Narrative:

We left 'G' concourse with taxi clearance 'taxi to runway 9L via txwys P, Y, Q.' while on taxiway Q, we were instructed to follow an air carrier jet wbound on taxiway M. We gave way to the air carrier and sequenced well behind it to be #2 for departure. ATC then gave the air carrier runway 12 for departure and told us to plan runway 12. After the air carrier took the runway we taxied a little farther nwbound on taxiway Q. I did not see a runway hold short line parallel to runway 12 at the end, so I suspected it had been relocated slightly behind us and perpendicular to the runway. There was never any traffic conflict. However, my previous experience was that the runway 9L hold short line was parallel to runway 9L at mia. I was 'heads up' watching our traffic sequence and my first officer was 'heads-down' hastily reprogramming the FMS for a last min departure runway change to runway 12. I recognized this run-up ramp area as a hazardous place by virtue of the fact that 4 txwys converge here. I did not expect to see hold short lines relocated where they were. No harm done and a lesson learned. Other pilots have since told me that miami often changes your departure runway at the last min in this area. Also note, there is apparently no 'standard' location for runway hold short lines due to varying ILS locations at different airports. Also runway hold short lines are not depicted on the commercial taxi diagrams. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this reporter said that they had planned to use runway 9L based on their original clearance, but they were changed to runway 12 during taxi-out. This change required the first officer to go head down to enter the new departure runway into the FMS. The captain was watching the traffic he was following and said that he had been used to the runway 9L hold line being parallel to the runway, but as he approached the throat of the runway 12 turn in/run-up area he looked for the hold line and at that time he realized that he had probably passed it. The reporter said that he had probably been looking for any traffic that may be using the other 3 txwys in this area as he passed over the hold line. He said that he had no idea about the signage or visibility of the line. He said that the tower controller did not seem upset that he had crossed the line. He also suggested that it would be very helpful if the runway and ILS hold lines were displayed on the commercial plates.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC CROSSES THE HOLD LINE FOR RWY 12 WITHOUT AUTH. NO CONFLICT. A320.

Narrative: WE LEFT 'G' CONCOURSE WITH TAXI CLRNC 'TAXI TO RWY 9L VIA TXWYS P, Y, Q.' WHILE ON TXWY Q, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO FOLLOW AN ACR JET WBOUND ON TXWY M. WE GAVE WAY TO THE ACR AND SEQUENCED WELL BEHIND IT TO BE #2 FOR DEP. ATC THEN GAVE THE ACR RWY 12 FOR DEP AND TOLD US TO PLAN RWY 12. AFTER THE ACR TOOK THE RWY WE TAXIED A LITTLE FARTHER NWBOUND ON TXWY Q. I DID NOT SEE A RWY HOLD SHORT LINE PARALLEL TO RWY 12 AT THE END, SO I SUSPECTED IT HAD BEEN RELOCATED SLIGHTLY BEHIND US AND PERPENDICULAR TO THE RWY. THERE WAS NEVER ANY TFC CONFLICT. HOWEVER, MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WAS THAT THE RWY 9L HOLD SHORT LINE WAS PARALLEL TO RWY 9L AT MIA. I WAS 'HEADS UP' WATCHING OUR TFC SEQUENCE AND MY FO WAS 'HEADS-DOWN' HASTILY REPROGRAMMING THE FMS FOR A LAST MIN DEP RWY CHANGE TO RWY 12. I RECOGNIZED THIS RUN-UP RAMP AREA AS A HAZARDOUS PLACE BY VIRTUE OF THE FACT THAT 4 TXWYS CONVERGE HERE. I DID NOT EXPECT TO SEE HOLD SHORT LINES RELOCATED WHERE THEY WERE. NO HARM DONE AND A LESSON LEARNED. OTHER PLTS HAVE SINCE TOLD ME THAT MIAMI OFTEN CHANGES YOUR DEP RWY AT THE LAST MIN IN THIS AREA. ALSO NOTE, THERE IS APPARENTLY NO 'STANDARD' LOCATION FOR RWY HOLD SHORT LINES DUE TO VARYING ILS LOCATIONS AT DIFFERENT ARPTS. ALSO RWY HOLD SHORT LINES ARE NOT DEPICTED ON THE COMMERCIAL TAXI DIAGRAMS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS RPTR SAID THAT THEY HAD PLANNED TO USE RWY 9L BASED ON THEIR ORIGINAL CLRNC, BUT THEY WERE CHANGED TO RWY 12 DURING TAXI-OUT. THIS CHANGE REQUIRED THE FO TO GO HEAD DOWN TO ENTER THE NEW DEP RWY INTO THE FMS. THE CAPT WAS WATCHING THE TFC HE WAS FOLLOWING AND SAID THAT HE HAD BEEN USED TO THE RWY 9L HOLD LINE BEING PARALLEL TO THE RWY, BUT AS HE APCHED THE THROAT OF THE RWY 12 TURN IN/RUN-UP AREA HE LOOKED FOR THE HOLD LINE AND AT THAT TIME HE REALIZED THAT HE HAD PROBABLY PASSED IT. THE RPTR SAID THAT HE HAD PROBABLY BEEN LOOKING FOR ANY TFC THAT MAY BE USING THE OTHER 3 TXWYS IN THIS AREA AS HE PASSED OVER THE HOLD LINE. HE SAID THAT HE HAD NO IDEA ABOUT THE SIGNAGE OR VISIBILITY OF THE LINE. HE SAID THAT THE TWR CTLR DID NOT SEEM UPSET THAT HE HAD CROSSED THE LINE. HE ALSO SUGGESTED THAT IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL IF THE RWY AND ILS HOLD LINES WERE DISPLAYED ON THE COMMERCIAL PLATES.

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.