Narrative:

Landed runway 09R at atl hartsfield airport. Rolled to the very end to taxiway K with instruction from tower to, 'hold short runway 09L.' we acknowledged and proceeded. The first officer asked a question about the landing and just then I realized we were about to cross runway 09L as tower also saw what was about to happen and called for us to hold short. Our nose just over and crossed onto the hold short line on the taxiway. ATC then cleared the other aircraft to takeoff and after liftoff, ATC then cleared us to taxi across runway 09L. Several things come to mind on this near incident that trouble me. First, I now realize how insidious this problem really is. I consider myself very conscientious to the point of being a grandmother about runway crossings. Yet the unthinkable almost happened to me. I have told myself that I will never let myself do that ever again. However, intellectually, I now realize how easy it is to blow it. I can cite distraction, possible hunger, fatigue or any other number of excuses as to why I almost crossed the line. But ultimately, it is my responsibility to ensure this doesn't happen. Yes, the system worked. Both myself and ATC caught the almost err, but what if we hadn't? I have vowed to redouble my efforts. I have also given some thought to how we as an industry can come up with something that really works with regard to accidental runway crossing. Possibly installing wire transmitters at all taxiway/runway intxns that would signal the TCAS similar to an 'RA' traffic call and upon crossing the wire would alert crews of an impending runway crossing. I know I would love to have a 'whack over the head' prior to any runway crossings. Well, a lesson learned for me. I hope our industry can come up with something as good as TCAS to help with this problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE AT ATL RWY 09L AFTER BEING INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT.

Narrative: LANDED RWY 09R AT ATL HARTSFIELD ARPT. ROLLED TO THE VERY END TO TXWY K WITH INSTRUCTION FROM TWR TO, 'HOLD SHORT RWY 09L.' WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND PROCEEDED. THE FO ASKED A QUESTION ABOUT THE LANDING AND JUST THEN I REALIZED WE WERE ABOUT TO CROSS RWY 09L AS TWR ALSO SAW WHAT WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN AND CALLED FOR US TO HOLD SHORT. OUR NOSE JUST OVER AND CROSSED ONTO THE HOLD SHORT LINE ON THE TXWY. ATC THEN CLRED THE OTHER ACFT TO TKOF AND AFTER LIFTOFF, ATC THEN CLRED US TO TAXI ACROSS RWY 09L. SEVERAL THINGS COME TO MIND ON THIS NEAR INCIDENT THAT TROUBLE ME. FIRST, I NOW REALIZE HOW INSIDIOUS THIS PROB REALLY IS. I CONSIDER MYSELF VERY CONSCIENTIOUS TO THE POINT OF BEING A GRANDMOTHER ABOUT RWY CROSSINGS. YET THE UNTHINKABLE ALMOST HAPPENED TO ME. I HAVE TOLD MYSELF THAT I WILL NEVER LET MYSELF DO THAT EVER AGAIN. HOWEVER, INTELLECTUALLY, I NOW REALIZE HOW EASY IT IS TO BLOW IT. I CAN CITE DISTRACTION, POSSIBLE HUNGER, FATIGUE OR ANY OTHER NUMBER OF EXCUSES AS TO WHY I ALMOST CROSSED THE LINE. BUT ULTIMATELY, IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN. YES, THE SYSTEM WORKED. BOTH MYSELF AND ATC CAUGHT THE ALMOST ERR, BUT WHAT IF WE HADN'T? I HAVE VOWED TO REDOUBLE MY EFFORTS. I HAVE ALSO GIVEN SOME THOUGHT TO HOW WE AS AN INDUSTRY CAN COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT REALLY WORKS WITH REGARD TO ACCIDENTAL RWY CROSSING. POSSIBLY INSTALLING WIRE XMITTERS AT ALL TXWY/RWY INTXNS THAT WOULD SIGNAL THE TCAS SIMILAR TO AN 'RA' TFC CALL AND UPON CROSSING THE WIRE WOULD ALERT CREWS OF AN IMPENDING RWY CROSSING. I KNOW I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A 'WHACK OVER THE HEAD' PRIOR TO ANY RWY CROSSINGS. WELL, A LESSON LEARNED FOR ME. I HOPE OUR INDUSTRY CAN COME UP WITH SOMETHING AS GOOD AS TCAS TO HELP WITH THIS PROB.

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.