Narrative:

Ground controller cleared us to taxi to runway 10L via txwys B and south. As we neared the runways he told us to taxi west of runway 10R and hold short of runway 10L, but his terminology confused us momentarily, because he referred to runway 10R as 'runway 28L' and we both glanced at our airport layout (commercial chart) to verify the path we were to take. The txwys in that area are illuminated with green lights, but they branch out in several directions, thus adding to the confusion. As we were about to enter the runway space of runway 10L, the controller radioed for us to hold our position (which was past the holding point) and an arriving aircraft was on landing roll on runway 28R (same runway, opposite direction). No red hold lights visible from cockpit. Contributing factors: crew unfamiliarity with sfo txwys. Wet surface making painted markings invisible. Green taxiway centerline lights leading us to wrong area with no red hold lights to catch us. Crew fatigue due to the lateness of the hour and our being on duty already close to 9 hours. Controller should have not reworded his initial taxi instructions, as it only confused the issue. San francisco airport landing and taking off aircraft on the same runway in opposite directions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747 ACR FREIGHTER FLC CROSSED THE HOLD LINE FOR RWY 10L WITHOUT AUTH WHEN THEY BECAME CONFUSED BY THE TXWY LIGHTS AND OTHER FACTORS. THE ALERT GND CTLR HAD THEM STOP SHORT OF THE RWY SURFACE FOR AN ACFT LNDG THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.

Narrative: GND CTLR CLRED US TO TAXI TO RWY 10L VIA TXWYS B AND S. AS WE NEARED THE RWYS HE TOLD US TO TAXI W OF RWY 10R AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 10L, BUT HIS TERMINOLOGY CONFUSED US MOMENTARILY, BECAUSE HE REFERRED TO RWY 10R AS 'RWY 28L' AND WE BOTH GLANCED AT OUR ARPT LAYOUT (COMMERCIAL CHART) TO VERIFY THE PATH WE WERE TO TAKE. THE TXWYS IN THAT AREA ARE ILLUMINATED WITH GREEN LIGHTS, BUT THEY BRANCH OUT IN SEVERAL DIRECTIONS, THUS ADDING TO THE CONFUSION. AS WE WERE ABOUT TO ENTER THE RWY SPACE OF RWY 10L, THE CTLR RADIOED FOR US TO HOLD OUR POS (WHICH WAS PAST THE HOLDING POINT) AND AN ARRIVING ACFT WAS ON LNDG ROLL ON RWY 28R (SAME RWY, OPPOSITE DIRECTION). NO RED HOLD LIGHTS VISIBLE FROM COCKPIT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: CREW UNFAMILIARITY WITH SFO TXWYS. WET SURFACE MAKING PAINTED MARKINGS INVISIBLE. GREEN TXWY CTRLINE LIGHTS LEADING US TO WRONG AREA WITH NO RED HOLD LIGHTS TO CATCH US. CREW FATIGUE DUE TO THE LATENESS OF THE HR AND OUR BEING ON DUTY ALREADY CLOSE TO 9 HRS. CTLR SHOULD HAVE NOT REWORDED HIS INITIAL TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, AS IT ONLY CONFUSED THE ISSUE. SAN FRANCISCO ARPT LNDG AND TAKING OFF ACFT ON THE SAME RWY IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS.

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.