Narrative:

Runway incursion taxiing out for takeoff before dawn at hou. Experienced DC9 crew taxiing very slowly due to unknown taxi route and unfamiliarity with airport. Ground control instructions were to taxi to runway 12R via taxiway D. It was dark and the morning dew made it very difficult to see. As the captain, I had my airport diagram on the yoke clip and was following it exactly and slowly as my copilot was having difficulty getting our takeoff weights via ACARS and our company. In looking at the airport diagram, one can see that to get to the runway 12R via taxiway D, you must cross the approach end of runway 17 and that runway 12R and runway 17 meet there. In the dark (and the light) it appeared that there was a small amount of taxiway between them. As we taxied across runway 17, very slowly, I was looking for the red runway signs for runway 12R or any runway lights/taxiway lights to tell me when I was approaching runway 12R. There are no lights in that area because the approach end of runway 12R in that area is a clearway of some sort. In looking for the lighting that would inform me I was nearing the side of the runway, I looked to my left and saw the runway centerline and edge lights and determined that I was on the clearway/runway. We immediately continued across onto taxiway G -- no traffic on final -- and informed tower. He said 'no problem.' suggestion: better runway markings or warning on chart page stating to use caution. I still don't know why there were no lights telling me I was approaching the edge of runway 12R. Is it the fact that because they start in the same spot there are no lights for runway 12R? If there was a sign, it was very poorly located or confusing. As we approached runway 17 we were both looking outside for signs or lights telling us we were approaching runway 17/12R. We saw none. There are no lights in that little area and only when we saw the actual runway lights to our left, in a distance, did we realize we were on the runway. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he had not been back to the airport since his reported incident and therefore, does not know of what actual signs and markings exist, or may have been changed. He reiterated that he and the first officer were trying real hard to determine the hold short area when they noticed that they were already on the runway. He will bring this to the attention of his company in an effort to help prevent other flcs having the same problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A DC9-30 INADVERTENTLY TAXIED ACROSS THE ASSIGNED RWY DURING A PRE DAWN TAXI OUT FOR TKOF DUE TO AN UNFAMILIARITY OF THE ARPT LAYOUT AND THE LACK OF OBSERVING THE APPROPRIATE RWY SIGNS OR MARKINGS.

Narrative: RWY INCURSION TAXIING OUT FOR TKOF BEFORE DAWN AT HOU. EXPERIENCED DC9 CREW TAXIING VERY SLOWLY DUE TO UNKNOWN TAXI RTE AND UNFAMILIARITY WITH ARPT. GND CTL INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO TAXI TO RWY 12R VIA TXWY D. IT WAS DARK AND THE MORNING DEW MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE. AS THE CAPT, I HAD MY ARPT DIAGRAM ON THE YOKE CLIP AND WAS FOLLOWING IT EXACTLY AND SLOWLY AS MY COPLT WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY GETTING OUR TKOF WTS VIA ACARS AND OUR COMPANY. IN LOOKING AT THE ARPT DIAGRAM, ONE CAN SEE THAT TO GET TO THE RWY 12R VIA TXWY D, YOU MUST CROSS THE APCH END OF RWY 17 AND THAT RWY 12R AND RWY 17 MEET THERE. IN THE DARK (AND THE LIGHT) IT APPEARED THAT THERE WAS A SMALL AMOUNT OF TXWY BTWN THEM. AS WE TAXIED ACROSS RWY 17, VERY SLOWLY, I WAS LOOKING FOR THE RED RWY SIGNS FOR RWY 12R OR ANY RWY LIGHTS/TXWY LIGHTS TO TELL ME WHEN I WAS APCHING RWY 12R. THERE ARE NO LIGHTS IN THAT AREA BECAUSE THE APCH END OF RWY 12R IN THAT AREA IS A CLEARWAY OF SOME SORT. IN LOOKING FOR THE LIGHTING THAT WOULD INFORM ME I WAS NEARING THE SIDE OF THE RWY, I LOOKED TO MY L AND SAW THE RWY CTRLINE AND EDGE LIGHTS AND DETERMINED THAT I WAS ON THE CLEARWAY/RWY. WE IMMEDIATELY CONTINUED ACROSS ONTO TXWY G -- NO TFC ON FINAL -- AND INFORMED TWR. HE SAID 'NO PROB.' SUGGESTION: BETTER RWY MARKINGS OR WARNING ON CHART PAGE STATING TO USE CAUTION. I STILL DON'T KNOW WHY THERE WERE NO LIGHTS TELLING ME I WAS APCHING THE EDGE OF RWY 12R. IS IT THE FACT THAT BECAUSE THEY START IN THE SAME SPOT THERE ARE NO LIGHTS FOR RWY 12R? IF THERE WAS A SIGN, IT WAS VERY POORLY LOCATED OR CONFUSING. AS WE APCHED RWY 17 WE WERE BOTH LOOKING OUTSIDE FOR SIGNS OR LIGHTS TELLING US WE WERE APCHING RWY 17/12R. WE SAW NONE. THERE ARE NO LIGHTS IN THAT LITTLE AREA AND ONLY WHEN WE SAW THE ACTUAL RWY LIGHTS TO OUR L, IN A DISTANCE, DID WE REALIZE WE WERE ON THE RWY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD NOT BEEN BACK TO THE ARPT SINCE HIS RPTED INCIDENT AND THEREFORE, DOES NOT KNOW OF WHAT ACTUAL SIGNS AND MARKINGS EXIST, OR MAY HAVE BEEN CHANGED. HE REITERATED THAT HE AND THE FO WERE TRYING REAL HARD TO DETERMINE THE HOLD SHORT AREA WHEN THEY NOTICED THAT THEY WERE ALREADY ON THE RWY. HE WILL BRING THIS TO THE ATTN OF HIS COMPANY IN AN EFFORT TO HELP PREVENT OTHER FLCS HAVING THE SAME 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.