Taxiing to runway 17L at sdf, crew was instructed to hold short of taxiway D, but instead held short...

Attributes
ACN	499593
Time
Date	200101
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sdf.airport
State Reference	KY
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 5800 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	499593
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other controllerb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was the first officer on air carrier X from sdf to lcx on 1/mon/01. I called for taxi instructions after push back and we were cleared to taxi to runway 17L. While taxiing on 'K' I noticed a hold line with a small yellow sign next to the taxiway. The captain stopped the aircraft, and I asked what the sign said. The ground controller couldn't read it as the tower is 2 mi away. Controller instructed us to continue to runway 17L hold short of taxiway 'D'. The captain understood hold short of runway 17L on taxiway 'D'. We held short of runway and I switched to the tower frequency. Tower called us and asked why we were there. Controller then cleared us for takeoff. The captain called the tower upon arrival and we were told that an obstacle clearance area exists. This is not denoted on the commercial pages. I should have queried the ground controller about whether we were to hold short of the taxiway or the runway, especially when the captain and I had differing opinions. There should also be better taxiway signage, especially in regards to the small sign.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAXIING TO RWY 17L AT SDF, CREW WAS INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY D, BUT INSTEAD HELD SHORT OF THE RWY.

Narrative: I WAS THE FO ON ACR X FROM SDF TO LCX ON 1/MON/01. I CALLED FOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AFTER PUSH BACK AND WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 17L. WHILE TAXIING ON 'K' I NOTICED A HOLD LINE WITH A SMALL YELLOW SIGN NEXT TO THE TXWY. THE CAPT STOPPED THE ACFT, AND I ASKED WHAT THE SIGN SAID. THE GND CTLR COULDN'T READ IT AS THE TWR IS 2 MI AWAY. CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO CONTINUE TO RWY 17L HOLD SHORT OF TXWY 'D'. THE CAPT UNDERSTOOD HOLD SHORT OF RWY 17L ON TXWY 'D'. WE HELD SHORT OF RWY AND I SWITCHED TO THE TWR FREQ. TWR CALLED US AND ASKED WHY WE WERE THERE. CTLR THEN CLRED US FOR TKOF. THE CAPT CALLED THE TWR UPON ARR AND WE WERE TOLD THAT AN OBSTACLE CLRNC AREA EXISTS. THIS IS NOT DENOTED ON THE COMMERCIAL PAGES. I SHOULD HAVE QUERIED THE GND CTLR ABOUT WHETHER WE WERE TO HOLD SHORT OF THE TXWY OR THE RWY, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE CAPT AND I HAD DIFFERING OPINIONS. THERE SHOULD ALSO BE BETTER TXWY SIGNAGE, ESPECIALLY IN REGARDS TO THE SMALL SIGN.

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.

Taxiing to runway 17L at sdf, crew was instructed to hold short of taxiway D, but instead held short of the runway.