Narrative:

While taxiing out for takeoff at rsw; during the period when the main runway 6/24 is closed; I taxied across the hold short line about 10 ft. Although this was my error; I feel I was set up for this error by a confusing situation at rsw. My taxi out instruction was to taxi to runway 5 via taxiway F. As I was crossing the hold short line for closed runway 6; I noticed that there was not another hold short line for runway 5. I stopped the aircraft with the nosewheel about 10 ft across the hold short line for runway 6. Tower then said; 'company; it looks like you are well past the hold short line.' I said; 'sorry; I think I am confused about the hold short line.' tower then said; 'I do not understand the confusion; you are the 5TH aircraft since yesterday to taxi across the line and the second aircraft today.' tower then asked if I was distracted; and I said yes all the construction equipment is distracting. Tower then said that they had put it in the ATIS that they had moved the hold short line and changed the sign on the hold short sign to read runway 5 instead of runway 6. Tower asked if I could see the new sign but I said it was behind me. Tower said it was no problem since there was no traffic; but if there had been an aircraft on final he would have had to send them around and it would be a violation. Tower then cleared us to takeoff. Tower never sounded mad or angry but sounded frustrated. We were very calm in our replies and did not argue. As soon as I landed; I called our ATC coordinator. After takeoff we tried to figure out how we made the mistake. After looking at the problem; I think we were set up to fail; like the other four pilots in the last 24 hours. There were several factors leading to the incident. First; the ATIS (which is not on ACARS) was very long and the important information was the last thing listed. The ATIS started out with the normal weather; then warned about birds; then talked about runway 6/24 being closed; then said a new runway 3/25 was open; then said the first and last 1000 ft of runway 3/25 was not available; then it said you could only exit at the end of the runway; then it listed the many closed txwys and taxiway intersections; and finally it said that the runway 6 hold short line was now the runway 5 hold short line. I missed this fact. When we got the ATIS that morning we were distracted by the fact that ground was talking on many frequencys at once. One controller was giving clrncs; controling aircraft and controling all the construction vehicles. Our clearance to taxi was; 'taxi to runway 5 via taxiway F.' normally if ground wanted us to hold short of runway 6; it would say; 'taxi to runway 5 via F; hold short of runway 6;' instead rsw just changed the name of the runway 6 hold short line. This is confusing and I have never seen another airport do it this way. As we taxied out; there was a lot of construction equipment; barriers and lights that were distracting. Just as you approach the original runway 6 hold short line; you turn right; toward the construction zone. I did not notice the sign that said runway 6 now said runway 5. When I rechecked the runway 6/24 rehabilitation page; (20-8 and 20-8B) it did not show the hold short line being changed. In fact none of the three diagrams showed a hold short line at all. So; I must admit; I missed the last line of the ATIS and taxied across the renamed hold short line. But for safety and to end confusion; I think rsw would be smarter to make the call like every other airport; i.e. Taxi to runway 5; hold short of runway 6. I was also surprised to see that even after five aircraft had made the same mistake; rsw failed to consider that their procedure was confusing; or to warn me of the problem. Get the word out to the pilots. Change the 20-8 page to show the new hold short line. Have rsw clear pilots to taxi to runway 5; hold short of runway 6.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the rsw ATIS; which is still verbal at this airport; mentioned the hold short line as they very last item in a very long list of WX; airport conditions; construction taxiway closures and finally the holdshort. Additionally there was not the traditional; 'taxi to runway 5; hold short of runway 6;' which would have made this requirement instantly clear. As it was; the reporter was very confused once the runway was reached looking for a hold short line where none existed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PLT RPTS THAT WHILE TAXIING TO RSW TEMPORARY RWY 5 (TXWY A); HE CROSSED THE CLOSED RWY 6 HOLD SHORT LINE NOT REALIZING IT ALSO APPLIED TO RWY 5.