Narrative:

I had just flown to kansas city downtown to drop off a friend. He was picking up another bonanza, and then we would fly back to our home airport. He taxied out for departure right before me. Ground told me to 'follow the bonanza to runway 21.' the problem was, I wasn't paying enough attention and followed him (I guess about 50 ft) past the runway 21 hold short line and almost onto the runway. Here are things that contributed to my screw up: I did not have out an airport diagram. The jets taxiing out in front of my friend's airplane continued across runway 21 to runway 19, which I thought we were also doing. I neglected to pay attention to the airport markings and signs. I lacked situational awareness. My friend never stopped at the hold short line, probably because he had already switched to tower and received clearance to position and hold. I still had not switched to tower, because I thought I was still following him to the runway. As we taxied toward runway 21, my friend made a short back taxi to utilize the full length of the runway. He turned the other way and slowed, instead of preparing for takeoff, causing me to finally question myself. I realized my mistake too late. I instantly switched to tower and called ready. He responded by saying, 'are you the one that's up close to the runway there?' I answered, 'yes sir, I am sorry about that.' he said 'you can continue across the runway and hold short on the other side or turn around to the hold short line.' I quickly responded that I would turn around. From there, everything else was fine. I am relieved that the controller did not seem frustrated with me. I realize that I am totally at fault for crossing the hold short line. I am an experienced pilot and should know better. I think that having and using an airport diagram at all times while taxiing at an unfamiliar airport can prevent mistakes such as this. I need to have better situational awareness and not rely so much on the aircraft I am told to follow.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BEECH BONANZA PLT CROSSES RWY HOLD SHORT LINE WHILE INSTRUCTED BY TWR CTLR TO FOLLOW ANOTHER BONANZA OUT TO RWY.

Narrative: I HAD JUST FLOWN TO KANSAS CITY DOWNTOWN TO DROP OFF A FRIEND. HE WAS PICKING UP ANOTHER BONANZA, AND THEN WE WOULD FLY BACK TO OUR HOME ARPT. HE TAXIED OUT FOR DEP RIGHT BEFORE ME. GND TOLD ME TO 'FOLLOW THE BONANZA TO RWY 21.' THE PROB WAS, I WASN'T PAYING ENOUGH ATTN AND FOLLOWED HIM (I GUESS ABOUT 50 FT) PAST THE RWY 21 HOLD SHORT LINE AND ALMOST ONTO THE RWY. HERE ARE THINGS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO MY SCREW UP: I DID NOT HAVE OUT AN ARPT DIAGRAM. THE JETS TAXIING OUT IN FRONT OF MY FRIEND'S AIRPLANE CONTINUED ACROSS RWY 21 TO RWY 19, WHICH I THOUGHT WE WERE ALSO DOING. I NEGLECTED TO PAY ATTN TO THE ARPT MARKINGS AND SIGNS. I LACKED SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. MY FRIEND NEVER STOPPED AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE, PROBABLY BECAUSE HE HAD ALREADY SWITCHED TO TWR AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO POS AND HOLD. I STILL HAD NOT SWITCHED TO TWR, BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WAS STILL FOLLOWING HIM TO THE RWY. AS WE TAXIED TOWARD RWY 21, MY FRIEND MADE A SHORT BACK TAXI TO UTILIZE THE FULL LENGTH OF THE RWY. HE TURNED THE OTHER WAY AND SLOWED, INSTEAD OF PREPARING FOR TKOF, CAUSING ME TO FINALLY QUESTION MYSELF. I REALIZED MY MISTAKE TOO LATE. I INSTANTLY SWITCHED TO TWR AND CALLED READY. HE RESPONDED BY SAYING, 'ARE YOU THE ONE THAT'S UP CLOSE TO THE RWY THERE?' I ANSWERED, 'YES SIR, I AM SORRY ABOUT THAT.' HE SAID 'YOU CAN CONTINUE ACROSS THE RWY AND HOLD SHORT ON THE OTHER SIDE OR TURN AROUND TO THE HOLD SHORT LINE.' I QUICKLY RESPONDED THAT I WOULD TURN AROUND. FROM THERE, EVERYTHING ELSE WAS FINE. I AM RELIEVED THAT THE CTLR DID NOT SEEM FRUSTRATED WITH ME. I REALIZE THAT I AM TOTALLY AT FAULT FOR XING THE HOLD SHORT LINE. I AM AN EXPERIENCED PLT AND SHOULD KNOW BETTER. I THINK THAT HAVING AND USING AN ARPT DIAGRAM AT ALL TIMES WHILE TAXIING AT AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT CAN PREVENT MISTAKES SUCH AS THIS. I NEED TO HAVE BETTER SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND NOT RELY SO MUCH ON THE ACFT I AM TOLD TO FOLLOW.

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.