Narrative:

Runways 10L and 10R ctrlines at sfo are only 750 ft apart!. There is minimal indication on some txwys (e.g., taxiway 'papa' approaching runway 10R, after exiting runway 10L) that a runway is being approached. This is especially true at night, in marginal VFR/IFR conditions when the runway edge lights and/or markings may not be seen with aircraft landing lights until almost taxiing across hold lines. There appeared to be no flashing yellow runway intersection lights located on this dark (difficult to see) part of sfo. Situation: immediately after completing a VOR-B night approach and landing in marginal VFR conditions to runway 10L at sfo, we began procedural actions to safely smoothly stop the aircraft and exit the runway (e.g., reverse thrust, spoilers, brakes, runway remaining, etc) at the same time, ATC (tower) was issuing taxi instructions, hold short instructions, etc. The problem with this, is that we were concentrating on our landing rollout actions, and I was preoccupied with landing the airplane, and therefore, did not fully comprehend the tower controller's instructions! I verbally verified with the first officer what the instructions were: 'right turn onto papa, and hold short of runway 01R?' the first officer responded with 'right turn onto 'papa,' hold short of...(I thought he said runway 01R, but he apparently indicated runway 10R. He may have thought that I said runway 10R instead of runway 01R). In any case, I always reverify with the first officer and/or tower that we are cleared to cross a runway, as a xchk. Almost as soon as the turn onto 'papa' taxiway was competed, I suddenly 'picked up' the white edge line markings of runway 10R with my landing lights and promptly eased on the brakes. The first officer simultaneously announced that this appeared to be a runway that we were approaching and that we were to 'hold short.' however, (problem) the nose of our large transport was about 'flush' with the edge of the runway 10R (probably, slightly past the hold lines). I advised the first officer to advise the tower immediately. As we checked for traffic, we noted that an aircraft was just beginning a takeoff roll on runway 10R, and lifted off the runway well before us (about midfield). Had the aircraft continued past us on the runway for any reason, there appeared to have been 'adequate clearance,' although I certainly was 'uncomfortable' being immediately adjacent to the runway edge. Nothing else was said, and we taxied uneventfully to the gate. Recommendations: 1) ATC should delay issuing taxi and hold short clrncs to a taxiway. This will ensure that the flight crew can safely concentrate on landing the aircraft and not 'miss' essential ATC instructions during a high workload timeframe, immediately during and after touchdown. 2) all parallel runways, particularly those closely spaced (e.g., 750 ft between runways 10L and 10R at sfo) should have runway hold illumination (e.g., flashing amber lights) lighting. In this case, we began to stop just as soon as our landing lights illuminated the hold short runway. 750 ft between ctrlines of runways 200 ft in width is very little time and space to 'hold short' for.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION DURING A NIGHT OP AS ACR MLG CROSSES OVER HOLD LINE PRIOR TO STOPPING.

Narrative: RWYS 10L AND 10R CTRLINES AT SFO ARE ONLY 750 FT APART!. THERE IS MINIMAL INDICATION ON SOME TXWYS (E.G., TXWY 'PAPA' APCHING RWY 10R, AFTER EXITING RWY 10L) THAT A RWY IS BEING APCHED. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE AT NIGHT, IN MARGINAL VFR/IFR CONDITIONS WHEN THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS AND/OR MARKINGS MAY NOT BE SEEN WITH ACFT LNDG LIGHTS UNTIL ALMOST TAXIING ACROSS HOLD LINES. THERE APPEARED TO BE NO FLASHING YELLOW RWY INTXN LIGHTS LOCATED ON THIS DARK (DIFFICULT TO SEE) PART OF SFO. SIT: IMMEDIATELY AFTER COMPLETING A VOR-B NIGHT APCH AND LNDG IN MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS TO RWY 10L AT SFO, WE BEGAN PROCEDURAL ACTIONS TO SAFELY SMOOTHLY STOP THE ACFT AND EXIT THE RWY (E.G., REVERSE THRUST, SPOILERS, BRAKES, RWY REMAINING, ETC) AT THE SAME TIME, ATC (TWR) WAS ISSUING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS, ETC. THE PROB WITH THIS, IS THAT WE WERE CONCENTRATING ON OUR LNDG ROLLOUT ACTIONS, AND I WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH LNDG THE AIRPLANE, AND THEREFORE, DID NOT FULLY COMPREHEND THE TWR CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS! I VERBALLY VERIFIED WITH THE FO WHAT THE INSTRUCTIONS WERE: 'R TURN ONTO PAPA, AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 01R?' THE FO RESPONDED WITH 'R TURN ONTO 'PAPA,' HOLD SHORT OF...(I THOUGHT HE SAID RWY 01R, BUT HE APPARENTLY INDICATED RWY 10R. HE MAY HAVE THOUGHT THAT I SAID RWY 10R INSTEAD OF RWY 01R). IN ANY CASE, I ALWAYS REVERIFY WITH THE FO AND/OR TWR THAT WE ARE CLRED TO CROSS A RWY, AS A XCHK. ALMOST AS SOON AS THE TURN ONTO 'PAPA' TXWY WAS COMPETED, I SUDDENLY 'PICKED UP' THE WHITE EDGE LINE MARKINGS OF RWY 10R WITH MY LNDG LIGHTS AND PROMPTLY EASED ON THE BRAKES. THE FO SIMULTANEOUSLY ANNOUNCED THAT THIS APPEARED TO BE A RWY THAT WE WERE APCHING AND THAT WE WERE TO 'HOLD SHORT.' HOWEVER, (PROB) THE NOSE OF OUR LGT WAS ABOUT 'FLUSH' WITH THE EDGE OF THE RWY 10R (PROBABLY, SLIGHTLY PAST THE HOLD LINES). I ADVISED THE FO TO ADVISE THE TWR IMMEDIATELY. AS WE CHKED FOR TFC, WE NOTED THAT AN ACFT WAS JUST BEGINNING A TKOF ROLL ON RWY 10R, AND LIFTED OFF THE RWY WELL BEFORE US (ABOUT MIDFIELD). HAD THE ACFT CONTINUED PAST US ON THE RWY FOR ANY REASON, THERE APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN 'ADEQUATE CLRNC,' ALTHOUGH I CERTAINLY WAS 'UNCOMFORTABLE' BEING IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE RWY EDGE. NOTHING ELSE WAS SAID, AND WE TAXIED UNEVENTFULLY TO THE GATE. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) ATC SHOULD DELAY ISSUING TAXI AND HOLD SHORT CLRNCS TO A TXWY. THIS WILL ENSURE THAT THE FLC CAN SAFELY CONCENTRATE ON LNDG THE ACFT AND NOT 'MISS' ESSENTIAL ATC INSTRUCTIONS DURING A HIGH WORKLOAD TIMEFRAME, IMMEDIATELY DURING AND AFTER TOUCHDOWN. 2) ALL PARALLEL RWYS, PARTICULARLY THOSE CLOSELY SPACED (E.G., 750 FT BTWN RWYS 10L AND 10R AT SFO) SHOULD HAVE RWY HOLD ILLUMINATION (E.G., FLASHING AMBER LIGHTS) LIGHTING. IN THIS CASE, WE BEGAN TO STOP JUST AS SOON AS OUR LNDG LIGHTS ILLUMINATED THE HOLD SHORT RWY. 750 FT BTWN CTRLINES OF RWYS 200 FT IN WIDTH IS VERY LITTLE TIME AND SPACE TO 'HOLD SHORT' FOR.

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.