Narrative:

At cle on 9/tues/2007 at approximately XA40 the first officer called ground control for taxi instructions. We were given taxi instructions to taxi on sierra; hold short of runway 24C and monitor tower. While taxiing on sierra approaching runway 24C; I observed a runway sign (red with white letters) at the intersection painted on runway 24C that stated '6R-24L.' I then asked the first officer to verify ATC wanted us to hold short runway 24C. Thinking this did not look right; I came to a stop so as to verify my position with the airport chart. The runway sign caused me to pause for a second while braking and I came to a stop with the nose of the aircraft just on top of the dashed hold short lines at runway 24C. The tower controller noticed the nose of the aircraft stopped over the lines and had an aircraft on approach go around. He then instructed us to cross runway 24C for runway 24R. The runway sign caused me to question my position for a second as to whether I was at runway 24L or runway 24C. I was concerned by what the runway sign was saying at that moment my reaction was to stop and verify. I did this; and attempted to stop before the hold short lines. I believe the sign may have been for aircraft coming from the opposite side notifying them of runway 24L and runway 6R. This sign was confusing to me by seeing it painted on runway 24C. Major construction at the airport was a contributing factor. This was my first time in cle as a new captain and although trying to be diligent and stop; the sign did cause me to pause.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he had his commercial airport diagram in front of him but he had not studied it well. When he crossed runway 24L and approached the first hold short line it felt like he was not clear of the runway and in fact he was not sure he had crossed the runway because the two (runway 24L and runway 24C) were so close together. The reporter also remembers seeing red and white numbers painted on the runway which in the moment he took to apply to runway 24L. Therefore he thought he was now approaching runway 24L. In fact the sign was referring to exiting runway 6C and approaching runway 6R/24L. He realized seconds later that he was completely clear of runway 24L and approaching runway 24C and that his nose was well past the 24C hold short line.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CL65 PILOT CONFUSED BY SIGNAGE ON TXWY S INCURRED CLE RWY 24C THINKING HE WAS HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 24L.

Narrative: AT CLE ON 9/TUES/2007 AT APPROXIMATELY XA40 THE FO CALLED GROUND CONTROL FOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. WE WERE GIVEN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI ON SIERRA; HOLD SHORT OF RWY 24C AND MONITOR TOWER. WHILE TAXIING ON SIERRA APPROACHING RWY 24C; I OBSERVED A RWY SIGN (RED WITH WHITE LETTERS) AT THE INTERSECTION PAINTED ON RWY 24C THAT STATED '6R-24L.' I THEN ASKED THE FO TO VERIFY ATC WANTED US TO HOLD SHORT RWY 24C. THINKING THIS DID NOT LOOK RIGHT; I CAME TO A STOP SO AS TO VERIFY MY POSITION WITH THE AIRPORT CHART. THE RWY SIGN CAUSED ME TO PAUSE FOR A SECOND WHILE BRAKING AND I CAME TO A STOP WITH THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT JUST ON TOP OF THE DASHED HOLD SHORT LINES AT RWY 24C. THE TOWER CONTROLLER NOTICED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT STOPPED OVER THE LINES AND HAD AN AIRCRAFT ON APPROACH GO AROUND. HE THEN INSTRUCTED US TO CROSS RWY 24C FOR RWY 24R. THE RWY SIGN CAUSED ME TO QUESTION MY POSITION FOR A SECOND AS TO WHETHER I WAS AT RWY 24L OR RWY 24C. I WAS CONCERNED BY WHAT THE RWY SIGN WAS SAYING AT THAT MOMENT MY REACTION WAS TO STOP AND VERIFY. I DID THIS; AND ATTEMPTED TO STOP BEFORE THE HOLD SHORT LINES. I BELIEVE THE SIGN MAY HAVE BEEN FOR AIRCRAFT COMING FROM THE OPPOSITE SIDE NOTIFYING THEM OF RWY 24L AND RWY 6R. THIS SIGN WAS CONFUSING TO ME BY SEEING IT PAINTED ON RWY 24C. MAJOR CONSTRUCTION AT THE AIRPORT WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME IN CLE AS A NEW CAPTAIN AND ALTHOUGH TRYING TO BE DILIGENT AND STOP; THE SIGN DID CAUSE ME TO PAUSE.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THAT HE HAD HIS COMMERCIAL ARPT DIAGRAM IN FRONT OF HIM BUT HE HAD NOT STUDIED IT WELL. WHEN HE CROSSED RWY 24L AND APCHED THE FIRST HOLD SHORT LINE IT FELT LIKE HE WAS NOT CLEAR OF THE RWY AND IN FACT HE WAS NOT SURE HE HAD CROSSED THE RWY BECAUSE THE TWO (RWY 24L AND RWY 24C) WERE SO CLOSE TOGETHER. THE REPORTER ALSO REMEMBERS SEEING RED AND WHITE NUMBERS PAINTED ON THE RWY WHICH IN THE MOMENT HE TOOK TO APPLY TO RWY 24L. THEREFORE HE THOUGHT HE WAS NOW APCHING RWY 24L. IN FACT THE SIGN WAS REFERRING TO EXITING RWY 6C AND APCHING RWY 6R/24L. HE REALIZED SECONDS LATER THAT HE WAS COMPLETELY CLEAR OF RWY 24L AND APCHING RWY 24C AND THAT HIS NOSE WAS WELL PAST THE 24C HOLD SHORT LINE.

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.