Narrative:

Runway 9 was active and our clearance was to taxi to it via taxiway B and taxiway V. Approaching taxiway V, we offered to accommodate traffic because we would not be ready to takeoff if we turned left onto taxiway V. We were waiting for our weight and balance data to arrive. Ground then replied by asking us to 'without delay cross runway 4L' and turn (I thought) left on taxiway U. We were already across runway 4L, but the suggestion that we were not across runway 4L led me to believe I needed to move the aircraft further than was necessary. Somehow, I taxied past the hold point for runway 4R without realizing it. I have no idea how I could have taxied past the usual standard markings. I believe this area has poor markings that are well away from the taxiway centerline. I'd love to go back out there and see it again, because I can't understand how I ended up on the runway. The numbers had arrived and the first officer was preoccupied during the brief interval between the ground controller's transmission and the accidental runway incursion. I also believe that area is not correctly depicted on the bos chart. Additionally, this was the last leg of a long 3 day trip. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter saw no vertical signage during his taxi to runway 4R. He was looking for hold short lines or vertical signs to mark his progress. When the controller said 'clear to cross runway 4L,' he was already across runway 4L and began to think the controller had the wrong aircraft in mind. As he taxied more, he crossed the hold point for runway 4R and went onto the runway. At this point he was disappointed his airport chart didn't show the approach to runway 4R more accurately. It shows an area where grass might be growing, but the area is completely concrete. Because the taxi area up to the runway had no flora as the airport chart depicted, he taxied onto the runway thinking the flora he saw on the other side of the runway was the area prior to runway 4R. Thus, he feels the airport chart is inaccurate. The tower controller then cleared him to taxi from runway 4R to runway 9. Reporter received no help from his first officer as he was distraction because he was obtaining the weight and balance information for takeoff. Supplemental information from acn 406627: the 128.8 controller said something neither of us understood then said taxi onto taxiway V and hold short. This I read back, but by this time we were passing the taxiway V. At this point we were just getting our weight and balance across the ACARS. Right here I stupidly missed my first chance to question my captain and/or ATC and short circuit the problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 FLC TAXIES FOR TKOF AT BOS, DOESN'T READ THE ARPT CHART CORRECTLY AND TAXIES ONTO A RWY NOT ASSIGNED TO THEM.

Narrative: RWY 9 WAS ACTIVE AND OUR CLRNC WAS TO TAXI TO IT VIA TXWY B AND TXWY V. APCHING TXWY V, WE OFFERED TO ACCOMMODATE TFC BECAUSE WE WOULD NOT BE READY TO TKOF IF WE TURNED L ONTO TXWY V. WE WERE WAITING FOR OUR WT AND BAL DATA TO ARRIVE. GND THEN REPLIED BY ASKING US TO 'WITHOUT DELAY CROSS RWY 4L' AND TURN (I THOUGHT) L ON TXWY U. WE WERE ALREADY ACROSS RWY 4L, BUT THE SUGGESTION THAT WE WERE NOT ACROSS RWY 4L LED ME TO BELIEVE I NEEDED TO MOVE THE ACFT FURTHER THAN WAS NECESSARY. SOMEHOW, I TAXIED PAST THE HOLD POINT FOR RWY 4R WITHOUT REALIZING IT. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW I COULD HAVE TAXIED PAST THE USUAL STANDARD MARKINGS. I BELIEVE THIS AREA HAS POOR MARKINGS THAT ARE WELL AWAY FROM THE TXWY CTRLINE. I'D LOVE TO GO BACK OUT THERE AND SEE IT AGAIN, BECAUSE I CAN'T UNDERSTAND HOW I ENDED UP ON THE RWY. THE NUMBERS HAD ARRIVED AND THE FO WAS PREOCCUPIED DURING THE BRIEF INTERVAL BTWN THE GND CTLR'S XMISSION AND THE ACCIDENTAL RWY INCURSION. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT AREA IS NOT CORRECTLY DEPICTED ON THE BOS CHART. ADDITIONALLY, THIS WAS THE LAST LEG OF A LONG 3 DAY TRIP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAW NO VERT SIGNAGE DURING HIS TAXI TO RWY 4R. HE WAS LOOKING FOR HOLD SHORT LINES OR VERT SIGNS TO MARK HIS PROGRESS. WHEN THE CTLR SAID 'CLR TO CROSS RWY 4L,' HE WAS ALREADY ACROSS RWY 4L AND BEGAN TO THINK THE CTLR HAD THE WRONG ACFT IN MIND. AS HE TAXIED MORE, HE CROSSED THE HOLD POINT FOR RWY 4R AND WENT ONTO THE RWY. AT THIS POINT HE WAS DISAPPOINTED HIS ARPT CHART DIDN'T SHOW THE APCH TO RWY 4R MORE ACCURATELY. IT SHOWS AN AREA WHERE GRASS MIGHT BE GROWING, BUT THE AREA IS COMPLETELY CONCRETE. BECAUSE THE TAXI AREA UP TO THE RWY HAD NO FLORA AS THE ARPT CHART DEPICTED, HE TAXIED ONTO THE RWY THINKING THE FLORA HE SAW ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RWY WAS THE AREA PRIOR TO RWY 4R. THUS, HE FEELS THE ARPT CHART IS INACCURATE. THE TWR CTLR THEN CLRED HIM TO TAXI FROM RWY 4R TO RWY 9. RPTR RECEIVED NO HELP FROM HIS FO AS HE WAS DISTR BECAUSE HE WAS OBTAINING THE WT AND BAL INFO FOR TKOF. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 406627: THE 128.8 CTLR SAID SOMETHING NEITHER OF US UNDERSTOOD THEN SAID TAXI ONTO TXWY V AND HOLD SHORT. THIS I READ BACK, BUT BY THIS TIME WE WERE PASSING THE TXWY V. AT THIS POINT WE WERE JUST GETTING OUR WT AND BAL ACROSS THE ACARS. RIGHT HERE I STUPIDLY MISSED MY FIRST CHANCE TO QUESTION MY CAPT AND/OR ATC AND SHORT CIRCUIT THE PROB.

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.