Narrative:

We were cleared to taxi to runway 30L via runway 3. We made a left turn onto runway 3 and within seconds the first officer said 'that's the runway!' we were at a slow taxi, but somehow had missed the hold short line and were encroaching on runway 30L. We stopped and notified ground control that we had crossed the hold short line. We switched to tower control in time to hear tower send a landing air carrier flight around. We were subsequently cleared onto the runway for takeoff and no further incident occurred. I still don't recall seeing the hold short line. I called sat tower on the phone after we arrived in iah and asked if indeed there was a hold short line for runway 30L on runway 3. Tower said there was, but admitted it being difficult to see, especially in the dark. Suggestion: in cle where runway 28 intersects with runway 23L, there have been so many similar incidents that the airport has installed flashing amber lights both in the runway (runway 28) and on the sides of the runway. Further, the commercial chart 10-9 page (cle) has a blow-up picture of the layout/hold short position. Had sat had similar runway markings, we likely would not have encroached on runway 30L. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he has spoken about the problem with a check airman who agrees that there is a problem. His company uses the cle airport frequently and believes the new system developed there is a natural for the sat airport as well. He would like to fly into sat in the daytime to review the taxiway/runway and determine where the hold line actually exists.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B737-300 TAXIES BEYOND HOLD LINE WITH POSSIBLE RWY INCURSION.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 30L VIA RWY 3. WE MADE A L TURN ONTO RWY 3 AND WITHIN SECONDS THE FO SAID 'THAT'S THE RWY!' WE WERE AT A SLOW TAXI, BUT SOMEHOW HAD MISSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND WERE ENCROACHING ON RWY 30L. WE STOPPED AND NOTIFIED GND CTL THAT WE HAD CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE. WE SWITCHED TO TWR CTL IN TIME TO HEAR TWR SEND A LNDG ACR FLT AROUND. WE WERE SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED ONTO THE RWY FOR TKOF AND NO FURTHER INCIDENT OCCURRED. I STILL DON'T RECALL SEEING THE HOLD SHORT LINE. I CALLED SAT TWR ON THE PHONE AFTER WE ARRIVED IN IAH AND ASKED IF INDEED THERE WAS A HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 30L ON RWY 3. TWR SAID THERE WAS, BUT ADMITTED IT BEING DIFFICULT TO SEE, ESPECIALLY IN THE DARK. SUGGESTION: IN CLE WHERE RWY 28 INTERSECTS WITH RWY 23L, THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY SIMILAR INCIDENTS THAT THE ARPT HAS INSTALLED FLASHING AMBER LIGHTS BOTH IN THE RWY (RWY 28) AND ON THE SIDES OF THE RWY. FURTHER, THE COMMERCIAL CHART 10-9 PAGE (CLE) HAS A BLOW-UP PICTURE OF THE LAYOUT/HOLD SHORT POS. HAD SAT HAD SIMILAR RWY MARKINGS, WE LIKELY WOULD NOT HAVE ENCROACHED ON RWY 30L. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE HAS SPOKEN ABOUT THE PROB WITH A CHK AIRMAN WHO AGREES THAT THERE IS A PROB. HIS COMPANY USES THE CLE ARPT FREQUENTLY AND BELIEVES THE NEW SYS DEVELOPED THERE IS A NATURAL FOR THE SAT ARPT AS WELL. HE WOULD LIKE TO FLY INTO SAT IN THE DAYTIME TO REVIEW THE TXWY/RWY AND DETERMINE WHERE THE HOLD LINE ACTUALLY EXISTS.

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.