Date: 201201
Local time of day: 1801-2400
Location: BWI.Airport, MD
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Night
Aircraft: Beechjet 400
Operator: Corporate
Operating under: Part 91
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Taxi
ATC / advisory: Tower BWI
Reporter organization: Government
Reporter function: Traffic Management
Second reporter function: Pilot Flying; Captain
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Ground Conflict; Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Ground Incursion Runway
Detector: Person Air Traffic Control
Result: Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert
Contributing factors: Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors; Airport
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: A BE40 [was] cleared Runway 33L at Taxiway R intersection; on first contact with Ground Control; he was instructed to turn right on Taxiway P; at the second Intersection P1 turn left on Runway 4; then go to the end of Runway 4 then turn left on Taxiway K and hold short of Runway 33R. After the correct read back from the BE40; I went back to him and warned about P1; because it's wide and 'it's dark out there'. After he was approaching P1 at a normal speed; I checked on a CL60 taxiing to Runway 33R. Shortly after that; I believe it was a B717; shouted out on the frequency that 'he's on the runway' at the same time a Controller in the Tower yelled at me and the Local Controller. The BE40 had made a right turn on Runway 4/22 then a left on Runway 28 with traffic holding at the approach end of Runway 28 waiting for take off clearance. After seeing the traffic on Runway 28 for departure and the immediate conflict; I told the B717 who was going to cross at P1 behind the BE40 outbound to Runway 28; to hold short of Runway 4/22. I then went to the BE40 and instructed him that he had gone the wrong way and make a 180 back to Runway 4/22. The pilot didn't respond on the frequency to the 180 instructions but made the turn back quickly to Runway 4/22. When I saw him at the intersection of Runway 4/22; I instructed him to turn right on Runway 4/22 and go to the end of the runway and turn left on Taxiway K again in a slower tone of voice than initially did. I previously had two biz jets before the BE40 and had to give them progressive instructions to insure that they knew where they were going because their read back had a questioning tone to it. The BE40 didn't have questioning tone in his read back; but I warned him anyway about P1 being difficult to identify at night. Signage at intersection has to be non standard to catch the attention of the pilot; larger and brighter to make the large intersection better defined for pilots that are closer to the ground. Airliners have the advantage of height to better define the taxiway lights and runway lights intersection of P1. This has been a safety problem before but usually it's the pilots that require progressive taxi instructions from the start.


Second narrative: After landing at BWI on Runway 33L and exiting at Taxiway Romero; we were instructed to taxi to FBO via Taxiway Papa to Papa 1; then left onto Runway 4/22 Taxiway Kilo and then to hold short of Runway 33R. We turned right on to Taxiway Papa; then right on to Taxiway Papa 1 and then straight ahead to what we thought was Runway 4/22. When we turned left on to the runway; we realized it was Runway 10/28. We were about to call the Ground Controller when he instructed us to do a 180 degree turn and make the first right-hand turn which put us back on the correct Runway 4/22 and then taxied to Taxiway Kilo to hold short of Runway 33R as instructed. Contributing factors [were]: The Ground Controller did warn us that this area was poorly lit. We were aware that this is designated a hot spot on the airport diagram. The Captain and the First Officer were on their first flight together. The airport diagram does not truly reflect the closeness of Papa 1 and Runway 10/28. Future considerations: I would highly recommend that a review of the markings at that hot spot be studied and additional markings and/or lights be installed to prevent a recurrence. Another crew whom I know landed shortly after and heard me talking to Tower on the telephone about this occurrence. I shared with them what happened and they said that the same thing almost happened to them and they were flying a plane with a moving map display to show your location at the airport.


Synopsis: BWI Controller described an unauthorized runway entry event when an inbound taxiing aircraft turned onto a runway; the reporter noting the need for additional/improved signage on the subject taxiway.