY NOT CLEAR ANOTHER RWY, THE CONFUSION FACTOR IS MULTIPLIED AND THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE FLT CREW CLEAR/NOT CLEAR THE PROPER RWY IS PREDICTABLE. RPTR FEELS THAT PLT EDUCATION REGARDING THIS UNIQUE SITUATION IS UNLIKELY TO ERADICATE THE PROB; INSTEAD, SUGGESTING THAT A VISUAL REMINDER IN THE FORM OF A SIMILARLY 'UNIQUE' RWY MARKING WILL SERVE AS A MORE DEPENDABLE SAFEGUARD TO INCURSIONS.

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.