Narrative:

I was piloting a transient aircraft that had arrived earlier in the day. I flew it in and landed on runway 21 at cho. I called and received clearance from cho ground to taxi to runway 21 for departure. I taxied from the ramp onto the taxiway and proceeded nebnd. I came upon a red sign with white letters off to my left which read: '3-21,' and saw a yellow hold line across the taxiway. This was just prior to an intersection on the left (200' approximately) marked 'east.' there was also an intersection on the right (200-300') which went into another ramp area. I would estimate this sign and hold line to be at least 1000' from the threshold of runway 21. I continued to taxi toward the threshold of runway 21 when the ground controller informed me that I had crossed the hold line for runway 21 some 300' back. I stopped, turned after receiving a backtaxi clearance, and stopped on the south side of the hold line where I did my runup. I then called the tower and subsequently departed from the intersection of 'east' on runway 21. Nothing further was said by ATC concerning this incident. I believe there were several factors at work here which led me to cross a line which I recognized as a hold line. Because of the proximity of the intersections on both the left and right of the taxiway, well ahead of my position, I believe I was nowhere near where any hold line for runway 21 would be. Since I was at least 1000' from the threshold, I did not process the significance of the line to my intended operation on runway 21. Clearly to me, I was not in proximity to the runway environment for runway 21. Secondly, the significance of a red sign was unknown to me. I have since asked several pilots none of whom knew the red sign was associated with a hold line. (Aim paragraph 60 has an obscure reference). Thirdly, the type aircraft I was flying regularly operates from fields only twice as long as the distance that remained to the threshold. Thus, I probably felt that I had a long way to go until I reached the threshold area. Fourth, there is no sign that calls one's attention to this unique situation. The normal signing is in place, but its significance is diminished by its location and angle to the taxiway/runway/intersection. Fifth, ATC gave no caution to expect the irregular location of the hold line. Sixth, I have operated at cho before and do not remember having come across this sign or situation. It has been a few months though. I recommend that a supplemental sign be installed which will clearly indicate that aircraft should switch to the tower frequency and not proceed beyond that point without ATC authorization. I suspect this happens often at cho, and is in need of a remedy. Circumstances which are so grossly nonstandard will often be ignored, such as putting a red light in the middle of the block where no intersection exists.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA TAXIED ACROSS UNUSUAL HOLD LINE ON TXWY APPROX 1000' FROM DEP END OF RWY. ARPT MARKINGS NOT CLEAR.

Narrative: I WAS PILOTING A TRANSIENT ACFT THAT HAD ARRIVED EARLIER IN THE DAY. I FLEW IT IN AND LANDED ON RWY 21 AT CHO. I CALLED AND RECEIVED CLRNC FROM CHO GND TO TAXI TO RWY 21 FOR DEP. I TAXIED FROM THE RAMP ONTO THE TXWY AND PROCEEDED NEBND. I CAME UPON A RED SIGN WITH WHITE LETTERS OFF TO MY LEFT WHICH READ: '3-21,' AND SAW A YELLOW HOLD LINE ACROSS THE TXWY. THIS WAS JUST PRIOR TO AN INTXN ON THE LEFT (200' APPROX) MARKED 'E.' THERE WAS ALSO AN INTXN ON THE RIGHT (200-300') WHICH WENT INTO ANOTHER RAMP AREA. I WOULD ESTIMATE THIS SIGN AND HOLD LINE TO BE AT LEAST 1000' FROM THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 21. I CONTINUED TO TAXI TOWARD THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 21 WHEN THE GND CTLR INFORMED ME THAT I HAD CROSSED THE HOLD LINE FOR RWY 21 SOME 300' BACK. I STOPPED, TURNED AFTER RECEIVING A BACKTAXI CLRNC, AND STOPPED ON THE S SIDE OF THE HOLD LINE WHERE I DID MY RUNUP. I THEN CALLED THE TWR AND SUBSEQUENTLY DEPARTED FROM THE INTXN OF 'E' ON RWY 21. NOTHING FURTHER WAS SAID BY ATC CONCERNING THIS INCIDENT. I BELIEVE THERE WERE SEVERAL FACTORS AT WORK HERE WHICH LED ME TO CROSS A LINE WHICH I RECOGNIZED AS A HOLD LINE. BECAUSE OF THE PROX OF THE INTERSECTIONS ON BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT OF THE TXWY, WELL AHEAD OF MY POS, I BELIEVE I WAS NOWHERE NEAR WHERE ANY HOLD LINE FOR RWY 21 WOULD BE. SINCE I WAS AT LEAST 1000' FROM THE THRESHOLD, I DID NOT PROCESS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LINE TO MY INTENDED OPERATION ON RWY 21. CLEARLY TO ME, I WAS NOT IN PROX TO THE RWY ENVIRONMENT FOR RWY 21. SECONDLY, THE SIGNIFICANCE OF A RED SIGN WAS UNKNOWN TO ME. I HAVE SINCE ASKED SEVERAL PLTS NONE OF WHOM KNEW THE RED SIGN WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A HOLD LINE. (AIM PARAGRAPH 60 HAS AN OBSCURE REF). THIRDLY, THE TYPE ACFT I WAS FLYING REGULARLY OPERATES FROM FIELDS ONLY TWICE AS LONG AS THE DISTANCE THAT REMAINED TO THE THRESHOLD. THUS, I PROBABLY FELT THAT I HAD A LONG WAY TO GO UNTIL I REACHED THE THRESHOLD AREA. FOURTH, THERE IS NO SIGN THAT CALLS ONE'S ATTN TO THIS UNIQUE SITUATION. THE NORMAL SIGNING IS IN PLACE, BUT ITS SIGNIFICANCE IS DIMINISHED BY ITS LOCATION AND ANGLE TO THE TXWY/RWY/INTXN. FIFTH, ATC GAVE NO CAUTION TO EXPECT THE IRREGULAR LOCATION OF THE HOLD LINE. SIXTH, I HAVE OPERATED AT CHO BEFORE AND DO NOT REMEMBER HAVING COME ACROSS THIS SIGN OR SITUATION. IT HAS BEEN A FEW MONTHS THOUGH. I RECOMMEND THAT A SUPPLEMENTAL SIGN BE INSTALLED WHICH WILL CLEARLY INDICATE THAT ACFT SHOULD SWITCH TO THE TWR FREQ AND NOT PROCEED BEYOND THAT POINT WITHOUT ATC AUTHORIZATION. I SUSPECT THIS HAPPENS OFTEN AT CHO, AND IS IN NEED OF A REMEDY. CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH ARE SO GROSSLY NONSTANDARD WILL OFTEN BE IGNORED, SUCH AS PUTTING A RED LIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BLOCK WHERE NO INTXN EXISTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.