An MD80 crew feels a possible runway incursion occurred during taxi for takeoff.

Attributes
ACN	503715
Time
Date	200103
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sdf.airport
State Reference	KY
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other Other
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 1740
ASRS Report	503715
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
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:

We were taxiing to runway 35R in sdf on the parallel, taxiway D. It was day, VFR and the airport was not busy as we could tell we would be #1 for departure as we left the gate. After crossing runway 11/29 on taxiway D, the captain called for the before takeoff checklist. My attention went from outside the aircraft to inside for checklist completion. I switched our radio to tower frequency at ground's request. After completing the checklist, I looked outside and saw the red sign 'runway 35R-approach' and runway hold line rapidly approaching. Before I could take action (either verbally or actively) in stopping the airplane, tower cleared us onto the runway for takeoff. If tower had not cleared us to take off at that exact moment, a runway incursion would certainly have occurred due to our speed approaching the hold line. There is some confusion, especially at louisville, with regard to mandatory runway holding signs (runway 35R) and mandatory runway approach area holding signs (runway 35R-approach). Maintaining outside vigilance as well as ground/tower specific instructions would most certainly rectify this situation in the future.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CREW FEELS A POSSIBLE RWY INCURSION OCCURRED DURING TAXI FOR TKOF.

Narrative: WE WERE TAXIING TO RWY 35R IN SDF ON THE PARALLEL, TXWY D. IT WAS DAY, VFR AND THE ARPT WAS NOT BUSY AS WE COULD TELL WE WOULD BE #1 FOR DEP AS WE LEFT THE GATE. AFTER XING RWY 11/29 ON TXWY D, THE CAPT CALLED FOR THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST. MY ATTN WENT FROM OUTSIDE THE ACFT TO INSIDE FOR CHKLIST COMPLETION. I SWITCHED OUR RADIO TO TWR FREQ AT GND'S REQUEST. AFTER COMPLETING THE CHKLIST, I LOOKED OUTSIDE AND SAW THE RED SIGN 'RWY 35R-APCH' AND RWY HOLD LINE RAPIDLY APCHING. BEFORE I COULD TAKE ACTION (EITHER VERBALLY OR ACTIVELY) IN STOPPING THE AIRPLANE, TWR CLRED US ONTO THE RWY FOR TKOF. IF TWR HAD NOT CLRED US TO TAKE OFF AT THAT EXACT MOMENT, A RWY INCURSION WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE OCCURRED DUE TO OUR SPD APCHING THE HOLD LINE. THERE IS SOME CONFUSION, ESPECIALLY AT LOUISVILLE, WITH REGARD TO MANDATORY RWY HOLDING SIGNS (RWY 35R) AND MANDATORY RWY APCH AREA HOLDING SIGNS (RWY 35R-APCH). MAINTAINING OUTSIDE VIGILANCE AS WELL AS GND/TWR SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS WOULD MOST CERTAINLY RECTIFY THIS SIT IN THE FUTURE.

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.