Narrative:

During taxi from gate at rdu for takeoff on runway 5L, we were given clearance to taxi from T6 (a position on the ramp taxiway) to runway 5L via taxiway B (taxiway parallel to runway 5L). After turning left on taxiway B (the outer taxiway), I became temporarily disoriented and in my mind I was on the inner taxiway needing to be on the outer taxiway. My intention was to 'jog' to the right from the inner to the outer taxiway and then continue to the takeoff end of runway 5L. After making a 90 degree turn to the right on a cross taxiway (B4) and starting another 90 degree turn to the left, I suddenly realized from lighting, markings, etc, that I was partially on runway 5L. Stopping the aircraft, I instructed the first officer to 'tell them we're on the runway'. 'Them' at this time was rdu ground control and their reply was 'contact tower'. Tower instruction was to taxi southwest on the runway and exit at B3 (the next runway exit). There were no aircraft on final for the runway and none in takeoff position as I incorrectly taxied partially onto the runway. An aircraft was taxiing to the takeoff position (not yet on the runway) of the runway as tower was being notified of our position. Supplemental information from acn 223561. I requested and received our pre-departure clearance over ACARS for our trip to dfw from rdu. The pre departure clearance said to expect 5L for departure. Since this was only the second trip into raleigh for the captain and me since the initiation of the new standard taxi rtes as outlined in a company published taxi page, we both spent more time than normal studying and discussing the written instructions and the airport diagram while we were parked at the gate X. As we made our left turn to taxi north along the edge of the ramp, we encountered the leading edge of the eastbound moving bank of ground fog. Although the fog was not particularly deep (I could easily see over the fog), we did experience difficulty seeing the taxi line and the adjacent taxi signs. We were told standard taxi 5L. The captain stopped the aircraft suddenly and said something to the effect, 'oh, no, this is the runway, call them.' I told the tower of our position and requested back taxi to exit. We talked about the confusion of the new standard taxi procedures and the amount of written instructions that accompanied each set of instructions. Perhaps the biggest factor in playing into this mind set is the layout of the ramp at rdu and its control. The standard taxi procedure for runway 5L says in part 'at T6 turn left on taxiway B (outer)...' if the word 'outer' had not been in the instructions, I don't think that we would have confused taxiway B as being the inner. I am also concerned at how difficult the company airport diagram page is to read and interpret. At the B4 intersection to the runway, there is single red runway identify sign on the left side of the taxiway intersection but not on the right. Hold short lights in the taxiway at the painted hold short line would have helped prevent this incursion. Because of the ground fog, the wet taxiways, and the refraction of the nose taxi lights, the hold short line was at best difficult to see.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN OUT OF TOWN MLG CREW FOUND ITSELF ON THE RWY TRYING TO FOLLOW 'STANDARD TAXI' PROCS IN FOGGY CONDITIONS AT RDU.

Narrative: DURING TAXI FROM GATE AT RDU FOR TKOF ON RWY 5L, WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC TO TAXI FROM T6 (A POS ON THE RAMP TAXIWAY) TO RWY 5L VIA TAXIWAY B (TAXIWAY PARALLEL TO RWY 5L). AFTER TURNING L ON TAXIWAY B (THE OUTER TAXIWAY), I BECAME TEMPORARILY DISORIENTED AND IN MY MIND I WAS ON THE INNER TAXIWAY NEEDING TO BE ON THE OUTER TAXIWAY. MY INTENTION WAS TO 'JOG' TO THE R FROM THE INNER TO THE OUTER TAXIWAY AND THEN CONTINUE TO THE TKOF END OF RWY 5L. AFTER MAKING A 90 DEG TURN TO THE R ON A CROSS TAXIWAY (B4) AND STARTING ANOTHER 90 DEG TURN TO THE L, I SUDDENLY REALIZED FROM LIGHTING, MARKINGS, ETC, THAT I WAS PARTIALLY ON RWY 5L. STOPPING THE ACFT, I INSTRUCTED THE FO TO 'TELL THEM WE'RE ON THE RWY'. 'THEM' AT THIS TIME WAS RDU GND CTL AND THEIR REPLY WAS 'CONTACT TWR'. TWR INSTRUCTION WAS TO TAXI SW ON THE RWY AND EXIT AT B3 (THE NEXT RWY EXIT). THERE WERE NO ACFT ON FINAL FOR THE RWY AND NONE IN TKOF POS AS I INCORRECTLY TAXIED PARTIALLY ONTO THE RWY. AN ACFT WAS TAXIING TO THE TKOF POS (NOT YET ON THE RWY) OF THE RWY AS TWR WAS BEING NOTIFIED OF OUR POS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 223561. I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED OUR PRE-DEP CLRNC OVER ACARS FOR OUR TRIP TO DFW FROM RDU. THE PDC SAID TO EXPECT 5L FOR DEP. SINCE THIS WAS ONLY THE SECOND TRIP INTO RALEIGH FOR THE CAPT AND ME SINCE THE INITIATION OF THE NEW STANDARD TAXI RTES AS OUTLINED IN A COMPANY PUBLISHED TAXI PAGE, WE BOTH SPENT MORE TIME THAN NORMAL STUDYING AND DISCUSSING THE WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS AND THE ARPT DIAGRAM WHILE WE WERE PARKED AT THE GATE X. AS WE MADE OUR L TURN TO TAXI N ALONG THE EDGE OF THE RAMP, WE ENCOUNTERED THE LEADING EDGE OF THE EBOUND MOVING BANK OF GND FOG. ALTHOUGH THE FOG WAS NOT PARTICULARLY DEEP (I COULD EASILY SEE OVER THE FOG), WE DID EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY SEEING THE TAXI LINE AND THE ADJACENT TAXI SIGNS. WE WERE TOLD STANDARD TAXI 5L. THE CAPT STOPPED THE ACFT SUDDENLY AND SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT, 'OH, NO, THIS IS THE RWY, CALL THEM.' I TOLD THE TWR OF OUR POS AND REQUESTED BACK TAXI TO EXIT. WE TALKED ABOUT THE CONFUSION OF THE NEW STANDARD TAXI PROCS AND THE AMOUNT OF WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS THAT ACCOMPANIED EACH SET OF INSTRUCTIONS. PERHAPS THE BIGGEST FACTOR IN PLAYING INTO THIS MIND SET IS THE LAYOUT OF THE RAMP AT RDU AND ITS CTL. THE STANDARD TAXI PROC FOR RWY 5L SAYS IN PART 'AT T6 TURN L ON TAXIWAY B (OUTER)...' IF THE WORD 'OUTER' HAD NOT BEEN IN THE INSTRUCTIONS, I DON'T THINK THAT WE WOULD HAVE CONFUSED TAXIWAY B AS BEING THE INNER. I AM ALSO CONCERNED AT HOW DIFFICULT THE COMPANY ARPT DIAGRAM PAGE IS TO READ AND INTERPRET. AT THE B4 INTXN TO THE RWY, THERE IS SINGLE RED RWY IDENT SIGN ON THE L SIDE OF THE TAXIWAY INTXN BUT NOT ON THE R. HOLD SHORT LIGHTS IN THE TAXIWAY AT THE PAINTED HOLD SHORT LINE WOULD HAVE HELPED PREVENT THIS INCURSION. BECAUSE OF THE GND FOG, THE WET TAXIWAYS, AND THE REFRACTION OF THE NOSE TAXI LIGHTS, THE HOLD SHORT LINE WAS AT BEST DIFFICULT TO SEE.

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.