Narrative:

Air carrier X taxiing at sfo for takeoff were cleared to runway 10R via the outer to hold short of taxiway X and contact the tower. When we got to the outer (B) and X we found an aircraft holding at the interception, contacted tower. We were cleared to continue taxi on X, unable to do that I communicated so to the tower, due to the other aircraft at the intersection. Air carrier X was told to go back to ground control frequency and to let ground sort it out. We did so and were told to let the aircraft go ahead of us, follow it and contact tower. My first officer was busy with other collateral duties. Another aircraft was holding at what I thought was the run up area for runway 10R. I could not see lights or markings because of darkness, ground being wet/rain, and poor lighting. As I followed the aircraft ahead of me I recognized the all WX runway marking white rectangular marking, and that I had strayed into 10R, the lead aircraft having been cleared to 10L, so I cleared the runway behind the aircraft I was following on taxiway X, realizing that the aircraft I thought was at the runup area was actually into position and hold on 10R obscuring the runway threshold markings. Problem arose: miscom, WX and night, poor runway markings for night operations. 'Black hole.' contributing factors: 2 man crew, flying solo, first officer should have been involved, cockpit workload WX at night. Was discovered all WX marking, wet white shiny markings. Corrective action: cleared runway as soon as possible, continue taxi behind aircraft. Supplemental information from acn 198070. Cleared from gate at sfo '10R outer at X.' I understood this to mean 'inner, join the outer at X for 10R.' captain understood 'outer to X.' captain turned onto outer immediately -- too late to stop him by the time I realized where he was going. Held at junction of outer and X. Then cleared to follow company. I understood this to mean to 10R. Captain followed company and commenced to follow him across 10R to 10L. There was an aircraft in position on 10R which was cleared for takeoff. I called 'stop, he's cleared for takeoff.' captain continued across 10R as we heard xmissions between tower and aircraft in position cancelling takeoff clearance. It was a wet and rainy night and difficult to see 10R until you were right at the runway. By the time I called 'stop', I believe captain saw 10R at this time. Captain said later there was little point in stopping because aircraft was in motion and a violent stop would have been required and we had heard takeoff clearance cancelled moments later. Captain said he understood clearance to mean follow company across 10R to 10L (his first words after we crossed 10R).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X UNAUTHORIZED RWY XING FOLLOWED WRONG ACFT. SITUATION: POOR TAXIWAY MARKINGS AND SIGNS AT W END OF SFO ARPT FOR RWYS 10.

Narrative: ACR X TAXIING AT SFO FOR TKOF WERE CLRED TO RWY 10R VIA THE OUTER TO HOLD SHORT OF TAXIWAY X AND CONTACT THE TWR. WHEN WE GOT TO THE OUTER (B) AND X WE FOUND AN ACFT HOLDING AT THE INTERCEPTION, CONTACTED TWR. WE WERE CLRED TO CONTINUE TAXI ON X, UNABLE TO DO THAT I COMMUNICATED SO TO THE TWR, DUE TO THE OTHER ACFT AT THE INTXN. ACR X WAS TOLD TO GO BACK TO GND CTL FREQ AND TO LET GND SORT IT OUT. WE DID SO AND WERE TOLD TO LET THE ACFT GO AHEAD OF US, FOLLOW IT AND CONTACT TWR. MY FO WAS BUSY WITH OTHER COLLATERAL DUTIES. ANOTHER ACFT WAS HOLDING AT WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE RUN UP AREA FOR RWY 10R. I COULD NOT SEE LIGHTS OR MARKINGS BECAUSE OF DARKNESS, GND BEING WET/RAIN, AND POOR LIGHTING. AS I FOLLOWED THE ACFT AHEAD OF ME I RECOGNIZED THE ALL WX RWY MARKING WHITE RECTANGULAR MARKING, AND THAT I HAD STRAYED INTO 10R, THE LEAD ACFT HAVING BEEN CLRED TO 10L, SO I CLRED THE RWY BEHIND THE ACFT I WAS FOLLOWING ON TAXIWAY X, REALIZING THAT THE ACFT I THOUGHT WAS AT THE RUNUP AREA WAS ACTUALLY INTO POS AND HOLD ON 10R OBSCURING THE RWY THRESHOLD MARKINGS. PROBLEM AROSE: MISCOM, WX AND NIGHT, POOR RWY MARKINGS FOR NIGHT OPS. 'BLACK HOLE.' CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 2 MAN CREW, FLYING SOLO, FO SHOULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED, COCKPIT WORKLOAD WX AT NIGHT. WAS DISCOVERED ALL WX MARKING, WET WHITE SHINY MARKINGS. CORRECTIVE ACTION: CLRED RWY ASAP, CONTINUE TAXI BEHIND ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 198070. CLRED FROM GATE AT SFO '10R OUTER AT X.' I UNDERSTOOD THIS TO MEAN 'INNER, JOIN THE OUTER AT X FOR 10R.' CAPT UNDERSTOOD 'OUTER TO X.' CAPT TURNED ONTO OUTER IMMEDIATELY -- TOO LATE TO STOP HIM BY THE TIME I REALIZED WHERE HE WAS GOING. HELD AT JUNCTION OF OUTER AND X. THEN CLRED TO FOLLOW COMPANY. I UNDERSTOOD THIS TO MEAN TO 10R. CAPT FOLLOWED COMPANY AND COMMENCED TO FOLLOW HIM ACROSS 10R TO 10L. THERE WAS AN ACFT IN POS ON 10R WHICH WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. I CALLED 'STOP, HE'S CLRED FOR TKOF.' CAPT CONTINUED ACROSS 10R AS WE HEARD XMISSIONS BTWN TWR AND ACFT IN POS CANCELLING TKOF CLRNC. IT WAS A WET AND RAINY NIGHT AND DIFFICULT TO SEE 10R UNTIL YOU WERE RIGHT AT THE RWY. BY THE TIME I CALLED 'STOP', I BELIEVE CAPT SAW 10R AT THIS TIME. CAPT SAID LATER THERE WAS LITTLE POINT IN STOPPING BECAUSE ACFT WAS IN MOTION AND A VIOLENT STOP WOULD HAVE BEEN REQUIRED AND WE HAD HEARD TKOF CLRNC CANCELLED MOMENTS LATER. CAPT SAID HE UNDERSTOOD CLRNC TO MEAN FOLLOW COMPANY ACROSS 10R TO 10L (HIS FIRST WORDS AFTER WE CROSSED 10R).

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.