Narrative:

On dec/xx/96, I was captain on air carrier, operating from sdf to ont. The flight departed ramp B at YY31Z (ZZ31L) via spot xx and taxied to runway 35 on taxiway D. Visibility at the time was reduced by steady moderate rain and mist. As we exited the ramp I turned the windshield wipers on (low speed) and left them on until after takeoff. The poor visibility, the short taxi distance (less than 1000 ft estimated), the need to complete a pre-takeoff brief and a takeoff checklist combined with the fact that this would be my first departure from runway 35 (a relatively new runway) caused me to taxi slowly and exercise heightened vigilance. The pre- takeoff brief and takeoff checklist were completed prior to reaching taxiway D1 and my first officer contacted louisville tower for takeoff clearance (there were no other aircraft ahead of us). Somewhere in the vicinity of taxiway D1, through the left side cockpit window, I caught a glimpse of what appeared to be runway hold short markings on the taxiway. I immediately applied the brakes and looked back, attempting to verify that what I had seen were actually standard hold short markings and not ILS hold short marks. The marks were indeed runway hold short marks but as my attention returned to the cockpit we were cleared for takeoff. I am not sure that we crossed the hold short line before we were cleared onto the runway, but if we did not, it was only a happy coincidence of timing. In retrospect, my expectation of where the hold short line should be must have been a contributing factor in my not seeing the line as we approached. Also, the process of giving a pre-takeoff brief may have diverted my attention inside the cockpit to verify switch position and settings. I am concerned that, in spite of my attempts to exercise extra care, I was able to cross the hold short line before I saw it. My recommendations for preventing a future runway incursion are as follows: 1) place a note on the louisville airport layout page of the manual showing the displaced hold short position for runway 35, 2) install a bar of caution lights in the taxiway at the hold short position, 3) install large, well illuminated hold short signs at the edge of the taxiway adjacent to the hold short position, and 4) perform pre-takeoff brief and takeoff checklist prior to leaving the chocks or while stopped at the hold short lines. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he just could not see well during moderate rain conditions at nighttime. During callback he reported the hold short line was somewhere between txwys D1 and D2. He was not certain where the hold short line was located. This was the only time he has used runway 35 for takeoff and has not used it since that evening. He stated other flcs have missed the hold short lines just as he had done. He is not certain where it is. In other conversation with the procedures specialist at the tower, he stated the hold short line is next to the runway and not on the taxiway. An aircraft would have to be perpendicular to the runway before crossing the hold line. It was stated that the lines have been newly painted. There are illuminated signs to also mark the hold short line, but, they have not been turned on yet as that portion of the lighting system has not been commissioned for use.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 PASSES HOLD LINE WITHOUT CLRNC AT SDF.

Narrative: ON DEC/XX/96, I WAS CAPT ON ACR, OPERATING FROM SDF TO ONT. THE FLT DEPARTED RAMP B AT YY31Z (ZZ31L) VIA SPOT XX AND TAXIED TO RWY 35 ON TXWY D. VISIBILITY AT THE TIME WAS REDUCED BY STEADY MODERATE RAIN AND MIST. AS WE EXITED THE RAMP I TURNED THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON (LOW SPD) AND LEFT THEM ON UNTIL AFTER TKOF. THE POOR VISIBILITY, THE SHORT TAXI DISTANCE (LESS THAN 1000 FT ESTIMATED), THE NEED TO COMPLETE A PRE-TKOF BRIEF AND A TKOF CHKLIST COMBINED WITH THE FACT THAT THIS WOULD BE MY FIRST DEP FROM RWY 35 (A RELATIVELY NEW RWY) CAUSED ME TO TAXI SLOWLY AND EXERCISE HEIGHTENED VIGILANCE. THE PRE- TKOF BRIEF AND TKOF CHKLIST WERE COMPLETED PRIOR TO REACHING TXWY D1 AND MY FO CONTACTED LOUISVILLE TWR FOR TKOF CLRNC (THERE WERE NO OTHER ACFT AHEAD OF US). SOMEWHERE IN THE VICINITY OF TXWY D1, THROUGH THE L SIDE COCKPIT WINDOW, I CAUGHT A GLIMPSE OF WHAT APPEARED TO BE RWY HOLD SHORT MARKINGS ON THE TXWY. I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED THE BRAKES AND LOOKED BACK, ATTEMPTING TO VERIFY THAT WHAT I HAD SEEN WERE ACTUALLY STANDARD HOLD SHORT MARKINGS AND NOT ILS HOLD SHORT MARKS. THE MARKS WERE INDEED RWY HOLD SHORT MARKS BUT AS MY ATTN RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. I AM NOT SURE THAT WE CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE BEFORE WE WERE CLRED ONTO THE RWY, BUT IF WE DID NOT, IT WAS ONLY A HAPPY COINCIDENCE OF TIMING. IN RETROSPECT, MY EXPECTATION OF WHERE THE HOLD SHORT LINE SHOULD BE MUST HAVE BEEN A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN MY NOT SEEING THE LINE AS WE APCHED. ALSO, THE PROCESS OF GIVING A PRE-TKOF BRIEF MAY HAVE DIVERTED MY ATTN INSIDE THE COCKPIT TO VERIFY SWITCH POS AND SETTINGS. I AM CONCERNED THAT, IN SPITE OF MY ATTEMPTS TO EXERCISE EXTRA CARE, I WAS ABLE TO CROSS THE HOLD SHORT LINE BEFORE I SAW IT. MY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PREVENTING A FUTURE RWY INCURSION ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1) PLACE A NOTE ON THE LOUISVILLE AIRPORT LAYOUT PAGE OF THE MANUAL SHOWING THE DISPLACED HOLD SHORT POS FOR RWY 35, 2) INSTALL A BAR OF CAUTION LIGHTS IN THE TXWY AT THE HOLD SHORT POS, 3) INSTALL LARGE, WELL ILLUMINATED HOLD SHORT SIGNS AT THE EDGE OF THE TXWY ADJACENT TO THE HOLD SHORT POS, AND 4) PERFORM PRE-TKOF BRIEF AND TKOF CHKLIST PRIOR TO LEAVING THE CHOCKS OR WHILE STOPPED AT THE HOLD SHORT LINES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE JUST COULD NOT SEE WELL DURING MODERATE RAIN CONDITIONS AT NIGHTTIME. DURING CALLBACK HE RPTED THE HOLD SHORT LINE WAS SOMEWHERE BTWN TXWYS D1 AND D2. HE WAS NOT CERTAIN WHERE THE HOLD SHORT LINE WAS LOCATED. THIS WAS THE ONLY TIME HE HAS USED RWY 35 FOR TKOF AND HAS NOT USED IT SINCE THAT EVENING. HE STATED OTHER FLCS HAVE MISSED THE HOLD SHORT LINES JUST AS HE HAD DONE. HE IS NOT CERTAIN WHERE IT IS. IN OTHER CONVERSATION WITH THE PROCS SPECIALIST AT THE TWR, HE STATED THE HOLD SHORT LINE IS NEXT TO THE RWY AND NOT ON THE TXWY. AN ACFT WOULD HAVE TO BE PERPENDICULAR TO THE RWY BEFORE XING THE HOLD LINE. IT WAS STATED THAT THE LINES HAVE BEEN NEWLY PAINTED. THERE ARE ILLUMINATED SIGNS TO ALSO MARK THE HOLD SHORT LINE, BUT, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN TURNED ON YET AS THAT PORTION OF THE LIGHTING SYS HAS NOT BEEN COMMISSIONED FOR USE.

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.