Narrative:

Taxi clearance was to follow taxiway S5 northwest to runway 3R, taxi northeast on runway 3R to hold short of the active runway 27R. During taxi at night, runway 3R was given due to construction on taxiway west. Being unfamiliar, we asked the ground controller initially for directions. He was very busy and there were comments on the frequency about complicated taxi rtes due to taxiway closures and the controller did not seem to be clear and helpful to taxiing aircraft. After turning northeast on runway 3R, we saw no indications to identify the location of runway 27R (no hold lines or runway signage) and we noticed that we were following another aircraft in front of us. We could not tell at that time that the aircraft that we were following was on the north side of the active runway until we were too far into the intersection to stop. We noticed at that time an aircraft holding in position for takeoff, so we continued across the runway to get clear. At that time the controller noticed the incursion and asked us to contact the tower supervisor. We should have pestered the ground controller until he had time to help us with our taxi progress.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: G1159 CREW CROSS AN ACTIVE RWY WHILE FOLLOWING A VERY COMPLICATED RTE TO THEIR ASSIGNED RWY AT NIGHT.

Narrative: TAXI CLRNC WAS TO FOLLOW TXWY S5 NW TO RWY 3R, TAXI NE ON RWY 3R TO HOLD SHORT OF THE ACTIVE RWY 27R. DURING TAXI AT NIGHT, RWY 3R WAS GIVEN DUE TO CONSTRUCTION ON TXWY W. BEING UNFAMILIAR, WE ASKED THE GND CTLR INITIALLY FOR DIRECTIONS. HE WAS VERY BUSY AND THERE WERE COMMENTS ON THE FREQ ABOUT COMPLICATED TAXI RTES DUE TO TXWY CLOSURES AND THE CTLR DID NOT SEEM TO BE CLR AND HELPFUL TO TAXIING ACFT. AFTER TURNING NE ON RWY 3R, WE SAW NO INDICATIONS TO IDENT THE LOCATION OF RWY 27R (NO HOLD LINES OR RWY SIGNAGE) AND WE NOTICED THAT WE WERE FOLLOWING ANOTHER ACFT IN FRONT OF US. WE COULD NOT TELL AT THAT TIME THAT THE ACFT THAT WE WERE FOLLOWING WAS ON THE N SIDE OF THE ACTIVE RWY UNTIL WE WERE TOO FAR INTO THE INTXN TO STOP. WE NOTICED AT THAT TIME AN ACFT HOLDING IN POS FOR TKOF, SO WE CONTINUED ACROSS THE RWY TO GET CLR. AT THAT TIME THE CTLR NOTICED THE INCURSION AND ASKED US TO CONTACT THE TWR SUPVR. WE SHOULD HAVE PESTERED THE GND CTLR UNTIL HE HAD TIME TO HELP US WITH OUR TAXI PROGRESS.

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.