Narrative:

Runway 7/25 at orl airport has 2 turnoffs in close proximity; plus an intersection with runway 13/31 in the same vicinity. Landing runway 25 results in a sequence of intersection A6; taxiway east; and runway 13/31 as an aircraft rolls out. Taxiway A6 and taxiway east are idented by a single sign just east of taxiway A6 (prior to the turnoffs to someone landing runway 25). Taxiway A6 is a high speed turnoff for runway 7 and thus a reverse turn off runway 25. Taxiway east is roughly a 90 degree turnoff. The sign contains arrows that try to convey this; but most pilots get confused. Runway 13/31 is idented by a sign just east of taxiway east; and there is no sign next to runway 13/31. This also creates much confusion. Traffic was moderate to heavy. Aircraft X (military trainer) was on localizer back course runway 25; with a ground speed of 180 KTS. It was followed by aircraft Y on a visual approach; turning to final 3 mi in trail with a ground speed of 210 KTS. The TRACON (mco) was jamming the final; leaving no room for error. I cleared aircraft X to land. On initial contact with aircraft Y; I instructed the pilot to slow to minimum approach speed and cleared him to land #2. The pilot said he needed s-turns. I approved them while the cabin attendant coordinator coordination that with the TRACON. After aircraft X touched down and began landing rollout; I instructed the pilot to turn right at runway 31 (inactive) and contact ground control. I then used my binoculars to verify aircraft Y had gear down. Aircraft Y asked me to confirm he was cleared to land. I scanned the runway to ensure it was clear before answering. I observed aircraft X; who had apparently turned right onto taxiway east; re-entering runway 25 to make the next right turn onto runway 31. I yelled at the pilot to clear the active runway immediately. I was not confident of a sanitized runway prior to aircraft Y crossing the landing threshold; so I instructed him to go around. Aircraft X cleared runway 25 quickly and I told aircraft Y cleared to land if able. The pilot said he was already committed to the go around and unable to land. I asked him if he was able to maintain VFR in the local pattern. He said yes; so I canceled his IFR and brought him back around to land; which occurred without further incident. Separation was never lost. Aircraft X successfully vacated runway 25 prior to aircraft Y crossing the landing threshold. Aircraft Y crossed above the runway intersection approximately 800 ft AGL; and aircraft X was approximately 100 ft north of the intersection taxiing to the ramp. But several factors contributed to this incident that I feel warrant this submission. Spacing provided by the TRACON was barely adequate; but this is not typical. They were recovering from a brief but sudden equipment failure; and I was trying to be accommodating as much as possible. Aircraft X was a training flight. The pilot's inexperience caused him to make the poor choice of turning back onto an active runway. Turning onto taxiway east would not have been a problem; but he was most likely unaware of this. I chose the runway intersection for his turnoff to ease the taxi route and to ease the ground controller's job with conflicting taxiing aircraft. Airport signage is the primary factor. Many; many pilots get confused by it. Because I am accustomed to this confusion; I usually add extra verbiage to my turnoff instructions such as 'turn right on runway 31; that's the second right turn past the red sign;' or 'turn right on taxiway east; the 90 degree turn not the reverse turn.' but I was too busy with other traffic to provide these extra details in this particular situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ORL CTLR DESCRIBED NEAR OPERROR WHEN LNDG ACFT FAILED TO FOLLOW ATC CLRNC AND RE-ENTERED RWY 25; GAR REQUIRED; LACK OF ARPT SIGNAGE CITED.

