Narrative:

Cleared to runway 10R, outer behind air carrier Y, follow air carrier Y, cleared into position (10R), and I suddenly noticed (as air carrier Y began to reverse direction to their left, after taxiing past 10R) that we had encroached into the runway. Tower frequency was busy, so I added power and taxied across 10R west/O clearance. We were perhaps halfway across the runway when tower called us. First officer told tower what had happened. We were then cleared to cross, and cleared into position on 10L. Takeoff continued west/O incident. All surfaces were wet, and neither the first officer nor I had ever used runways 10 at sfo. This was my first solo on the aircraft as captain. Neither of us noticed sign on stop lines for the runway, and felt comfortable following air carrier Y until they began to release direction. I think the hold short line was indistinguishable due to strong reflections from the wet surface, and that both of us missed the runway sign. There was no question in my mind that moving quickly across the runway was the best course of action, considering the inability to contact tower and the potential consequences of holding our position with the cockpit extending over the runway boundary. Perhaps better markings would have prevented this. More familiarity with this part of the airport would certainly have helped, and a higher comfort level (experience) for the captain and first officer (he was new on the line) would have possibly prevented the problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH UNCOORD RWY ENTRY IS RESOLVED BY LOW TIME ACR CAPT BY CONTINUING ACROSS THE RWY AS COM WITH TWR NOT READILY ACHIEVED.

Narrative: CLRED TO RWY 10R, OUTER BEHIND ACR Y, FOLLOW ACR Y, CLRED INTO POS (10R), AND I SUDDENLY NOTICED (AS ACR Y BEGAN TO REVERSE DIRECTION TO THEIR LEFT, AFTER TAXIING PAST 10R) THAT WE HAD ENCROACHED INTO THE RWY. TWR FREQ WAS BUSY, SO I ADDED PWR AND TAXIED ACROSS 10R W/O CLRNC. WE WERE PERHAPS HALFWAY ACROSS THE RWY WHEN TWR CALLED US. F/O TOLD TWR WHAT HAD HAPPENED. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO CROSS, AND CLRED INTO POS ON 10L. TKOF CONTINUED W/O INCIDENT. ALL SURFACES WERE WET, AND NEITHER THE F/O NOR I HAD EVER USED RWYS 10 AT SFO. THIS WAS MY FIRST SOLO ON THE ACFT AS CAPT. NEITHER OF US NOTICED SIGN ON STOP LINES FOR THE RWY, AND FELT COMFORTABLE FOLLOWING ACR Y UNTIL THEY BEGAN TO RELEASE DIRECTION. I THINK THE HOLD SHORT LINE WAS INDISTINGUISHABLE DUE TO STRONG REFLECTIONS FROM THE WET SURFACE, AND THAT BOTH OF US MISSED THE RWY SIGN. THERE WAS NO QUESTION IN MY MIND THAT MOVING QUICKLY ACROSS THE RWY WAS THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION, CONSIDERING THE INABILITY TO CONTACT TWR AND THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF HOLDING OUR POS WITH THE COCKPIT EXTENDING OVER THE RWY BOUNDARY. PERHAPS BETTER MARKINGS WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS. MORE FAMILIARITY WITH THIS PART OF THE ARPT WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE HELPED, AND A HIGHER COMFORT LEVEL (EXPERIENCE) FOR THE CAPT AND F/O (HE WAS NEW ON THE LINE) WOULD HAVE POSSIBLY PREVENTED THE PROB.

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.