Narrative:

We were cleared by toronto ground (121.65) to taxi from the GA area via taxiway J to taxiway B and then to hold short of runway 5. During taxi on taxiway J my copilot was talking with clearance delivery to verify our routing and working on programming our GPS. Using several charts, I made the right turn from taxiway J to taxiway B and failed to recognize the hold short line for runway 5, which was the landing runway. Taxiway B crosses runway 5 close to the departure end. As we taxied across the runway, I looked out of the right cockpit window and realized that we were on the runway, as we were already in the middle of the runway, we continued across. As a crew we did not perform well in this particular situation, and the poor WX conditions and our unfamiliarity with toronto/canada added to the problem. To avoid this in the future, we will not move the airplane/request taxi clearance until our routing is verified and programmed into our GPS. This way we can both monitor our taxi. Attributing to the mistake, as stated earlier was poor visibility and rain at yyz. When taxiing on taxiway J in the left seat of the airplane, the runway 5 is on ones 'blind' side, and after turning onto taxiway B, very little distance of 'runway 5' remains on one's left. I feel confident I would have recognized the runway if we had crossed closer to the middle, rather than at the departure end. Finally we were both unfamiliar with the 'air carrier pilot' chart format, and we found them more difficult to read than the charts we normally use. After the flight I called the manager at the yyz tower to explain. Supplemental information from acn 473628: all of my attention was inside. I did not see the incident happen but when I looked up we were in the middle of the runway. We were asked by the ground controller if we knew that we crossed runway 5 without permission. I replied 'affirmative' and the controller said 'thank you.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A TAXIING KING AIR CPR ACFT, WITH THE FO BUSY PROGRAMMING THE GPS, CROSSES AN ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC AT CYYZ, ON.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED BY TORONTO GND (121.65) TO TAXI FROM THE GA AREA VIA TXWY J TO TXWY B AND THEN TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 5. DURING TAXI ON TXWY J MY COPLT WAS TALKING WITH CLRNC DELIVERY TO VERIFY OUR ROUTING AND WORKING ON PROGRAMMING OUR GPS. USING SEVERAL CHARTS, I MADE THE R TURN FROM TXWY J TO TXWY B AND FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 5, WHICH WAS THE LNDG RWY. TXWY B CROSSES RWY 5 CLOSE TO THE DEP END. AS WE TAXIED ACROSS THE RWY, I LOOKED OUT OF THE R COCKPIT WINDOW AND REALIZED THAT WE WERE ON THE RWY, AS WE WERE ALREADY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RWY, WE CONTINUED ACROSS. AS A CREW WE DID NOT PERFORM WELL IN THIS PARTICULAR SIT, AND THE POOR WX CONDITIONS AND OUR UNFAMILIARITY WITH TORONTO/CANADA ADDED TO THE PROB. TO AVOID THIS IN THE FUTURE, WE WILL NOT MOVE THE AIRPLANE/REQUEST TAXI CLRNC UNTIL OUR ROUTING IS VERIFIED AND PROGRAMMED INTO OUR GPS. THIS WAY WE CAN BOTH MONITOR OUR TAXI. ATTRIBUTING TO THE MISTAKE, AS STATED EARLIER WAS POOR VISIBILITY AND RAIN AT YYZ. WHEN TAXIING ON TXWY J IN THE L SEAT OF THE AIRPLANE, THE RWY 5 IS ON ONES 'BLIND' SIDE, AND AFTER TURNING ONTO TXWY B, VERY LITTLE DISTANCE OF 'RWY 5' REMAINS ON ONE'S L. I FEEL CONFIDENT I WOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED THE RWY IF WE HAD CROSSED CLOSER TO THE MIDDLE, RATHER THAN AT THE DEP END. FINALLY WE WERE BOTH UNFAMILIAR WITH THE 'ACR PLT' CHART FORMAT, AND WE FOUND THEM MORE DIFFICULT TO READ THAN THE CHARTS WE NORMALLY USE. AFTER THE FLT I CALLED THE MGR AT THE YYZ TWR TO EXPLAIN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 473628: ALL OF MY ATTN WAS INSIDE. I DID NOT SEE THE INCIDENT HAPPEN BUT WHEN I LOOKED UP WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RWY. WE WERE ASKED BY THE GND CTLR IF WE KNEW THAT WE CROSSED RWY 5 WITHOUT PERMISSION. I REPLIED 'AFFIRMATIVE' AND THE CTLR SAID 'THANK YOU.'

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.