Narrative:

On the day of our runway incursion both runways 2/20 and 14/32 were in use. Our air carrier light transport aircraft was instructed to taxi to runway 2 via taxiway C. This would require us to cross both runway 2/20 and 14/32. We were not issued any hold short instructions. Upon reaching runway 2/20 the captain and I, according to company policy, visually cleared the runway left and right. Upon the nosewheel crossing the hold short lines by 5 ft I realized our error in crossing the active runway at the same time the ground controller told us to stop and hold short of the runway. By this time we were already on the runway and having cleared the runway the captain elected to continue across the runway instead of stopping the aircraft on the runway. After the incursion the ground controller issued a hold short clearance for runway 14/32 at taxiway B which was our taxi routing to runway 2/20. The ground controller cited the far referencing taxi clearance to a runway does not give you clearance to cross that runway. The captain and I were both aware of this rule and realized our error. We apologized and no action, to our knowledge, has been taken. I regret the error and there is no excuse for our oversight of this very basic rule learned at the private pilot level. In light of this being a very rudimentary rule, I feel is the very reason it is forgotten. My reasoning, and not my excuse for this, is that as a commuter pilot in the busy northeast corridor, we fly into many very busy airports, we become accustomed to complex taxi instructions at airports such as newark, boston, etc. My personal opinion is that it makes us complacent at the smaller outstations such as new haven. Instead of a complex taxi route with hold short instructions we are told just to taxi to runway 2. I believe standardization of taxi instructions could be helpful. Requiring hold short instructions to be issued regardless. I hope my narrative is useful in describing the chain of events and a possible reasoning behind why this problem occurred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION.

Narrative: ON THE DAY OF OUR RWY INCURSION BOTH RWYS 2/20 AND 14/32 WERE IN USE. OUR ACR LTT ACFT WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO RWY 2 VIA TXWY C. THIS WOULD REQUIRE US TO CROSS BOTH RWY 2/20 AND 14/32. WE WERE NOT ISSUED ANY HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS. UPON REACHING RWY 2/20 THE CAPT AND I, ACCORDING TO COMPANY POLICY, VISUALLY CLRED THE RWY L AND R. UPON THE NOSEWHEEL XING THE HOLD SHORT LINES BY 5 FT I REALIZED OUR ERROR IN XING THE ACTIVE RWY AT THE SAME TIME THE GND CTLR TOLD US TO STOP AND HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY. BY THIS TIME WE WERE ALREADY ON THE RWY AND HAVING CLRED THE RWY THE CAPT ELECTED TO CONTINUE ACROSS THE RWY INSTEAD OF STOPPING THE ACFT ON THE RWY. AFTER THE INCURSION THE GND CTLR ISSUED A HOLD SHORT CLRNC FOR RWY 14/32 AT TXWY B WHICH WAS OUR TAXI ROUTING TO RWY 2/20. THE GND CTLR CITED THE FAR REFING TAXI CLRNC TO A RWY DOES NOT GIVE YOU CLRNC TO CROSS THAT RWY. THE CAPT AND I WERE BOTH AWARE OF THIS RULE AND REALIZED OUR ERROR. WE APOLOGIZED AND NO ACTION, TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, HAS BEEN TAKEN. I REGRET THE ERROR AND THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR OUR OVERSIGHT OF THIS VERY BASIC RULE LEARNED AT THE PRIVATE PLT LEVEL. IN LIGHT OF THIS BEING A VERY RUDIMENTARY RULE, I FEEL IS THE VERY REASON IT IS FORGOTTEN. MY REASONING, AND NOT MY EXCUSE FOR THIS, IS THAT AS A COMMUTER PLT IN THE BUSY NE CORRIDOR, WE FLY INTO MANY VERY BUSY ARPTS, WE BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO COMPLEX TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AT ARPTS SUCH AS NEWARK, BOSTON, ETC. MY PERSONAL OPINION IS THAT IT MAKES US COMPLACENT AT THE SMALLER OUTSTATIONS SUCH AS NEW HAVEN. INSTEAD OF A COMPLEX TAXI RTE WITH HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS WE ARE TOLD JUST TO TAXI TO RWY 2. I BELIEVE STANDARDIZATION OF TAXI INSTRUCTIONS COULD BE HELPFUL. REQUIRING HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS TO BE ISSUED REGARDLESS. I HOPE MY NARRATIVE IS USEFUL IN DESCRIBING THE CHAIN OF EVENTS AND A POSSIBLE REASONING BEHIND WHY THIS PROB OCCURRED.

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.