Narrative: RWY 7/25 AT ORL ARPT HAS 2 TURNOFFS IN CLOSE PROX; PLUS AN INTXN WITH RWY 13/31 IN THE SAME VICINITY. LNDG RWY 25 RESULTS IN A SEQUENCE OF INTXN A6; TXWY E; AND RWY 13/31 AS AN ACFT ROLLS OUT. TXWY A6 AND TXWY E ARE IDENTED BY A SINGLE SIGN JUST E OF TXWY A6 (PRIOR TO THE TURNOFFS TO SOMEONE LNDG RWY 25). TXWY A6 IS A HIGH SPD TURNOFF FOR RWY 7 AND THUS A REVERSE TURN OFF RWY 25. TXWY E IS ROUGHLY A 90 DEG TURNOFF. THE SIGN CONTAINS ARROWS THAT TRY TO CONVEY THIS; BUT MOST PLTS GET CONFUSED. RWY 13/31 IS IDENTED BY A SIGN JUST E OF TXWY E; AND THERE IS NO SIGN NEXT TO RWY 13/31. THIS ALSO CREATES MUCH CONFUSION. TFC WAS MODERATE TO HVY. ACFT X (MIL TRAINER) WAS ON LOC BACK COURSE RWY 25; WITH A GND SPD OF 180 KTS. IT WAS FOLLOWED BY ACFT Y ON A VISUAL APCH; TURNING TO FINAL 3 MI IN TRAIL WITH A GND SPD OF 210 KTS. THE TRACON (MCO) WAS JAMMING THE FINAL; LEAVING NO ROOM FOR ERROR. I CLRED ACFT X TO LAND. ON INITIAL CONTACT WITH ACFT Y; I INSTRUCTED THE PLT TO SLOW TO MINIMUM APCH SPD AND CLRED HIM TO LAND #2. THE PLT SAID HE NEEDED S-TURNS. I APPROVED THEM WHILE THE CAB COORDINATOR COORD THAT WITH THE TRACON. AFTER ACFT X TOUCHED DOWN AND BEGAN LNDG ROLLOUT; I INSTRUCTED THE PLT TO TURN R AT RWY 31 (INACTIVE) AND CONTACT GND CTL. I THEN USED MY BINOCULARS TO VERIFY ACFT Y HAD GEAR DOWN. ACFT Y ASKED ME TO CONFIRM HE WAS CLRED TO LAND. I SCANNED THE RWY TO ENSURE IT WAS CLR BEFORE ANSWERING. I OBSERVED ACFT X; WHO HAD APPARENTLY TURNED R ONTO TXWY E; RE-ENTERING RWY 25 TO MAKE THE NEXT R TURN ONTO RWY 31. I YELLED AT THE PLT TO CLR THE ACTIVE RWY IMMEDIATELY. I WAS NOT CONFIDENT OF A SANITIZED RWY PRIOR TO ACFT Y XING THE LNDG THRESHOLD; SO I INSTRUCTED HIM TO GO AROUND. ACFT X CLRED RWY 25 QUICKLY AND I TOLD ACFT Y CLRED TO LAND IF ABLE. THE PLT SAID HE WAS ALREADY COMMITTED TO THE GAR AND UNABLE TO LAND. I ASKED HIM IF HE WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN VFR IN THE LCL PATTERN. HE SAID YES; SO I CANCELED HIS IFR AND BROUGHT HIM BACK AROUND TO LAND; WHICH OCCURRED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. SEPARATION WAS NEVER LOST. ACFT X SUCCESSFULLY VACATED RWY 25 PRIOR TO ACFT Y XING THE LNDG THRESHOLD. ACFT Y CROSSED ABOVE THE RWY INTXN APPROX 800 FT AGL; AND ACFT X WAS APPROX 100 FT N OF THE INTXN TAXIING TO THE RAMP. BUT SEVERAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT THAT I FEEL WARRANT THIS SUBMISSION. SPACING PROVIDED BY THE TRACON WAS BARELY ADEQUATE; BUT THIS IS NOT TYPICAL. THEY WERE RECOVERING FROM A BRIEF BUT SUDDEN EQUIP FAILURE; AND I WAS TRYING TO BE ACCOMMODATING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. ACFT X WAS A TRAINING FLT. THE PLT'S INEXPERIENCE CAUSED HIM TO MAKE THE POOR CHOICE OF TURNING BACK ONTO AN ACTIVE RWY. TURNING ONTO TXWY E WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A PROB; BUT HE WAS MOST LIKELY UNAWARE OF THIS. I CHOSE THE RWY INTXN FOR HIS TURNOFF TO EASE THE TAXI RTE AND TO EASE THE GND CTLR'S JOB WITH CONFLICTING TAXIING ACFT. ARPT SIGNAGE IS THE PRIMARY FACTOR. MANY; MANY PLTS GET CONFUSED BY IT. BECAUSE I AM ACCUSTOMED TO THIS CONFUSION; I USUALLY ADD EXTRA VERBIAGE TO MY TURNOFF INSTRUCTIONS SUCH AS 'TURN R ON RWY 31; THAT'S THE SECOND R TURN PAST THE RED SIGN;' OR 'TURN R ON TXWY E; THE 90 DEG TURN NOT THE REVERSE TURN.' BUT I WAS TOO BUSY WITH OTHER TFC TO PROVIDE THESE EXTRA DETAILS IN THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.