Narrative:

After engine start at mdw the captain asked me to call for taxi instructions. I was given a clearance of taxi to runway 31C via txwys F and J, hold short of runway 4R. I repeated the taxi instructions as they were given back to ATC ground control. I then repeated the instructions again to the captain. As we moved out of the blocks the captain asked for more detailed taxi instructions as there had been construction on the airport the last time we had visited the airport. I had the taxi chart in front of me and pointed out the txwys on the chart and pointed out of the aircraft at the taxi signs and the hold short point. I was completing the taxi checklist to 'navigation equipment set' and was verifying the frequency with the chart and the GNS system. The captain was responding correctly to the checklist items. As we were taxiing I would look out to see where we were for a moment then go back to the checklist. I never saw the hold short lines or any runways 4 and 22 signs on the right side of the aircraft. Contributing factors are I feel, gray overcast skies, runways 4 and 22 runway lights not on -- wet txwys give poor contrast on the hold short lines, lack of signs on the right side of taxiway, narrow txwys with snow on the outside edge, lack of a clearance on taxi to 'hold short runway 4R for departing traffic,' not having runways 4 and 22 on ATIS as an active runway, congestion on the frequency, and not being told to contact tower to cross runways 4 and 22. We were told after crossing that we had crossed a runway which we were told to hold short of. We were also told to call the tower after our next leg. The captain called and talked to the ground controller and later to the supervisor. The supervisor and the captain discussed what had happened and the supervisor explained that this had happened before and agreed it was a problem. He also explained that it had happened within the last 5 days! He also asked if the signs were a problem. I never saw any signs! My response after being told that we had crossed an active runway was 'sorry never saw the signs!' supplemental information from acn 325029: the first officer pointed out txwys J and F as we taxied out. We continued to work the remaining checklists as we taxied. When we came to the navigation briefing portion I related the clearance we had received, the first officer verified it with what I had written down and against the settings in the transponder, the altitude alerter, and the navigation system. He had questioned the frequency for the first fix and was checking the chart information against the GNS's database when the call from the controller came indicating that we had crossed the runway we were supposed to hold short of. I later spoke to the ground controller before we departed and he said that we had violated the clearance instructions and that he was going to talk to his supervisor when he came on duty and that I should call the supervisor back later. I did call back when we reached our destination. He asked me what had happened and I explained that I/we had received the taxi instructions and had understood them, but I had been distracted by the changes to the airport and a navigation problem causing me to miss the runway 4R hold short point on taxiway F. In this situation I understood the clearance but became distracted. I think contributing causes include my distraction as I watched the first officer verify the NAVAID frequency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR X NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC UNAUTH RWY ENTRY. RWY INCURSION.

Narrative: AFTER ENG START AT MDW THE CAPT ASKED ME TO CALL FOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. I WAS GIVEN A CLRNC OF TAXI TO RWY 31C VIA TXWYS F AND J, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4R. I REPEATED THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AS THEY WERE GIVEN BACK TO ATC GND CTL. I THEN REPEATED THE INSTRUCTIONS AGAIN TO THE CAPT. AS WE MOVED OUT OF THE BLOCKS THE CAPT ASKED FOR MORE DETAILED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AS THERE HAD BEEN CONSTRUCTION ON THE ARPT THE LAST TIME WE HAD VISITED THE ARPT. I HAD THE TAXI CHART IN FRONT OF ME AND POINTED OUT THE TXWYS ON THE CHART AND POINTED OUT OF THE ACFT AT THE TAXI SIGNS AND THE HOLD SHORT POINT. I WAS COMPLETING THE TAXI CHKLIST TO 'NAV EQUIP SET' AND WAS VERIFYING THE FREQ WITH THE CHART AND THE GNS SYS. THE CAPT WAS RESPONDING CORRECTLY TO THE CHKLIST ITEMS. AS WE WERE TAXIING I WOULD LOOK OUT TO SEE WHERE WE WERE FOR A MOMENT THEN GO BACK TO THE CHKLIST. I NEVER SAW THE HOLD SHORT LINES OR ANY RWYS 4 AND 22 SIGNS ON THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ARE I FEEL, GRAY OVCST SKIES, RWYS 4 AND 22 RWY LIGHTS NOT ON -- WET TXWYS GIVE POOR CONTRAST ON THE HOLD SHORT LINES, LACK OF SIGNS ON THE R SIDE OF TXWY, NARROW TXWYS WITH SNOW ON THE OUTSIDE EDGE, LACK OF A CLRNC ON TAXI TO 'HOLD SHORT RWY 4R FOR DEPARTING TFC,' NOT HAVING RWYS 4 AND 22 ON ATIS AS AN ACTIVE RWY, CONGESTION ON THE FREQ, AND NOT BEING TOLD TO CONTACT TWR TO CROSS RWYS 4 AND 22. WE WERE TOLD AFTER XING THAT WE HAD CROSSED A RWY WHICH WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD SHORT OF. WE WERE ALSO TOLD TO CALL THE TWR AFTER OUR NEXT LEG. THE CAPT CALLED AND TALKED TO THE GND CTLR AND LATER TO THE SUPVR. THE SUPVR AND THE CAPT DISCUSSED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND THE SUPVR EXPLAINED THAT THIS HAD HAPPENED BEFORE AND AGREED IT WAS A PROB. HE ALSO EXPLAINED THAT IT HAD HAPPENED WITHIN THE LAST 5 DAYS! HE ALSO ASKED IF THE SIGNS WERE A PROB. I NEVER SAW ANY SIGNS! MY RESPONSE AFTER BEING TOLD THAT WE HAD CROSSED AN ACTIVE RWY WAS 'SORRY NEVER SAW THE SIGNS!' SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 325029: THE FO POINTED OUT TXWYS J AND F AS WE TAXIED OUT. WE CONTINUED TO WORK THE REMAINING CHKLISTS AS WE TAXIED. WHEN WE CAME TO THE NAV BRIEFING PORTION I RELATED THE CLRNC WE HAD RECEIVED, THE FO VERIFIED IT WITH WHAT I HAD WRITTEN DOWN AND AGAINST THE SETTINGS IN THE XPONDER, THE ALT ALERTER, AND THE NAV SYS. HE HAD QUESTIONED THE FREQ FOR THE FIRST FIX AND WAS CHKING THE CHART INFO AGAINST THE GNS'S DATABASE WHEN THE CALL FROM THE CTLR CAME INDICATING THAT WE HAD CROSSED THE RWY WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HOLD SHORT OF. I LATER SPOKE TO THE GND CTLR BEFORE WE DEPARTED AND HE SAID THAT WE HAD VIOLATED THE CLRNC INSTRUCTIONS AND THAT HE WAS GOING TO TALK TO HIS SUPVR WHEN HE CAME ON DUTY AND THAT I SHOULD CALL THE SUPVR BACK LATER. I DID CALL BACK WHEN WE REACHED OUR DEST. HE ASKED ME WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND I EXPLAINED THAT I/WE HAD RECEIVED THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND HAD UNDERSTOOD THEM, BUT I HAD BEEN DISTRACTED BY THE CHANGES TO THE ARPT AND A NAV PROB CAUSING ME TO MISS THE RWY 4R HOLD SHORT POINT ON TXWY F. IN THIS SIT I UNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC BUT BECAME DISTRACTED. I THINK CONTRIBUTING CAUSES INCLUDE MY DISTR AS I WATCHED THE FO VERIFY THE NAVAID FREQ.

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.