Narrative:

Both aircraft were parked on the ramp in front of the FBO. After receiving his IFR clearance, the citation pilot was told to let ground know when he was ready to go. The citation responded that he was ready now and was given clearance to 'taxi to runway 13.' I was plting the piper and immediately following this exchange, requested clearance for a sbound departure. The ground controller asked me if I saw the citation jet and I responded 'affirmative.' ground control then cleared me to runway 13 following the citation. The citation then proceeded to make a 180 degree left turn and taxied directly onto runway 2. I followed the citation onto runway 2. As we approached the next ramp on the left, I noticed that there was a sign indicating runway 13 was to the left. Noting that the citation passed this sign and remained on runway 2, I contacted the ground controller. I stated that 'I was cleared to runway 13 following the citation, but I don't think he knows where he is going.' the controller responded, 'he doesn't, you can just turn left at the next intersection.' the controller then contacted the citation and told him to hold short of runway 13 and eventually cleared him to cross and taxi to runway 13 via the eastern taxiway, which I believe is taxiway a. I exited runway 2 and continued to taxi to runway 13 via the normal route. An aerial photograph of the ramp, txwys and western end of runway 2 is attached. This more clearly illustrates the paths taken by both aircraft. On the attached chart, I have noted the position of the hold short line for runways 2/20 and 6/24 and the position of a directional sign for runway 13. The sign for runway 13 is ambiguous. It does not clearly indicate that a hard left turn should be made to remain on the taxiway and because of the angled arrow, it seems to indicate that one should travel ahead and to the left, which will put you on runway 2. I believe that there are several factors that led to this incursion. First, the ambiguous sign and the citation pilot's apparent lack of familiarity with this airport. Second, both pilots should have recognized the hold short line as the boundary between the ramp and the runway. Third, as soon as the citation entered runway 2, the controller should have immediately notified the pilot of the error and should have amended the clearance for the piper removing the 'follow the citation' requirement. At some point prior to reaching the next ramp off of runway 2, the controller should have advised the citation to turn left at the next intersection. Note that the ground controller did not advise either pilot to call the tower and I do not expect any further action. I am reporting this because I believe the lack of proper markings combined with the close proximity of the ramp to runway 2 may lead to future incursions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIPER WARRIOR PLT IS TOLD TO FOLLOW A CITATION TO THE ACTIVE RWY. THE CITATION PLT INADVERTENTLY MISSES THE TURN AND ENTERS AN ACTIVE RWY. THE PIPER PLT FEELS THAT THE TXWY SIGNS COULD BE MORE CLR.

Narrative: BOTH ACFT WERE PARKED ON THE RAMP IN FRONT OF THE FBO. AFTER RECEIVING HIS IFR CLRNC, THE CITATION PLT WAS TOLD TO LET GND KNOW WHEN HE WAS READY TO GO. THE CITATION RESPONDED THAT HE WAS READY NOW AND WAS GIVEN CLRNC TO 'TAXI TO RWY 13.' I WAS PLTING THE PIPER AND IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THIS EXCHANGE, REQUESTED CLRNC FOR A SBOUND DEP. THE GND CTLR ASKED ME IF I SAW THE CITATION JET AND I RESPONDED 'AFFIRMATIVE.' GND CTL THEN CLRED ME TO RWY 13 FOLLOWING THE CITATION. THE CITATION THEN PROCEEDED TO MAKE A 180 DEG L TURN AND TAXIED DIRECTLY ONTO RWY 2. I FOLLOWED THE CITATION ONTO RWY 2. AS WE APCHED THE NEXT RAMP ON THE L, I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A SIGN INDICATING RWY 13 WAS TO THE L. NOTING THAT THE CITATION PASSED THIS SIGN AND REMAINED ON RWY 2, I CONTACTED THE GND CTLR. I STATED THAT 'I WAS CLRED TO RWY 13 FOLLOWING THE CITATION, BUT I DON'T THINK HE KNOWS WHERE HE IS GOING.' THE CTLR RESPONDED, 'HE DOESN'T, YOU CAN JUST TURN L AT THE NEXT INTXN.' THE CTLR THEN CONTACTED THE CITATION AND TOLD HIM TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 13 AND EVENTUALLY CLRED HIM TO CROSS AND TAXI TO RWY 13 VIA THE EASTERN TXWY, WHICH I BELIEVE IS TXWY A. I EXITED RWY 2 AND CONTINUED TO TAXI TO RWY 13 VIA THE NORMAL RTE. AN AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH OF THE RAMP, TXWYS AND WESTERN END OF RWY 2 IS ATTACHED. THIS MORE CLRLY ILLUSTRATES THE PATHS TAKEN BY BOTH ACFT. ON THE ATTACHED CHART, I HAVE NOTED THE POS OF THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWYS 2/20 AND 6/24 AND THE POS OF A DIRECTIONAL SIGN FOR RWY 13. THE SIGN FOR RWY 13 IS AMBIGUOUS. IT DOES NOT CLRLY INDICATE THAT A HARD L TURN SHOULD BE MADE TO REMAIN ON THE TXWY AND BECAUSE OF THE ANGLED ARROW, IT SEEMS TO INDICATE THAT ONE SHOULD TRAVEL AHEAD AND TO THE L, WHICH WILL PUT YOU ON RWY 2. I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL FACTORS THAT LED TO THIS INCURSION. FIRST, THE AMBIGUOUS SIGN AND THE CITATION PLT'S APPARENT LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THIS ARPT. SECOND, BOTH PLTS SHOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED THE HOLD SHORT LINE AS THE BOUNDARY BTWN THE RAMP AND THE RWY. THIRD, AS SOON AS THE CITATION ENTERED RWY 2, THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED THE PLT OF THE ERROR AND SHOULD HAVE AMENDED THE CLRNC FOR THE PIPER REMOVING THE 'FOLLOW THE CITATION' REQUIREMENT. AT SOME POINT PRIOR TO REACHING THE NEXT RAMP OFF OF RWY 2, THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE ADVISED THE CITATION TO TURN L AT THE NEXT INTXN. NOTE THAT THE GND CTLR DID NOT ADVISE EITHER PLT TO CALL THE TWR AND I DO NOT EXPECT ANY FURTHER ACTION. I AM RPTING THIS BECAUSE I BELIEVE THE LACK OF PROPER MARKINGS COMBINED WITH THE CLOSE PROX OF THE RAMP TO RWY 2 MAY LEAD TO FUTURE 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.