Small Aircraft
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 1
Situational Awareness; Confusion; Communication Breakdown
Conflict Ground Conflict; Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Ground Incursion Runway
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Returned To Gate; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach
Human Factors; Airport; Environment - Non Weather Related
I was on Local Control and a Supervisor was on Ground Control giving a certification skills check to a Developmental Controller. Aircraft Y was in left traffic and had been in the pattern for a while. While aircraft Y was on final; aircraft X was instructed to cross Runway 36 on Taxiway Bravo; aircraft X was taxiing for a full length departure off Runway 31 with VFR radar advisories. Ground Control requested to cross Runway 36 at Bravo with aircraft X and I approved it. I observed aircraft X cross the hold line for Runway 31. This area of the airport has been identified as a hot spot as many inexperienced pilots seem to have confusion with the runway hold markings. Frequently aircraft cross Runway 36 for Runway 31 and do not cross the first hold line to hold short of the second. This leaves the aircraft in the safety area of Runway 36 as the hold marking is where aircraft exiting Runway 31 are to hold short of Runway 36. The only issue seems to be that pilots are either not paying enough attention to the markings or are unaware of the meanings of standard hold markings and which side the are supposed to hold on and which side the are supposed to cross when exiting a runway.
I was performing a certification skill check on a trainee on Ground Control when a pilot was preparing for a departure. The pilot said he was unfamiliar with the airport and requested a progressive to Runway 31 for VFR takeoff to the east. The pilot was issued a clearance to taxi to Runway 31 and hold short of Runway 36. He taxied to Taxiway 'J' and realized he was going the wrong way and taxied on 'B' and held short of Runway 36. After coordinating to cross Runway 36; Ground Control taxied the aircraft to Runway 31. The aircraft taxied across Runway 31 hold short lines. Ground Control Trainee told the aircraft to make a 360 and 'hold short' of Runway 31; the aircraft made the 360 however was across the hold short line again. He maintained he was not familiar with the airport which is no excuse for crossing the 'hold short' lines. Each time the aircraft was told to 'hold short' of runway; he read it back correctly but didn't 'hold short'. We must pay attention more to aircraft that are unsure of our airport.
A pilot incurred RDG Runway 36 on Taxiway B between Runways 36 and 31 because he taxied beyond the Runway 36 line toward the Runway 31 hold short line.