Narrative:

We were taxiing to runway 1R via the inner and B (we thought). I had not been in sfo for 1-2 yrs, but knew that the taxi route bypassed runway 1L. The first officer was also marginally familiar, the second officer was totally unfamiliar, and busy with takeoff preparations. Arriving at the intersection of the inner and taxiway M, we discussed whether to turn left or not. The taxiway lights leading off to the right seemed to lead us into a dead end in a cargo area. The lights going left obviously bypassed runway 1L, some agreed that that was the correct route. The runway 1L lights clearly end well short of taxiway M. We realized we were not where we thought we were when we approached runway 1R and were not at the end. At that point, sfo tower informed us that we had crossed an active runway. By looking out the window and at the sfo 10-9 airport diagram, we had no indication that we had done so. We were waylaid by marginal familiarity (we thought we knew where we were), confusing taxiway lighting, and incomplete depiction of that situation on the 10-9 airport diagram. Sfo tower supervisor acknowledged repeated similar incursions, even in daylight. A recurring problem area would indicate a design or depiction deficiency, which could and should be remedied.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT CROSSES APCH END OF ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC TO CROSS.

Narrative: WE WERE TAXIING TO RWY 1R VIA THE INNER AND B (WE THOUGHT). I HAD NOT BEEN IN SFO FOR 1-2 YRS, BUT KNEW THAT THE TAXI ROUTE BYPASSED RWY 1L. THE F/O WAS ALSO MARGINALLY FAMILIAR, THE S/O WAS TOTALLY UNFAMILIAR, AND BUSY WITH TKOF PREPARATIONS. ARRIVING AT THE INTXN OF THE INNER AND TXWY M, WE DISCUSSED WHETHER TO TURN LEFT OR NOT. THE TXWY LIGHTS LEADING OFF TO THE RIGHT SEEMED TO LEAD US INTO A DEAD END IN A CARGO AREA. THE LIGHTS GOING LEFT OBVIOUSLY BYPASSED RWY 1L, SOME AGREED THAT THAT WAS THE CORRECT ROUTE. THE RWY 1L LIGHTS CLEARLY END WELL SHORT OF TXWY M. WE REALIZED WE WERE NOT WHERE WE THOUGHT WE WERE WHEN WE APCHED RWY 1R AND WERE NOT AT THE END. AT THAT POINT, SFO TWR INFORMED US THAT WE HAD CROSSED AN ACTIVE RWY. BY LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW AND AT THE SFO 10-9 ARPT DIAGRAM, WE HAD NO INDICATION THAT WE HAD DONE SO. WE WERE WAYLAID BY MARGINAL FAMILIARITY (WE THOUGHT WE KNEW WHERE WE WERE), CONFUSING TXWY LIGHTING, AND INCOMPLETE DEPICTION OF THAT SITUATION ON THE 10-9 ARPT DIAGRAM. SFO TWR SUPVR ACKNOWLEDGED REPEATED SIMILAR INCURSIONS, EVEN IN DAYLIGHT. A RECURRING PROBLEM AREA WOULD INDICATE A DESIGN OR DEPICTION DEFICIENCY, WHICH COULD AND SHOULD BE REMEDIED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.