Narrative:

Air carrier X B727 had been cleared for takeoff runway 01. During my runway scan I observed air carrier Y, B737 roll well past the hold short line. I immediately aborted X departure roll (approximately 750 ft into roll). The B727 stopped approximately 100 ft short of taxiway 'G' where the air carrier X B737 was sitting. This also caused a, B727 to be issued a go around. The traffic density was extremely heavy (approximately 30 aircraft waiting for departure) and WX was rainy and visibility changing constantly. The departure had been rotating late due to a small tailwind component (wind 170-230 degrees, 5-7 KTS). All things considered the aborted takeoff was the best option in a bad situation. Supplemental information from acn 305240: air carrier Y on taxi out at sdf, heading to runway 1. Taxi instructions to use taxiway G, hold short runway 1. Some confusion due to late air carrier launch and thunderstorms, plus the wind had shifted to a tailwind. During taxi first officer turned on radar so we could look at WX to the east. I was looking at the radar while trying to see the hold short line for runway 1. I never saw it, but knew I was nearing the runway, so I stopped the aircraft about 50-70 ft short of the intersection, meanwhile the tower controller had seen me pass the hold short line, and had issued an abort to the air carrier X B727 on the roll. This incident was caused by my inattn to taxi -- watching the radar. Another problem is that the hold short line on that taxiway is abnormally far from the runway. That, coupled with low visibility (dawn) and a rainy taxiway, contributed to the problem. Lighted or flashing, in-taxiway lights would help. The primary lesson learned is that, when other aids aren't available, the pilot must be especially vigilant and allow no distrs. Supplemental information from acn 305067: the ground controller cleared us to taxi to runway 1 and hold short of runway 1 (you must cross first to reach departure end). The captain and I both had our taxi charts out, the captain had his clipped to the control yoke. There was convective activity in the area south. I asked the captain if he was familiar with the taxi route and was aware of the hold short restr, he replied yes. I turned the radar on, adjusted the tilt, at that time I looked up and saw we were approaching the runway and I said stop, the captain had already started to apply the brakes at the same time I said stop. Obviously the captain got distracted looking at the radar and that caused us to cross the hold short line.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X ABORTED TKOF DUE TO ACR Y RWY INCURSION. LTSS.

Narrative: ACR X B727 HAD BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 01. DURING MY RWY SCAN I OBSERVED ACR Y, B737 ROLL WELL PAST THE HOLD SHORT LINE. I IMMEDIATELY ABORTED X DEP ROLL (APPROX 750 FT INTO ROLL). THE B727 STOPPED APPROX 100 FT SHORT OF TXWY 'G' WHERE THE ACR X B737 WAS SITTING. THIS ALSO CAUSED A, B727 TO BE ISSUED A GAR. THE TFC DENSITY WAS EXTREMELY HVY (APPROX 30 ACFT WAITING FOR DEP) AND WX WAS RAINY AND VISIBILITY CHANGING CONSTANTLY. THE DEP HAD BEEN ROTATING LATE DUE TO A SMALL TAILWIND COMPONENT (WIND 170-230 DEGS, 5-7 KTS). ALL THINGS CONSIDERED THE ABORTED TKOF WAS THE BEST OPTION IN A BAD SIT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 305240: ACR Y ON TAXI OUT AT SDF, HDG TO RWY 1. TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO USE TXWY G, HOLD SHORT RWY 1. SOME CONFUSION DUE TO LATE ACR LAUNCH AND TSTMS, PLUS THE WIND HAD SHIFTED TO A TAILWIND. DURING TAXI FO TURNED ON RADAR SO WE COULD LOOK AT WX TO THE E. I WAS LOOKING AT THE RADAR WHILE TRYING TO SEE THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 1. I NEVER SAW IT, BUT KNEW I WAS NEARING THE RWY, SO I STOPPED THE ACFT ABOUT 50-70 FT SHORT OF THE INTXN, MEANWHILE THE TWR CTLR HAD SEEN ME PASS THE HOLD SHORT LINE, AND HAD ISSUED AN ABORT TO THE ACR X B727 ON THE ROLL. THIS INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY MY INATTN TO TAXI -- WATCHING THE RADAR. ANOTHER PROB IS THAT THE HOLD SHORT LINE ON THAT TXWY IS ABNORMALLY FAR FROM THE RWY. THAT, COUPLED WITH LOW VISIBILITY (DAWN) AND A RAINY TXWY, CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROB. LIGHTED OR FLASHING, IN-TXWY LIGHTS WOULD HELP. THE PRIMARY LESSON LEARNED IS THAT, WHEN OTHER AIDS AREN'T AVAILABLE, THE PLT MUST BE ESPECIALLY VIGILANT AND ALLOW NO DISTRS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 305067: THE GND CTLR CLRED US TO TAXI TO RWY 1 AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 1 (YOU MUST CROSS FIRST TO REACH DEP END). THE CAPT AND I BOTH HAD OUR TAXI CHARTS OUT, THE CAPT HAD HIS CLIPPED TO THE CTL YOKE. THERE WAS CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY IN THE AREA S. I ASKED THE CAPT IF HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE TAXI RTE AND WAS AWARE OF THE HOLD SHORT RESTR, HE REPLIED YES. I TURNED THE RADAR ON, ADJUSTED THE TILT, AT THAT TIME I LOOKED UP AND SAW WE WERE APCHING THE RWY AND I SAID STOP, THE CAPT HAD ALREADY STARTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES AT THE SAME TIME I SAID STOP. OBVIOUSLY THE CAPT GOT DISTRACTED LOOKING AT THE RADAR AND THAT CAUSED US TO CROSS THE HOLD SHORT LINE.

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.