Narrative:

It was approximately XX00 EDT at dca, with an intense level of traffic. 3 runways were in simultaneous use (runways 36,33, and 3). We had picked up the ATIS and our IFR clearance and taxied via taxiway F to the 'block' at runway 33, where we were #3 behind a gulfstream which was parked on the taxiway at the hold short line and with a conquest ii in the run-up area adjacent to the taxiway. Tower called an told us to do a 180 degree, taxi to runway 3, taxi down runway 3 and to hold short of runway 33, explaining that the other 2 aircraft ahead of us 'can't go' and that he was going to have us back-taxi to the departure end of runway 33 for departure. We read back the clearance. Before moving, I carefully reviewed the clearance. We did the 180 degree, approached the intersection of runway 3, stopped and looked carefully toward the approach end of the runway for approaching traffic. Seeing none, we pulled onto runway 3 and turned right toward its intersection with runway 33. To assure we were as highly visible as possible, we taxied on or near the center of the runway. As we approached runway 33, I was uncertain how closely to approach the intersection with runway 33. I had seen no hold short line on runway 3 itself. I pulled to the right edge of runway 3 and stopped, short of runway 33, awaiting further clearance. Looking to the approach end of runway 33, I saw a citation on final. A few moments after we stopped, the tower controller issued an instruction to stop. He then instructed the citation on final to go around. He then instructed us to do a 180 degree and return to 'the block' on the taxiway at runway 33 saying 'we're not going to do the back-taxi.' surprised by the tone of his abrupt instruction to stop, I acknowledged the new instructions and commented that we had been stopped, holding short. He replied 'no you were not.' on back-taxiing on runway 3 to taxiway F for a left turn back to the block at runway 33, we were near the left edge of the runway. After taxiing perhaps 50-75 yards from the intersection of runway 33, we saw and passed over a yellow hold short line which we had not seen while taxiing in the other direction. We had, clearly, taxied beyond that hold short point toward runway 33. When originally taxiing on runway 3 toward runway 33, I never saw the hold short line, despite being super-vigilant due to our unfamiliarity with dca and the high level of activity. In fact, the yellow hold short line may be partially obscured at the runway center, blocked by tire marks on the runway. In any event, while clearly stopping short of runway 33, we did encroach beyond the hold short line. First, we have only occasionally operated at dca and have limited familiarity. But that very unfamiliarity made me especially cautious and vigilant during every part of the operation from start-up on. I pre-briefed everything, fully ran every checklist, wrote down every taxi clearance and checked them on the airport diagram before moving, etc. I actually think the low experience at dca made me more careful than I might otherwise be. I had a passenger in the right cockpit seat and had her remain quiet during ground operations, particularly when the aircraft was moving, so I would not be distracted. We did, however, have some conversation during the various waits and taxi holds, including the one in the block at runway 33. I was rested, though I had conducted a full day of business. The WX was excellent. Everything on the aircraft was operating properly. There were no special circumstances to cause stress or anxiety. I was current in the aircraft and had just completed flight safety recurrent training the previous week. In short, I cannot point to any special distractions, stress factors or environmental conditions that contributed to my not seeing the hold short line. I just missed it. I would suggest that the condition of the hold short striping on runway 3 near the intersection of runway 33 be checked to confirm it extends fully across the runway and that the 'yellow' is reasonably bright and distinctive. It was a bright, hazy afternoon and I was using grey 15 sunglasses and when I did see the line while back-taxiing runway 3, it seemed subdued.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COMMERCIAL RATED PLT FLYING A PA31T AT DCA FAILED TO HOLD SHORT OF ACTIVE RWY AS INSTRUCTED BY ATC.

