Narrative:

In mke we were cleared to runway 25L via txwys F; east; and runway 13. As it is unusual to taxi down a runway we asked ground for verification. Again our clearance was confirmed. Taxi down runway 13 to runway 25L. All checklist items were completed by reaching the intersection of runway 19L and runway 13. To reach runway 25L you must make a right turn on taxiway north. As I was approaching the end of runway 13 I was trying to locate the hold short line around the corner on taxiway north. I was aware of the designated 'hot spot' and was taxiing very slowly trying to find the hold short line where I expected it to be. I did not see the hold short line on runway 13. We crossed the line by less than the length of the aircraft before tower called and stopped us. Our aircraft is equipped with raas. The hold short line is so far from runway 25L that we didn't get a callout from the raas that we were approaching runway 25L. It is unusual to use a runway as a taxiway. It is also unusual for a hold short line to be on a taxiway; or a runway; that does not intersect the departure runway. These may be contributing factors as to why I did not see the hold short line on runway 13. After a subsequent phone call to mke tower I learned that this is a major problem for them. They have tried to get changes made to alleviate the problem all to no avail. One possible aid to alleviate this problem might be to change the way ground issues clrncs. Example 'aircraft xyz taxi to runway 25L via F; east; and runway 13 hold short on runway 13.' obviously the #1 corrective action would be to study the taxi chart prior to taxi. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the crew thoroughly briefed the taxi to runway 25L including the hot spot on runway 13. As they taxied on runway 13 they missed the hold short line and signs on the runway edges. The reporter believes that the airport chart indicating the hot spot at the intersection of runway 13 and 25L misled them into believing that the signs would be further down the runway. Additionally he stated that because the runway is so wide the hold signs on the runway edges are difficult to see as they are relatively small and far away. The controller with whom the reporter spoke after the fact said so many incursions have occurred that ground controllers are supposed to 'verify the hold short sign is in sight' before an aircraft is switched to tower.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CORP ACFT CREW RPTS INCURRING MKE RWY 25L HOLD LINE ON RWY 13 BECAUSE THE HOLD SHORT LINE WAS NOT VISIBLE EVEN THOUGH THE CAPT WAS LOOKING FOR IT.

Narrative: IN MKE WE WERE CLRED TO RWY 25L VIA TXWYS F; E; AND RWY 13. AS IT IS UNUSUAL TO TAXI DOWN A RWY WE ASKED GND FOR VERIFICATION. AGAIN OUR CLRNC WAS CONFIRMED. TAXI DOWN RWY 13 TO RWY 25L. ALL CHKLIST ITEMS WERE COMPLETED BY REACHING THE INTXN OF RWY 19L AND RWY 13. TO REACH RWY 25L YOU MUST MAKE A R TURN ON TXWY N. AS I WAS APCHING THE END OF RWY 13 I WAS TRYING TO LOCATE THE HOLD SHORT LINE AROUND THE CORNER ON TXWY N. I WAS AWARE OF THE DESIGNATED 'HOT SPOT' AND WAS TAXIING VERY SLOWLY TRYING TO FIND THE HOLD SHORT LINE WHERE I EXPECTED IT TO BE. I DID NOT SEE THE HOLD SHORT LINE ON RWY 13. WE CROSSED THE LINE BY LESS THAN THE LENGTH OF THE ACFT BEFORE TWR CALLED AND STOPPED US. OUR ACFT IS EQUIPPED WITH RAAS. THE HOLD SHORT LINE IS SO FAR FROM RWY 25L THAT WE DIDN'T GET A CALLOUT FROM THE RAAS THAT WE WERE APCHING RWY 25L. IT IS UNUSUAL TO USE A RWY AS A TXWY. IT IS ALSO UNUSUAL FOR A HOLD SHORT LINE TO BE ON A TXWY; OR A RWY; THAT DOES NOT INTERSECT THE DEP RWY. THESE MAY BE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS AS TO WHY I DID NOT SEE THE HOLD SHORT LINE ON RWY 13. AFTER A SUBSEQUENT PHONE CALL TO MKE TWR I LEARNED THAT THIS IS A MAJOR PROB FOR THEM. THEY HAVE TRIED TO GET CHANGES MADE TO ALLEVIATE THE PROB ALL TO NO AVAIL. ONE POSSIBLE AID TO ALLEVIATE THIS PROB MIGHT BE TO CHANGE THE WAY GND ISSUES CLRNCS. EXAMPLE 'ACFT XYZ TAXI TO RWY 25L VIA F; E; AND RWY 13 HOLD SHORT ON RWY 13.' OBVIOUSLY THE #1 CORRECTIVE ACTION WOULD BE TO STUDY THE TAXI CHART PRIOR TO TAXI. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THAT THE CREW THOROUGHLY BRIEFED THE TAXI TO RWY 25L INCLUDING THE HOT SPOT ON RWY 13. AS THEY TAXIED ON RWY 13 THEY MISSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND SIGNS ON THE RWY EDGES. THE REPORTER BELIEVES THAT THE ARPT CHART INDICATING THE HOT SPOT AT THE INTERSECTION OF RWY 13 AND 25L MISLED THEM INTO BELIEVING THAT THE SIGNS WOULD BE FURTHER DOWN THE RWY. ADDITIONALLY HE STATED THAT BECAUSE THE RWY IS SO WIDE THE HOLD SIGNS ON THE RWY EDGES ARE DIFFICULT TO SEE AS THEY ARE RELATIVELY SMALL AND FAR AWAY. THE CONTROLLER WITH WHOM THE REPORTER SPOKE AFTER THE FACT SAID SO MANY INCURSIONS HAVE OCCURRED THAT GND CTLRS ARE SUPPOSED TO 'VERIFY THE HOLD SHORT SIGN IS IN SIGHT' BEFORE AN ACFT IS SWITCHED TO TOWER.

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.