Narrative:

We received taxi clearance to runway 26R; hold short of runway 26L. After the initial taxi roll; I had my head down looking at the departure procedure for publication. I then heard the ground controller call for an immediate turn to the left. I looked up and saw that we were on a runway. I called for a stop and reported that we were on an active runway. I saw a single engine aircraft on departure and climbing out above us. The aircraft was climbing through an estimated 200 ft at this time and I felt that a stop was most prudent at this time as the conflict was avoided. The controller then instructed us to proceed as originally instructed. After landing; we were instructed to call publication tower and provided a phone number. This was the first time into publication for either crew member. I was acting as the PF on the inbound leg. While taxiing into the FBO for a quick turn; I noticed that the taxiway and runway markings were difficult to distinguish from one another. Another contributing factor was that the airport 'turned around' while we were there. When we landed at publication we used runway 8L. We were instructed to clear the runway; cross runway 8R and contact ground. Publication has a unique airport layout as runway 8R/26L; the parallel taxiway; and the ramp area is all one solid piece of asphalt with worn taxiway/runway markings. If ever operating at the publication airport in the future; I will be sure and keep eyes out of the cockpit until we are at a known safe hold short position and stopped. It is my feeling that this situation is an accident looking to happen. There needs to be more markings to identify this area as a runway and to differentiate it from the taxiway and ramp area. It would be most helpful to NOTAM this as a potential hotspot and for ground controllers to make mention of the easy confusion to taxiing pilots. It may also be prudent for tower/ground controllers to not issue takeoff clrncs to aircraft until a taxiing aircraft is clearly established on the taxiway; and to not issue a taxi clearance while there is an aircraft on final approach. I doubt that this was the first runway incursion at this airport nor will it be the last if something is not done to correct the problem. Supplemental information from acn 785383: we were cleared to taxi to runway 26R and hold short of runway 26L at publication. As I was taxiing out; I was looking for a route to taxi the aircraft as instructed. This was my first time at this airport and it has a very unique layout as the runway is not physically divided from the ramp. The layout is very similar to most airports where the taxiway would parallel the runway. In a controled airport there is always a hold short taxi line which you shall not cross until permitted by ground control. Publication's airport confign looks exactly like all other airports like this except for; of course; the double solid/dashed lines. As I was looking for the appropriate route; I crossed the lines as it felt routine to parallel the runway taxiing in the opposite direction. However; publication is unique in that this is actually the runway! Upon speaking to the publication tower they informed me that this is a common problem they have had and have yet to do anything about it! My question is this. If they are aware that this problem exists; why do they allow airplanes to take off and land when transient taxi traffic is within this known problem area? The runway is definitely not depicted very well for first time visitors. Even though I studied the airport diagram before the flight; it was still not as obvious as it should have been to recognize there is a runway in this location. At a very minimum; there should be some safety light to differentiate between the taxi area and the runway since it is so unique! As I said; this is a 'known problem.' I have seen hundreds of problem areas in my experience as a pilot and they have been very well marked if it is in some way unique. This runway is definitely unique enough to require special attention to the pilot and there is none! I feel that there is definitely a safety issue at publication and this is why I feel it is necessary to report these events. If I have implicated myself that is fine so far as safety is somehow raised to ensure an accident does not occur due to this situation. I have definitely learned a lesson here and willnot become complacent in the routine layout of united states airports.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE400 PILOT REPORTS RWY INCURSION ON RWY 26L AT PUB AFTER RECEIVING CLEARANCE TO HOLD SHORT.

