Narrative:

I nearly had a runway incursion and although the tower supervisor later told me that they were not calling it an incursion, I feel that it is important enough for safety and trend analysis to report it. We landed on dfw runway 17C at XA25Z and turned off at high speed taxiway M5. Our clearance was to hold short of runway 17R at taxiway em. While taxiing, I was thinking about a wake turbulence separation concern I had had on final. That distraction caused me to think I was approaching taxiway M when in fact I was approaching runway 17R. I did not see the hold short line and it was not until I noticed the runway centerline ahead that I realized that it was the runway I was approaching and not a crossing taxiway. I immediately stopped the aircraft and called the tower to report that we had crossed the line, but were stopped short of the runway. The tower controller told us to just hold our position. Another aircraft took off on runway 17R as we sat there. I do not know if he had begun his takeoff roll before we got our radio call off and I did not look back to see how far across the line we were. My feeling is that our aircraft was not completely across the line, but the point is that a runway incursion is a very, very serious thing and I almost had one. Although I am a new captain, I am not unfamiliar with dfw. I was an MD80 first officer for 10 yrs and have been based at dfw for 7 yrs. My distraction thoughts were clearly the primary cause of this incident and frankly I do not know how I missed the hold short line. Perhaps I looked down. Perhaps the line is fading and needs to be repainted. In any case, my mind was back on final approach and not completely on the task at hand.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FOKKER 100 CAPT RPTED A NEAR RWY INCURSION AT DFW, CAUSED BY DISTRACTING THOUGHTS OF THE APCH HE HAD JUST MADE.

Narrative: I NEARLY HAD A RWY INCURSION AND ALTHOUGH THE TWR SUPVR LATER TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE NOT CALLING IT AN INCURSION, I FEEL THAT IT IS IMPORTANT ENOUGH FOR SAFETY AND TREND ANALYSIS TO RPT IT. WE LANDED ON DFW RWY 17C AT XA25Z AND TURNED OFF AT HIGH SPD TXWY M5. OUR CLRNC WAS TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 17R AT TXWY EM. WHILE TAXIING, I WAS THINKING ABOUT A WAKE TURB SEPARATION CONCERN I HAD HAD ON FINAL. THAT DISTR CAUSED ME TO THINK I WAS APCHING TXWY M WHEN IN FACT I WAS APCHING RWY 17R. I DID NOT SEE THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND IT WAS NOT UNTIL I NOTICED THE RWY CTRLINE AHEAD THAT I REALIZED THAT IT WAS THE RWY I WAS APCHING AND NOT A XING TXWY. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE ACFT AND CALLED THE TWR TO RPT THAT WE HAD CROSSED THE LINE, BUT WERE STOPPED SHORT OF THE RWY. THE TWR CTLR TOLD US TO JUST HOLD OUR POS. ANOTHER ACFT TOOK OFF ON RWY 17R AS WE SAT THERE. I DO NOT KNOW IF HE HAD BEGUN HIS TKOF ROLL BEFORE WE GOT OUR RADIO CALL OFF AND I DID NOT LOOK BACK TO SEE HOW FAR ACROSS THE LINE WE WERE. MY FEELING IS THAT OUR ACFT WAS NOT COMPLETELY ACROSS THE LINE, BUT THE POINT IS THAT A RWY INCURSION IS A VERY, VERY SERIOUS THING AND I ALMOST HAD ONE. ALTHOUGH I AM A NEW CAPT, I AM NOT UNFAMILIAR WITH DFW. I WAS AN MD80 FO FOR 10 YRS AND HAVE BEEN BASED AT DFW FOR 7 YRS. MY DISTR THOUGHTS WERE CLRLY THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT AND FRANKLY I DO NOT KNOW HOW I MISSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE. PERHAPS I LOOKED DOWN. PERHAPS THE LINE IS FADING AND NEEDS TO BE REPAINTED. IN ANY CASE, MY MIND WAS BACK ON FINAL APCH AND NOT COMPLETELY ON THE TASK AT HAND.

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.