Narrative:

I was given (as I heard) taxi instructions to taxi to runway 4 via taxiway hotel and hold short at echo taxiway. Hotel taxiway runs almost due south (parallel to runway 17R). As I approached echo taxiway; I could see a sign for it that was a couple hundred yards to my left and assumed that my hold point was there and started to turn the corner on to the taxiway. As I started on to the taxiway; there was a wide area that could be used as a run-up area and was in fact planning to do my run-ups there. However as I looked far down the taxiway (several hundred yards) I realized that even though I was on an area that is clearly painted and signed as a taxiway; it is actually in line with runway 4. As soon as I realized that I was in the approach path to runway 4; I did a 180 degree turn; notified ground and vacated the taxiway/runway. Although I was still on the ground frequency; they never noticed my error until I had told them. At the time there was no one on final but it could have been disastrous -- they have a lot of high speed fighter jets. What is disturbing about this is that the taxiway signage and layout is very conducive to this type of accidental runway incursion -- especially for people not familiar with this airport. As one is taxiing down hotel; the sign for echo taxiway is sideways to the pilot's view; rather than perpendicular; so that it is easily missed. The hold short line for echo that was painted on hotel taxiway is at a severe diagonal slant versus straight across and gives the impression that this hold line is for a different purpose. The misleading thing is that when one goes on to echo taxiway (which angles hard to the northeast) there is no indication at all that you are in fact in the approach path to runway 4. Echo taxiway is paved and painted as a normal taxiway and in fact even has a widened area that looks like it should be used as a run-up pad. It's not until you are several hundred yards on echo before it all of a sudden turns into a runway and then one finally sees the runway sign. (I took pictures of the taxiway to show how it is set up.) my recommendation is that 1) there should be signs on taxiway hotel to indicate that echo taxiway is actually runway 4; and 2) the hold short line on hotel should go perpendicular across the taxiway; instead of the long diagonal slant that is presently there.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that even with the diagonal hold short line clearly visible he was uncertain where taxiway east began. The confusion came from seeing an east farther down the taxiway and a very large piece of concrete that did not have any runway markings. Now that he knows east is also a runway extension; the reporter suggested moving the taxiway east signage parallel to taxiway H so that it is viewed directly instead of obliquely as it is now. The reporter also suggested marking the beginning of east with chevrons to indicated it is an extension of a runway whose end is further along the same plane as the viewer is on currently.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C90 PLT AT EFD EXPERIENCED A TXWY INCURSION AT TXWY E FROM TXWY H; CLAIMING THAT TXWY E SIGNAGE IS NOT CLRLY VISIBLE UNTIL A PLT TURNS TOWARD OR ONTO TXWY E.

Narrative: I WAS GIVEN (AS I HEARD) TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI TO RWY 4 VIA TXWY HOTEL AND HOLD SHORT AT ECHO TXWY. HOTEL TXWY RUNS ALMOST DUE S (PARALLEL TO RWY 17R). AS I APCHED ECHO TXWY; I COULD SEE A SIGN FOR IT THAT WAS A COUPLE HUNDRED YARDS TO MY L AND ASSUMED THAT MY HOLD POINT WAS THERE AND STARTED TO TURN THE CORNER ON TO THE TXWY. AS I STARTED ON TO THE TXWY; THERE WAS A WIDE AREA THAT COULD BE USED AS A RUN-UP AREA AND WAS IN FACT PLANNING TO DO MY RUN-UPS THERE. HOWEVER AS I LOOKED FAR DOWN THE TXWY (SEVERAL HUNDRED YARDS) I REALIZED THAT EVEN THOUGH I WAS ON AN AREA THAT IS CLEARLY PAINTED AND SIGNED AS A TXWY; IT IS ACTUALLY IN LINE WITH RWY 4. AS SOON AS I REALIZED THAT I WAS IN THE APCH PATH TO RWY 4; I DID A 180 DEG TURN; NOTIFIED GND AND VACATED THE TXWY/RWY. ALTHOUGH I WAS STILL ON THE GND FREQUENCY; THEY NEVER NOTICED MY ERROR UNTIL I HAD TOLD THEM. AT THE TIME THERE WAS NO ONE ON FINAL BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS -- THEY HAVE A LOT OF HIGH SPEED FIGHTER JETS. WHAT IS DISTURBING ABOUT THIS IS THAT THE TXWY SIGNAGE AND LAYOUT IS VERY CONDUCIVE TO THIS TYPE OF ACCIDENTAL RWY INCURSION -- ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS ARPT. AS ONE IS TAXIING DOWN HOTEL; THE SIGN FOR ECHO TXWY IS SIDEWAYS TO THE PLT'S VIEW; RATHER THAN PERPENDICULAR; SO THAT IT IS EASILY MISSED. THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR ECHO THAT WAS PAINTED ON HOTEL TXWY IS AT A SEVERE DIAGONAL SLANT VERSUS STRAIGHT ACROSS AND GIVES THE IMPRESSION THAT THIS HOLD LINE IS FOR A DIFFERENT PURPOSE. THE MISLEADING THING IS THAT WHEN ONE GOES ON TO ECHO TXWY (WHICH ANGLES HARD TO THE NORTHEAST) THERE IS NO INDICATION AT ALL THAT YOU ARE IN FACT IN THE APCH PATH TO RWY 4. ECHO TXWY IS PAVED AND PAINTED AS A NORMAL TXWY AND IN FACT EVEN HAS A WIDENED AREA THAT LOOKS LIKE IT SHOULD BE USED AS A RUN-UP PAD. IT'S NOT UNTIL YOU ARE SEVERAL HUNDRED YARDS ON ECHO BEFORE IT ALL OF A SUDDEN TURNS INTO A RWY AND THEN ONE FINALLY SEES THE RWY SIGN. (I TOOK PICTURES OF THE TXWY TO SHOW HOW IT IS SET UP.) MY RECOMMENDATION IS THAT 1) THERE SHOULD BE SIGNS ON TXWY HOTEL TO INDICATE THAT ECHO TXWY IS ACTUALLY RWY 4; AND 2) THE HOLD SHORT LINE ON HOTEL SHOULD GO PERPENDICULAR ACROSS THE TXWY; INSTEAD OF THE LONG DIAGONAL SLANT THAT IS PRESENTLY THERE.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT EVEN WITH THE DIAGONAL HOLD SHORT LINE CLRLY VISIBLE HE WAS UNCERTAIN WHERE TXWY E BEGAN. THE CONFUSION CAME FROM SEEING AN E FARTHER DOWN THE TXWY AND A VERY LARGE PIECE OF CONCRETE THAT DID NOT HAVE ANY RWY MARKINGS. NOW THAT HE KNOWS E IS ALSO A RWY EXTENSION; THE RPTR SUGGESTED MOVING THE TXWY E SIGNAGE PARALLEL TO TXWY H SO THAT IT IS VIEWED DIRECTLY INSTEAD OF OBLIQUELY AS IT IS NOW. THE RPTR ALSO SUGGESTED MARKING THE BEGINNING OF E WITH CHEVRONS TO INDICATED IT IS AN EXTENSION OF A RWY WHOSE END IS FURTHER ALONG THE SAME PLANE AS THE VIEWER IS ON CURRENTLY.

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.