Narrative: WE RECEIVED TAXI CLRNC TO RWY 26R; HOLD SHORT OF RWY 26L. AFTER THE INITIAL TAXI ROLL; I HAD MY HEAD DOWN LOOKING AT THE DEP PROC FOR PUB. I THEN HEARD THE GND CTLR CALL FOR AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO THE L. I LOOKED UP AND SAW THAT WE WERE ON A RWY. I CALLED FOR A STOP AND RPTED THAT WE WERE ON AN ACTIVE RWY. I SAW A SINGLE ENG ACFT ON DEP AND CLBING OUT ABOVE US. THE ACFT WAS CLBING THROUGH AN ESTIMATED 200 FT AT THIS TIME AND I FELT THAT A STOP WAS MOST PRUDENT AT THIS TIME AS THE CONFLICT WAS AVOIDED. THE CTLR THEN INSTRUCTED US TO PROCEED AS ORIGINALLY INSTRUCTED. AFTER LNDG; WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CALL PUB TWR AND PROVIDED A PHONE NUMBER. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME INTO PUB FOR EITHER CREW MEMBER. I WAS ACTING AS THE PF ON THE INBOUND LEG. WHILE TAXIING INTO THE FBO FOR A QUICK TURN; I NOTICED THAT THE TXWY AND RWY MARKINGS WERE DIFFICULT TO DISTINGUISH FROM ONE ANOTHER. ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THAT THE ARPT 'TURNED AROUND' WHILE WE WERE THERE. WHEN WE LANDED AT PUB WE USED RWY 8L. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CLR THE RWY; CROSS RWY 8R AND CONTACT GND. PUB HAS A UNIQUE ARPT LAYOUT AS RWY 8R/26L; THE PARALLEL TXWY; AND THE RAMP AREA IS ALL ONE SOLID PIECE OF ASPHALT WITH WORN TXWY/RWY MARKINGS. IF EVER OPERATING AT THE PUB ARPT IN THE FUTURE; I WILL BE SURE AND KEEP EYES OUT OF THE COCKPIT UNTIL WE ARE AT A KNOWN SAFE HOLD SHORT POS AND STOPPED. IT IS MY FEELING THAT THIS SITUATION IS AN ACCIDENT LOOKING TO HAPPEN. THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE MARKINGS TO IDENT THIS AREA AS A RWY AND TO DIFFERENTIATE IT FROM THE TXWY AND RAMP AREA. IT WOULD BE MOST HELPFUL TO NOTAM THIS AS A POTENTIAL HOTSPOT AND FOR GND CTLRS TO MAKE MENTION OF THE EASY CONFUSION TO TAXIING PLTS. IT MAY ALSO BE PRUDENT FOR TWR/GND CTLRS TO NOT ISSUE TKOF CLRNCS TO ACFT UNTIL A TAXIING ACFT IS CLEARLY ESTABLISHED ON THE TXWY; AND TO NOT ISSUE A TAXI CLRNC WHILE THERE IS AN ACFT ON FINAL APCH. I DOUBT THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST RWY INCURSION AT THIS ARPT NOR WILL IT BE THE LAST IF SOMETHING IS NOT DONE TO CORRECT THE PROB. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 785383: WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 26R AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 26L AT PUB. AS I WAS TAXIING OUT; I WAS LOOKING FOR A RTE TO TAXI THE ACFT AS INSTRUCTED. THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME AT THIS ARPT AND IT HAS A VERY UNIQUE LAYOUT AS THE RWY IS NOT PHYSICALLY DIVIDED FROM THE RAMP. THE LAYOUT IS VERY SIMILAR TO MOST ARPTS WHERE THE TXWY WOULD PARALLEL THE RWY. IN A CTLED ARPT THERE IS ALWAYS A HOLD SHORT TAXI LINE WHICH YOU SHALL NOT CROSS UNTIL PERMITTED BY GND CTL. PUB'S ARPT CONFIGN LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE ALL OTHER ARPTS LIKE THIS EXCEPT FOR; OF COURSE; THE DOUBLE SOLID/DASHED LINES. AS I WAS LOOKING FOR THE APPROPRIATE RTE; I CROSSED THE LINES AS IT FELT ROUTINE TO PARALLEL THE RWY TAXIING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. HOWEVER; PUB IS UNIQUE IN THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY THE RWY! UPON SPEAKING TO THE PUB TWR THEY INFORMED ME THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROB THEY HAVE HAD AND HAVE YET TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT! MY QUESTION IS THIS. IF THEY ARE AWARE THAT THIS PROB EXISTS; WHY DO THEY ALLOW AIRPLANES TO TAKE OFF AND LAND WHEN TRANSIENT TAXI TFC IS WITHIN THIS KNOWN PROB AREA? THE RWY IS DEFINITELY NOT DEPICTED VERY WELL FOR FIRST TIME VISITORS. EVEN THOUGH I STUDIED THE ARPT DIAGRAM BEFORE THE FLT; IT WAS STILL NOT AS OBVIOUS AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TO RECOGNIZE THERE IS A RWY IN THIS LOCATION. AT A VERY MINIMUM; THERE SHOULD BE SOME SAFETY LIGHT TO DIFFERENTIATE BTWN THE TAXI AREA AND THE RWY SINCE IT IS SO UNIQUE! AS I SAID; THIS IS A 'KNOWN PROB.' I HAVE SEEN HUNDREDS OF PROB AREAS IN MY EXPERIENCE AS A PLT AND THEY HAVE BEEN VERY WELL MARKED IF IT IS IN SOME WAY UNIQUE. THIS RWY IS DEFINITELY UNIQUE ENOUGH TO REQUIRE SPECIAL ATTN TO THE PLT AND THERE IS NONE! I FEEL THAT THERE IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE AT PUB AND THIS IS WHY I FEEL IT IS NECESSARY TO RPT THESE EVENTS. IF I HAVE IMPLICATED MYSELF THAT IS FINE SO FAR AS SAFETY IS SOMEHOW RAISED TO ENSURE AN ACCIDENT DOES NOT OCCUR DUE TO THIS SITUATION. I HAVE DEFINITELY LEARNED A LESSON HERE AND WILLNOT BECOME COMPLACENT IN THE ROUTINE LAYOUT OF UNITED STATES ARPTS.

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.