Narrative:

Regularly scheduled commuter pushed back from the gate and advised ready to taxi. I issued 'taxi to runway 28.' before he had gone 5 ft; I advised him that the wind was calm and that runway 10 was available if desired. The pilot checked whatever pilots check and said that would be good. I issued; 'taxi to runway 10.' the crew then taxied straight out off the ramp; across the parallel taxiway a to the A3 entrance to the runway and stopped. This taxiway is at the middle of the runway. I allowed the aircraft to enter the runway and back-taxi to the numbers of runway 10. Traffic was no factor; the crew stopped short of the runway. There is something about the signage at this point that apparently makes it look like the appropriate place to taxi to for departure when coming out of the air carrier terminal. I have now had scheduled flts taxi to this point when issued both ends of the runway. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter states that he has no idea why some air carrier pilots will taxi to A3 when instructed to taxi to runway 28 or runway 10. He has not queried these pilots as to why they chose the route they did.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LCL CONTROLLER AT MGM REPORTS THAT SOME ACR PILOTS WILL TAXI TO A3 WHEN INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO RWY 28 OR 10.

Narrative: REGULARLY SCHEDULED COMMUTER PUSHED BACK FROM THE GATE AND ADVISED READY TO TAXI. I ISSUED 'TAXI TO RWY 28.' BEFORE HE HAD GONE 5 FT; I ADVISED HIM THAT THE WIND WAS CALM AND THAT RWY 10 WAS AVAILABLE IF DESIRED. THE PLT CHKED WHATEVER PLTS CHK AND SAID THAT WOULD BE GOOD. I ISSUED; 'TAXI TO RWY 10.' THE CREW THEN TAXIED STRAIGHT OUT OFF THE RAMP; ACROSS THE PARALLEL TXWY A TO THE A3 ENTRANCE TO THE RWY AND STOPPED. THIS TXWY IS AT THE MIDDLE OF THE RWY. I ALLOWED THE ACFT TO ENTER THE RWY AND BACK-TAXI TO THE NUMBERS OF RWY 10. TFC WAS NO FACTOR; THE CREW STOPPED SHORT OF THE RWY. THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT THE SIGNAGE AT THIS POINT THAT APPARENTLY MAKES IT LOOK LIKE THE APPROPRIATE PLACE TO TAXI TO FOR DEP WHEN COMING OUT OF THE ACR TERMINAL. I HAVE NOW HAD SCHEDULED FLTS TAXI TO THIS POINT WHEN ISSUED BOTH ENDS OF THE RWY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER STATES THAT HE HAS NO IDEA WHY SOME ACR PILOTS WILL TAXI TO A3 WHEN INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO RWY 28 OR RWY 10. HE HAS NOT QUERIED THESE PILOTS AS TO WHY THEY CHOSE THE ROUTE THEY DID.

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.