Narrative:

Cleared to taxi by ord ground to runway 22L. Captain was very experienced, but I did not know him well. On the way to 22L, we took a wrong turn. I questioned the turn, but the captain's response was that he was confident it was correct. Soon we were stuck behind a widebody transport that had shut down awaiting the end of a departure delay. We confessed to ground, and they asked the widebody transport to start up and move out of our way. This done, we proceeded to 22L. There are two taxiways that intersect just before 22L, and each has a hold line before the intersection. We proceeded past our hold line and I noticed that fact, but said nothing to the captain. Soon after that, tower called and informed us we would not be departing until after some arriving traffic. The captain stopped the aircraft and asked if we were past the hold line. I confirmed we were, by about 1 1/2 aircraft lengths. We were, however quite some distance, and I am sure a very safe distance, from the runway, and I am sure there was no hazard for us or the arriving aircraft. After the arrival, we departed uneventfully. The reasons I let the captain taxi past the hold line came down to the following: 1. Human factors. I had already caught the captain in a previous error and I was reluctant to further humiliate him when I was unsure of the situation. 2. Although I clearly saw the hold line, I was under considerable doubt because this hold line was some distance from the runway. The hold lines are not depicted on the 20-9 page for runway 22L as they are at, say, bos (bravo hold point).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG CAPT TAXIS PAST HOLD SHORT LINE ON TAXIWAY AND FO RPTR FEELS RESPONSIBLE FOR NOT HAVING ADVISED PIC THAT HE WAS GOING PAST LINE.

Narrative: CLRED TO TAXI BY ORD GND TO RWY 22L. CAPT WAS VERY EXPERIENCED, BUT I DID NOT KNOW HIM WELL. ON THE WAY TO 22L, WE TOOK A WRONG TURN. I QUESTIONED THE TURN, BUT THE CAPT'S RESPONSE WAS THAT HE WAS CONFIDENT IT WAS CORRECT. SOON WE WERE STUCK BEHIND A WDB THAT HAD SHUT DOWN AWAITING THE END OF A DEP DELAY. WE CONFESSED TO GND, AND THEY ASKED THE WDB TO START UP AND MOVE OUT OF OUR WAY. THIS DONE, WE PROCEEDED TO 22L. THERE ARE TWO TAXIWAYS THAT INTERSECT JUST BEFORE 22L, AND EACH HAS A HOLD LINE BEFORE THE INTXN. WE PROCEEDED PAST OUR HOLD LINE AND I NOTICED THAT FACT, BUT SAID NOTHING TO THE CAPT. SOON AFTER THAT, TWR CALLED AND INFORMED US WE WOULD NOT BE DEPARTING UNTIL AFTER SOME ARRIVING TFC. THE CAPT STOPPED THE ACFT AND ASKED IF WE WERE PAST THE HOLD LINE. I CONFIRMED WE WERE, BY ABOUT 1 1/2 ACFT LENGTHS. WE WERE, HOWEVER QUITE SOME DISTANCE, AND I AM SURE A VERY SAFE DISTANCE, FROM THE RWY, AND I AM SURE THERE WAS NO HAZARD FOR US OR THE ARRIVING ACFT. AFTER THE ARR, WE DEPARTED UNEVENTFULLY. THE REASONS I LET THE CAPT TAXI PAST THE HOLD LINE CAME DOWN TO THE FOLLOWING: 1. HUMAN FACTORS. I HAD ALREADY CAUGHT THE CAPT IN A PREVIOUS ERROR AND I WAS RELUCTANT TO FURTHER HUMILIATE HIM WHEN I WAS UNSURE OF THE SITUATION. 2. ALTHOUGH I CLRLY SAW THE HOLD LINE, I WAS UNDER CONSIDERABLE DOUBT BECAUSE THIS HOLD LINE WAS SOME DISTANCE FROM THE RWY. THE HOLD LINES ARE NOT DEPICTED ON THE 20-9 PAGE FOR RWY 22L AS THEY ARE AT, SAY, BOS (BRAVO HOLD POINT).

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.