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING OUT FOR TKOF AT RSW; DURING THE PERIOD WHEN THE MAIN RWY 6/24 IS CLOSED; I TAXIED ACROSS THE HOLD SHORT LINE ABOUT 10 FT. ALTHOUGH THIS WAS MY ERROR; I FEEL I WAS SET UP FOR THIS ERROR BY A CONFUSING SITUATION AT RSW. MY TAXI OUT INSTRUCTION WAS TO TAXI TO RWY 5 VIA TXWY F. AS I WAS CROSSING THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR CLOSED RWY 6; I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS NOT ANOTHER HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 5. I STOPPED THE ACFT WITH THE NOSEWHEEL ABOUT 10 FT ACROSS THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 6. TWR THEN SAID; 'COMPANY; IT LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE WELL PAST THE HOLD SHORT LINE.' I SAID; 'SORRY; I THINK I AM CONFUSED ABOUT THE HOLD SHORT LINE.' TWR THEN SAID; 'I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE CONFUSION; YOU ARE THE 5TH ACFT SINCE YESTERDAY TO TAXI ACROSS THE LINE AND THE SECOND ACFT TODAY.' TWR THEN ASKED IF I WAS DISTRACTED; AND I SAID YES ALL THE CONSTRUCTION EQUIP IS DISTRACTING. TWR THEN SAID THAT THEY HAD PUT IT IN THE ATIS THAT THEY HAD MOVED THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND CHANGED THE SIGN ON THE HOLD SHORT SIGN TO READ RWY 5 INSTEAD OF RWY 6. TWR ASKED IF I COULD SEE THE NEW SIGN BUT I SAID IT WAS BEHIND ME. TWR SAID IT WAS NO PROB SINCE THERE WAS NO TFC; BUT IF THERE HAD BEEN AN ACFT ON FINAL HE WOULD HAVE HAD TO SEND THEM AROUND AND IT WOULD BE A VIOLATION. TWR THEN CLRED US TO TKOF. TWR NEVER SOUNDED MAD OR ANGRY BUT SOUNDED FRUSTRATED. WE WERE VERY CALM IN OUR REPLIES AND DID NOT ARGUE. AS SOON AS I LANDED; I CALLED OUR ATC COORDINATOR. AFTER TAKEOFF WE TRIED TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE MADE THE MISTAKE. AFTER LOOKING AT THE PROBLEM; I THINK WE WERE SET UP TO FAIL; LIKE THE OTHER FOUR PILOTS IN THE LAST 24 HOURS. THERE WERE SEVERAL FACTORS LEADING TO THE INCIDENT. FIRST; THE ATIS (WHICH IS NOT ON ACARS) WAS VERY LONG AND THE IMPORTANT INFORMATION WAS THE LAST THING LISTED. THE ATIS STARTED OUT WITH THE NORMAL WEATHER; THEN WARNED ABOUT BIRDS; THEN TALKED ABOUT RWY 6/24 BEING CLOSED; THEN SAID A NEW RWY 3/25 WAS OPEN; THEN SAID THE FIRST AND LAST 1000 FT OF RWY 3/25 WAS NOT AVAILABLE; THEN IT SAID YOU COULD ONLY EXIT AT THE END OF THE RWY; THEN IT LISTED THE MANY CLOSED TXWYS AND TXWY INTERSECTIONS; AND FINALLY IT SAID THAT THE RWY 6 HOLD SHORT LINE WAS NOW THE RWY 5 HOLD SHORT LINE. I MISSED THIS FACT. WHEN WE GOT THE ATIS THAT MORNING WE WERE DISTRACTED BY THE FACT THAT GND WAS TALKING ON MANY FREQS AT ONCE. ONE CTLR WAS GIVING CLRNCS; CTLING ACFT AND CTLING ALL THE CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES. OUR CLEARANCE TO TAXI WAS; 'TAXI TO RWY 5 VIA TXWY F.' NORMALLY IF GND WANTED US TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 6; IT WOULD SAY; 'TAXI TO RWY 5 VIA F; HOLD SHORT OF RWY 6;' INSTEAD RSW JUST CHANGED THE NAME OF THE RWY 6 HOLD SHORT LINE. THIS IS CONFUSING AND I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANOTHER AIRPORT DO IT THIS WAY. AS WE TAXIED OUT; THERE WAS A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION EQUIP; BARRIERS AND LIGHTS THAT WERE DISTRACTING. JUST AS YOU APPROACH THE ORIGINAL RWY 6 HOLD SHORT LINE; YOU TURN RIGHT; TOWARD THE CONSTRUCTION ZONE. I DID NOT NOTICE THE SIGN THAT SAID RWY 6 NOW SAID RWY 5. WHEN I RECHECKED THE RWY 6/24 REHABILITATION PAGE; (20-8 AND 20-8B) IT DID NOT SHOW THE HOLD SHORT LINE BEING CHANGED. IN FACT NONE OF THE THREE DIAGRAMS SHOWED A HOLD SHORT LINE AT ALL. SO; I MUST ADMIT; I MISSED THE LAST LINE OF THE ATIS AND TAXIED ACROSS THE RENAMED HOLD SHORT LINE. BUT FOR SAFETY AND TO END CONFUSION; I THINK RSW WOULD BE SMARTER TO MAKE THE CALL LIKE EVERY OTHER AIRPORT; I.E. TAXI TO RWY 5; HOLD SHORT OF RWY 6. I WAS ALSO SURPRISED TO SEE THAT EVEN AFTER FIVE ACFT HAD MADE THE SAME MISTAKE; RSW FAILED TO CONSIDER THAT THEIR PROCEDURE WAS CONFUSING; OR TO WARN ME OF THE PROBLEM. GET THE WORD OUT TO THE PILOTS. CHANGE THE 20-8 PAGE TO SHOW THE NEW HOLD SHORT LINE. HAVE RSW CLEAR PILOTS TO TAXI TO RWY 5; HOLD SHORT OF RWY 6.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE RSW ATIS; WHICH IS STILL VERBAL AT THIS ARPT; MENTIONED THE HOLD SHORT LINE AS THEY VERY LAST ITEM IN A VERY LONG LIST OF WX; ARPT CONDITIONS; CONSTRUCTION TXWY CLOSURES AND FINALLY THE HOLDSHORT. ADDITIONALLY THERE WAS NOT THE TRADITIONAL; 'TAXI TO RWY 5; HOLD SHORT OF RWY 6;' WHICH WOULD HAVE MADE THIS REQUIREMENT INSTANTLY CLR. AS IT WAS; THE RPTR WAS VERY CONFUSED ONCE THE RWY WAS REACHED LOOKING FOR A HOLD SHORT LINE WHERE NONE EXISTED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.