Narrative:

Location denver stapleton, ground control clears our aircraft 'taxi to runway 35R, hold short of 35L.' I (captain and reporter) taxied towards runways, coming out of cargo ramp on L6. Flaps are set, first officer starts takeoff briefing. Looking down to the right, towards the center of the airport, saw an medium large transport on what I thought taxiway 'left'. He was actually on runway 35L. The layout of taxiways and runways in that direction is not visible due to a 'crowning terrain,' started to proceed on L6 and thought I was approaching 'left' taxiway. First officer shouted 'hold short, stop.' I slammed on the brakes, stopped well short of the runway but past the hold line, which I had overlooked due to turns, just as ground control called 'xx YYYY hold short of the runway.' the medium large transport had started the takeoff roll and continued, crossing our area at about 100-150 ft. Cause: inattn, distraction by PIC. Confused taxiways and parallel runways. I have habit of always looking down and having the first officer do the same ('clear right') I had not done that here, having thought I was not up to the runway 35L yet. Contributing causes: fatigue (reported for duty at xaam local time, now on third leg, 8 hours 32 min on duty) 'back side of the clock flying.' glare from rising sun on taxiways and runway. Very light aircraft, taxiing fast even at idle. Taxiway and runway layout hard to see due to terrain. Short taxi route requiring multiple actions by crew in a short time. Suggestions: use at all airports a rule to paint red lines 'around' all runways on taxiways and other 'concrete'. Install red lights that are lit, if runway is active, at all such red perimeter crossing lines.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FRT MLG CREW NEARLY HAD A RWY INCURSION. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE OR INJURY AND AN ACFT TAKING OFF DID NOT HAVE TO ABORT.

Narrative: LOCATION DENVER STAPLETON, GND CTL CLRS OUR ACFT 'TAXI TO RWY 35R, HOLD SHORT OF 35L.' I (CAPT AND RPTR) TAXIED TOWARDS RWYS, COMING OUT OF CARGO RAMP ON L6. FLAPS ARE SET, FO STARTS TKOF BRIEFING. LOOKING DOWN TO THE R, TOWARDS THE CTR OF THE ARPT, SAW AN MLG ON WHAT I THOUGHT TAXIWAY 'L'. HE WAS ACTUALLY ON RWY 35L. THE LAYOUT OF TAXIWAYS AND RWYS IN THAT DIRECTION IS NOT VISIBLE DUE TO A 'CROWNING TERRAIN,' STARTED TO PROCEED ON L6 AND THOUGHT I WAS APCHING 'L' TAXIWAY. FO SHOUTED 'HOLD SHORT, STOP.' I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES, STOPPED WELL SHORT OF THE RWY BUT PAST THE HOLD LINE, WHICH I HAD OVERLOOKED DUE TO TURNS, JUST AS GND CTL CALLED 'XX YYYY HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY.' THE MLG HAD STARTED THE TKOF ROLL AND CONTINUED, XING OUR AREA AT ABOUT 100-150 FT. CAUSE: INATTN, DISTR BY PIC. CONFUSED TAXIWAYS AND PARALLEL RWYS. I HAVE HABIT OF ALWAYS LOOKING DOWN AND HAVING THE FO DO THE SAME ('CLR R') I HAD NOT DONE THAT HERE, HAVING THOUGHT I WAS NOT UP TO THE RWY 35L YET. CONTRIBUTING CAUSES: FATIGUE (RPTED FOR DUTY AT XAAM LCL TIME, NOW ON THIRD LEG, 8 HRS 32 MIN ON DUTY) 'BACK SIDE OF THE CLOCK FLYING.' GLARE FROM RISING SUN ON TAXIWAYS AND RWY. VERY LIGHT ACFT, TAXIING FAST EVEN AT IDLE. TAXIWAY AND RWY LAYOUT HARD TO SEE DUE TO TERRAIN. SHORT TAXI RTE REQUIRING MULTIPLE ACTIONS BY CREW IN A SHORT TIME. SUGGESTIONS: USE AT ALL ARPTS A RULE TO PAINT RED LINES 'AROUND' ALL RWYS ON TAXIWAYS AND OTHER 'CONCRETE'. INSTALL RED LIGHTS THAT ARE LIT, IF RWY IS ACTIVE, AT ALL SUCH RED PERIMETER XING LINES.

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.