MD80 crew taxied past the hold short signs on runway 17R at den.

Attributes
ACN	423419
Time
Date	199812
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : den airport : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	423419
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

During taxi out at den in the early morning darkness, we overshot the runway 17R hold short point. Our instructions were to taxi to runway 17R. I realized that we may have crossed the hold short line when I noticed runway lights coming into view. I stopped the aircraft and called the tower to advise them that we may have crossed the hold short line. Tower advised us to taxi on the runway and to exit at the first turn as traffic was on short final. The traffic looked to be about 1000 ft AGL. We immediately cleared the runway as directed without requiring a go around of the landing cargo aircraft. Approaching the hold short line again, we noticed a few things. First, the runway 17R/35L red hold short sign had a few bulbs inoperative and was not fully illuminated. Second, the lead-in lights from the taxiway to the runway were on. My understanding is that those lights are part of the smgcs 'low visibility taxi lighting system' and are designed to illuminate when you are cleared across the hold short line. I believe that den was using the smgcs lead-in lights while not using smgcs procedures -- nonstandard. In-ground hold short lights were not illuminated and in general the runway 17R hold short point was hard to fix -- even the second time around.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW TAXIED PAST THE HOLD SHORT SIGNS ON RWY 17R AT DEN.

Narrative: DURING TAXI OUT AT DEN IN THE EARLY MORNING DARKNESS, WE OVERSHOT THE RWY 17R HOLD SHORT POINT. OUR INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO TAXI TO RWY 17R. I REALIZED THAT WE MAY HAVE CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE WHEN I NOTICED RWY LIGHTS COMING INTO VIEW. I STOPPED THE ACFT AND CALLED THE TWR TO ADVISE THEM THAT WE MAY HAVE CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE. TWR ADVISED US TO TAXI ON THE RWY AND TO EXIT AT THE FIRST TURN AS TFC WAS ON SHORT FINAL. THE TFC LOOKED TO BE ABOUT 1000 FT AGL. WE IMMEDIATELY CLRED THE RWY AS DIRECTED WITHOUT REQUIRING A GAR OF THE LNDG CARGO ACFT. APCHING THE HOLD SHORT LINE AGAIN, WE NOTICED A FEW THINGS. FIRST, THE RWY 17R/35L RED HOLD SHORT SIGN HAD A FEW BULBS INOP AND WAS NOT FULLY ILLUMINATED. SECOND, THE LEAD-IN LIGHTS FROM THE TXWY TO THE RWY WERE ON. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THOSE LIGHTS ARE PART OF THE SMGCS 'LOW VISIBILITY TAXI LIGHTING SYS' AND ARE DESIGNED TO ILLUMINATE WHEN YOU ARE CLRED ACROSS THE HOLD SHORT LINE. I BELIEVE THAT DEN WAS USING THE SMGCS LEAD-IN LIGHTS WHILE NOT USING SMGCS PROCS -- NONSTANDARD. IN-GND HOLD SHORT LIGHTS WERE NOT ILLUMINATED AND IN GENERAL THE RWY 17R HOLD SHORT POINT WAS HARD TO FIX -- EVEN THE SECOND TIME AROUND.

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.