Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Engineer
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 45; Flight Crew Total 14550; Flight Crew Type 1250
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Ground Incursion Runway
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Environment - Non Weather Related; Airport; Human Factors
After deplaning passengers; we called Ground Control for taxi clearance for our IFR return flight to home base. The following clearance was received; 'Taxi to Runway 34L via Bravo; Alpha; Runway 11. Hold short of Runway 34L at Runway 11.' While taxiing southbound on Alpha; approaching Runway 11; I switched to Tower frequency (as directed by Ground Control) and the pilot flying initiated a right turn onto Runway 11. While looking for the standard runway-hold signage that would be expected at the termination of the runway; we overheard Tower say; 'takeoff clearance canceled; there is a jet that Ground isn't talking to that just entered (past the hold short line).' We immediately stopped the aircraft (still about 50 FT from the Runway 34L edge paint); called Tower and was instructed to 'just make a 180 and get back behind the hold-line.' Remarkably; the hold line at that position on the airport is unlike the other (expected) hold lines. It merely stretches across just the runway position; and in-line with the right edge of Taxiway Alpha. The line itself is difficult to see when approaching from the north since the runway is slightly higher than the taxiway. Also; one would expect to see the red signage associated with hold-short instructions for a runway. See the diagram of the runway; depicting the hold line on the runway and how easily an aircraft can make the turn onto Runway 11; and be immediately beyond the hold line. There is no signage for holding at Runway 34L from Runway 11 (29).
A pilot reported that the PAE Runway 34 hold short line on Runway 11 is not clearly presented when approaching from Taxiway D because the hold line only extends the width of Runway 11 and may not be seen when entering from Taxiway D.