Narrative:

We had received a pre departure clearance and called for push from company's gate X. I called for taxi and was given (K, west, south, hold short of runway 4L).I read back the entire clearance with the hold. The captain read back the taxi clearance but not the hold. We had worked together well. We pulled the boston 10-9 page from the binder and both reviewed it together. When we cleared the gate area I began the taxi checklist. I was watching the taxi and was aware of our position until we arrived at taxiway west. The departure runway assigned to use was runway 9. Since I was on the right side of the aircraft I could not see taxiway K extending to the northeast. There were no signs to mark the runway at the crossing point for taxiway west and runway 4L. When I realized that I could not tell what we were coming up on I told the captain not to forget to hold short of runway 4L. He responded that we were taxiing to runway 9. I agreed and said again that we were to hold short of runway 4L and that runway 9 was our departure runway. At that moment I saw the runway threshold markings passing under the nose of the aircraft. There were no close calls here. The crossing was clear and there was no conflict. I do not believe that the ground controller even noticed what had occurred. It is my belief that there were quite a number of things that failed for that event to occur. I should have challenged the captain and when he read the taxi route back to me I could have said hold short of runway 4L. The frequency was heavy with chatter. I do not believe the ground controller even saw what had occurred. The runway marking still needs improvement. I could not tell where we were and if I am to act as a responsible crew member I need to stay in the loop of information. I cannot do that if I have no way of determining where we are or what is going on. There was absolutely no indication, that I could see, that we were about to cross an active runway from my vantage point. I was looking at an unlighted displaced threshold without lights or markings that could be seen at night. The hold short line was not visible, nor was the runway sign on the left visible to me at any time. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: tower supervisor said runway hold lines and runway signs are all in compliance with FAA standards. He also said the airport management is very good about repainting hold lines.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X NON COMPLIANCE WITH ATC CLRNC RWY INCURSION CROSSED RWY WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: WE HAD RECEIVED A PDC AND CALLED FOR PUSH FROM COMPANY'S GATE X. I CALLED FOR TAXI AND WAS GIVEN (K, W, S, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4L).I READ BACK THE ENTIRE CLRNC WITH THE HOLD. THE CAPT READ BACK THE TAXI CLRNC BUT NOT THE HOLD. WE HAD WORKED TOGETHER WELL. WE PULLED THE BOSTON 10-9 PAGE FROM THE BINDER AND BOTH REVIEWED IT TOGETHER. WHEN WE CLRED THE GATE AREA I BEGAN THE TAXI CHKLIST. I WAS WATCHING THE TAXI AND WAS AWARE OF OUR POS UNTIL WE ARRIVED AT TXWY W. THE DEP RWY ASSIGNED TO USE WAS RWY 9. SINCE I WAS ON THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT I COULD NOT SEE TXWY K EXTENDING TO THE NE. THERE WERE NO SIGNS TO MARK THE RWY AT THE XING POINT FOR TXWY W AND RWY 4L. WHEN I REALIZED THAT I COULD NOT TELL WHAT WE WERE COMING UP ON I TOLD THE CAPT NOT TO FORGET TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4L. HE RESPONDED THAT WE WERE TAXIING TO RWY 9. I AGREED AND SAID AGAIN THAT WE WERE TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4L AND THAT RWY 9 WAS OUR DEP RWY. AT THAT MOMENT I SAW THE RWY THRESHOLD MARKINGS PASSING UNDER THE NOSE OF THE ACFT. THERE WERE NO CLOSE CALLS HERE. THE XING WAS CLR AND THERE WAS NO CONFLICT. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE GND CTLR EVEN NOTICED WHAT HAD OCCURRED. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THERE WERE QUITE A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT FAILED FOR THAT EVENT TO OCCUR. I SHOULD HAVE CHALLENGED THE CAPT AND WHEN HE READ THE TAXI RTE BACK TO ME I COULD HAVE SAID HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4L. THE FREQ WAS HVY WITH CHATTER. I DO NOT BELIEVE THE GND CTLR EVEN SAW WHAT HAD OCCURRED. THE RWY MARKING STILL NEEDS IMPROVEMENT. I COULD NOT TELL WHERE WE WERE AND IF I AM TO ACT AS A RESPONSIBLE CREW MEMBER I NEED TO STAY IN THE LOOP OF INFO. I CANNOT DO THAT IF I HAVE NO WAY OF DETERMINING WHERE WE ARE OR WHAT IS GOING ON. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO INDICATION, THAT I COULD SEE, THAT WE WERE ABOUT TO CROSS AN ACTIVE RWY FROM MY VANTAGE POINT. I WAS LOOKING AT AN UNLIGHTED DISPLACED THRESHOLD WITHOUT LIGHTS OR MARKINGS THAT COULD BE SEEN AT NIGHT. THE HOLD SHORT LINE WAS NOT VISIBLE, NOR WAS THE RWY SIGN ON THE L VISIBLE TO ME AT ANY TIME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: TWR SUPVR SAID RWY HOLD LINES AND RWY SIGNS ARE ALL IN COMPLIANCE WITH FAA STANDARDS. HE ALSO SAID THE ARPT MGMNT IS VERY GOOD ABOUT REPAINTING HOLD 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.