Narrative: IT WAS APPROX XX00 EDT AT DCA, WITH AN INTENSE LEVEL OF TFC. 3 RWYS WERE IN SIMULTANEOUS USE (RWYS 36,33, AND 3). WE HAD PICKED UP THE ATIS AND OUR IFR CLRNC AND TAXIED VIA TXWY F TO THE 'BLOCK' AT RWY 33, WHERE WE WERE #3 BEHIND A GULFSTREAM WHICH WAS PARKED ON THE TXWY AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND WITH A CONQUEST II IN THE RUN-UP AREA ADJACENT TO THE TXWY. TWR CALLED AN TOLD US TO DO A 180 DEG, TAXI TO RWY 3, TAXI DOWN RWY 3 AND TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 33, EXPLAINING THAT THE OTHER 2 ACFT AHEAD OF US 'CAN'T GO' AND THAT HE WAS GOING TO HAVE US BACK-TAXI TO THE DEP END OF RWY 33 FOR DEP. WE READ BACK THE CLRNC. BEFORE MOVING, I CAREFULLY REVIEWED THE CLRNC. WE DID THE 180 DEG, APCHED THE INTXN OF RWY 3, STOPPED AND LOOKED CAREFULLY TOWARD THE APCH END OF THE RWY FOR APCHING TFC. SEEING NONE, WE PULLED ONTO RWY 3 AND TURNED R TOWARD ITS INTXN WITH RWY 33. TO ASSURE WE WERE AS HIGHLY VISIBLE AS POSSIBLE, WE TAXIED ON OR NEAR THE CTR OF THE RWY. AS WE APCHED RWY 33, I WAS UNCERTAIN HOW CLOSELY TO APCH THE INTXN WITH RWY 33. I HAD SEEN NO HOLD SHORT LINE ON RWY 3 ITSELF. I PULLED TO THE R EDGE OF RWY 3 AND STOPPED, SHORT OF RWY 33, AWAITING FURTHER CLRNC. LOOKING TO THE APCH END OF RWY 33, I SAW A CITATION ON FINAL. A FEW MOMENTS AFTER WE STOPPED, THE TWR CTLR ISSUED AN INSTRUCTION TO STOP. HE THEN INSTRUCTED THE CITATION ON FINAL TO GO AROUND. HE THEN INSTRUCTED US TO DO A 180 DEG AND RETURN TO 'THE BLOCK' ON THE TXWY AT RWY 33 SAYING 'WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THE BACK-TAXI.' SURPRISED BY THE TONE OF HIS ABRUPT INSTRUCTION TO STOP, I ACKNOWLEDGED THE NEW INSTRUCTIONS AND COMMENTED THAT WE HAD BEEN STOPPED, HOLDING SHORT. HE REPLIED 'NO YOU WERE NOT.' ON BACK-TAXIING ON RWY 3 TO TXWY F FOR A L TURN BACK TO THE BLOCK AT RWY 33, WE WERE NEAR THE L EDGE OF THE RWY. AFTER TAXIING PERHAPS 50-75 YARDS FROM THE INTXN OF RWY 33, WE SAW AND PASSED OVER A YELLOW HOLD SHORT LINE WHICH WE HAD NOT SEEN WHILE TAXIING IN THE OTHER DIRECTION. WE HAD, CLRLY, TAXIED BEYOND THAT HOLD SHORT POINT TOWARD RWY 33. WHEN ORIGINALLY TAXIING ON RWY 3 TOWARD RWY 33, I NEVER SAW THE HOLD SHORT LINE, DESPITE BEING SUPER-VIGILANT DUE TO OUR UNFAMILIARITY WITH DCA AND THE HIGH LEVEL OF ACTIVITY. IN FACT, THE YELLOW HOLD SHORT LINE MAY BE PARTIALLY OBSCURED AT THE RWY CTR, BLOCKED BY TIRE MARKS ON THE RWY. IN ANY EVENT, WHILE CLRLY STOPPING SHORT OF RWY 33, WE DID ENCROACH BEYOND THE HOLD SHORT LINE. FIRST, WE HAVE ONLY OCCASIONALLY OPERATED AT DCA AND HAVE LIMITED FAMILIARITY. BUT THAT VERY UNFAMILIARITY MADE ME ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AND VIGILANT DURING EVERY PART OF THE OP FROM START-UP ON. I PRE-BRIEFED EVERYTHING, FULLY RAN EVERY CHKLIST, WROTE DOWN EVERY TAXI CLRNC AND CHKED THEM ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM BEFORE MOVING, ETC. I ACTUALLY THINK THE LOW EXPERIENCE AT DCA MADE ME MORE CAREFUL THAN I MIGHT OTHERWISE BE. I HAD A PAX IN THE R COCKPIT SEAT AND HAD HER REMAIN QUIET DURING GND OPS, PARTICULARLY WHEN THE ACFT WAS MOVING, SO I WOULD NOT BE DISTRACTED. WE DID, HOWEVER, HAVE SOME CONVERSATION DURING THE VARIOUS WAITS AND TAXI HOLDS, INCLUDING THE ONE IN THE BLOCK AT RWY 33. I WAS RESTED, THOUGH I HAD CONDUCTED A FULL DAY OF BUSINESS. THE WX WAS EXCELLENT. EVERYTHING ON THE ACFT WAS OPERATING PROPERLY. THERE WERE NO SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES TO CAUSE STRESS OR ANXIETY. I WAS CURRENT IN THE ACFT AND HAD JUST COMPLETED FLT SAFETY RECURRENT TRAINING THE PREVIOUS WK. IN SHORT, I CANNOT POINT TO ANY SPECIAL DISTRACTIONS, STRESS FACTORS OR ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO MY NOT SEEING THE HOLD SHORT LINE. I JUST MISSED IT. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE CONDITION OF THE HOLD SHORT STRIPING ON RWY 3 NEAR THE INTXN OF RWY 33 BE CHKED TO CONFIRM IT EXTENDS FULLY ACROSS THE RWY AND THAT THE 'YELLOW' IS REASONABLY BRIGHT AND DISTINCTIVE. IT WAS A BRIGHT, HAZY AFTERNOON AND I WAS USING GREY 15 SUNGLASSES AND WHEN I DID SEE THE LINE WHILE BACK-TAXIING RWY 3, IT SEEMED SUBDUED.

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.