Narrative:

Reclred from runway 12R to runway 12L. Informed stl tower that we needed another minute for #1 engine to warm up and to complete checklists. Tower clears us to taxi left on taxiway P, right onto runway 6 and advise when ready for takeoff on runway 12L. My first officer advises me that I had crossed a hold short line (located on runway 6/24) by 10 ft. I did not expect or notice the hold short line. No conflicts created. Rest of flight uneventful. Callback conversation revealed the following information: reporter verified that the taxi instructions were the result of a new runway assignment. As the captain was taxiing from the gate, he expected a longer taxi to runway 12R. When he received the amended instructions, he only had one engine started and stated to the controller that he needed more time in order to start the other engine and run through checklists. His impression was that the controller was trying to do him a favor by getting him out sooner. Preoccupied with the checklists as he taxied down runway 6 in preparation to depart on runway 12L, he crossed the hold short lines. Never having seen the lines, he could not describe where they were or how they were painted. He stated that his experienced first officer saw them only after having crossed over them. Since the captain saw no other cues, he had set his own personal limit of where he would stop on runway 6 in order to keep clear of the extended centerline of runway 12L. According to the first officer, the captain's personal limit was ten ft beyond where the painted hold short lines were placed. The reporter called the stl tower supervisor the next day and found out that there were, indeed, hold short lines for runway 12L painted on runway 6. The supervisor indicated that the airport had painted the lines on their own near the intersection of taxiway P. Callback conversation with airfield administrator revealed the following information: in compliance with a new FAA AC, stl converted their striping (last summer) to 12 inch wide double yellow stripes outlined in black. Such hold short lines are painted on runway 6, exactly 285 ft from the centerline of runway 12L. Further, since the txwys at stl are between 150 and 200 ft wide, there are hold short signs placed on both sides of runway 6 depicted for runway 12L. Stl interpreted the meaning of the FAA's new standards to include hold short lines on runways in those instances where runways are 'normally used for taxi.' he stated that not all airports interpret the new AC in this manner and that GA pilots have seemed especially confused by the appearance of hold short lines on runways.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 CAPT, TAXIING AT STL, WAS TOLD TO TURN R ONTO RWY 6, TAXI TO RWY 12L, AND ADVISE WHEN READY FOR DEP. HIS FO NOTICED THAT HE CROSSED HOLD SHORT LINES, APPARENTLY PLACED ON RWY 6, FOR USE WHEN RWY 12L IS THE ACTIVE.

Narrative: RECLRED FROM RWY 12R TO RWY 12L. INFORMED STL TWR THAT WE NEEDED ANOTHER MINUTE FOR #1 ENG TO WARM UP AND TO COMPLETE CHECKLISTS. TWR CLRS US TO TAXI L ON TXWY P, R ONTO RWY 6 AND ADVISE WHEN READY FOR TKOF ON RWY 12L. MY FO ADVISES ME THAT I HAD CROSSED A HOLD SHORT LINE (LOCATED ON RWY 6/24) BY 10 FT. I DID NOT EXPECT OR NOTICE THE HOLD SHORT LINE. NO CONFLICTS CREATED. REST OF FLT UNEVENTFUL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR VERIFIED THAT THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WERE THE RESULT OF A NEW RWY ASSIGNMENT. AS THE CAPT WAS TAXIING FROM THE GATE, HE EXPECTED A LONGER TAXI TO RWY 12R. WHEN HE RECEIVED THE AMENDED INSTRUCTIONS, HE ONLY HAD ONE ENG STARTED AND STATED TO THE CTLR THAT HE NEEDED MORE TIME IN ORDER TO START THE OTHER ENG AND RUN THROUGH CHECKLISTS. HIS IMPRESSION WAS THAT THE CTLR WAS TRYING TO DO HIM A FAVOR BY GETTING HIM OUT SOONER. PREOCCUPIED WITH THE CHECKLISTS AS HE TAXIED DOWN RWY 6 IN PREPARATION TO DEPART ON RWY 12L, HE CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINES. NEVER HAVING SEEN THE LINES, HE COULD NOT DESCRIBE WHERE THEY WERE OR HOW THEY WERE PAINTED. HE STATED THAT HIS EXPERIENCED FO SAW THEM ONLY AFTER HAVING CROSSED OVER THEM. SINCE THE CAPT SAW NO OTHER CUES, HE HAD SET HIS OWN PERSONAL LIMIT OF WHERE HE WOULD STOP ON RWY 6 IN ORDER TO KEEP CLR OF THE EXTENDED CTRLINE OF RWY 12L. ACCORDING TO THE FO, THE CAPT'S PERSONAL LIMIT WAS TEN FT BEYOND WHERE THE PAINTED HOLD SHORT LINES WERE PLACED. THE RPTR CALLED THE STL TWR SUPVR THE NEXT DAY AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE WERE, INDEED, HOLD SHORT LINES FOR RWY 12L PAINTED ON RWY 6. THE SUPVR INDICATED THAT THE ARPT HAD PAINTED THE LINES ON THEIR OWN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF TXWY P. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH AIRFIELD ADMINISTRATOR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: IN COMPLIANCE WITH A NEW FAA AC, STL CONVERTED THEIR STRIPING (LAST SUMMER) TO 12 INCH WIDE DOUBLE YELLOW STRIPES OUTLINED IN BLACK. SUCH HOLD SHORT LINES ARE PAINTED ON RWY 6, EXACTLY 285 FT FROM THE CTRLINE OF RWY 12L. FURTHER, SINCE THE TXWYS AT STL ARE BETWEEN 150 AND 200 FT WIDE, THERE ARE HOLD SHORT SIGNS PLACED ON BOTH SIDES OF RWY 6 DEPICTED FOR RWY 12L. STL INTERPRETED THE MEANING OF THE FAA'S NEW STANDARDS TO INCLUDE HOLD SHORT LINES ON RWYS IN THOSE INSTANCES WHERE RWYS ARE 'NORMALLY USED FOR TAXI.' HE STATED THAT NOT ALL ARPTS INTERPRET THE NEW AC IN THIS MANNER AND THAT GA PLTS HAVE SEEMED ESPECIALLY CONFUSED BY THE APPEARANCE OF HOLD SHORT LINES ON RWYS.

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.