Narrative:

After pushback in las from gate, we taxied to spot X. Ground control asked if we could accept runway 1L at intersection B. We checked the performance and found that option acceptable. Ground cleared us onto taxiway B to follow several other aircraft. Some were going to runway 1R and others to runway 1L to taxiway B. We had been moving west about 15 mins when we approached the intersection of txwys B and D. The aircraft ahead of us approached taxiway D. They were cleared to cross runway 1R. I taxied slowly across taxiway D and was looking for the hold short line for runway 1R, but never saw it. I didn't realize I had gone too far until the first officer said 'stop.' we looked left and saw an aircraft pull into position, put its lights on and begin the takeoff roll on runway 1R. We were not on the runway, but we were too close for comfort, so I immediately backed up a few yards. The tower asked if we had encroached on runway 1R and I said yes. The tower then issued a go around to an aircraft on final, then cleared us to cross runway 1R and hold short of runway 1L. A min later, we were cleared for takeoff on runway 1L at taxiway B. The tower made no further comment. Supplemental information from acn 572567: I told the captain we needed to stop because I thought we had passed the hold short line. I remember seeing a red runway marker on the left side of the aircraft but thought it was for runway 25R/7L -- it seemed too far from runway 1R. I saw green centerline taxi lights lead across runway 1R but did not see the hold short line (the taxi light was not very bright) nor was the line lit by in ground lights. I also did not see runway edge lights on runway 1R across the taxiway B making it difficult to know where the runway began. Both of us had the airfield diagram out during taxi. We later noted that there isn't a hold line depicted on the diagram. I believe several factors contributed to this incursion: night, taxiing to a non-standard runway, intersection takeoff (per ground request), poor taxiway/runway edge lighting, weak taxi light on aircraft, aircraft taking off full length and at intxns, and lack of cockpit verbalization as we looked for the hold short line. In the future I will verbalize what I see to the captain as we get in the hold short area to insure the captain knows where to stop.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-700 FLT CREW ACCIDENTALLY CROSSES THE RWY HOLD SHORT LINE AT NIGHT.

Narrative: AFTER PUSHBACK IN LAS FROM GATE, WE TAXIED TO SPOT X. GND CTL ASKED IF WE COULD ACCEPT RWY 1L AT INTXN B. WE CHKED THE PERFORMANCE AND FOUND THAT OPTION ACCEPTABLE. GND CLRED US ONTO TXWY B TO FOLLOW SEVERAL OTHER ACFT. SOME WERE GOING TO RWY 1R AND OTHERS TO RWY 1L TO TXWY B. WE HAD BEEN MOVING W ABOUT 15 MINS WHEN WE APCHED THE INTXN OF TXWYS B AND D. THE ACFT AHEAD OF US APCHED TXWY D. THEY WERE CLRED TO CROSS RWY 1R. I TAXIED SLOWLY ACROSS TXWY D AND WAS LOOKING FOR THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 1R, BUT NEVER SAW IT. I DIDN'T REALIZE I HAD GONE TOO FAR UNTIL THE FO SAID 'STOP.' WE LOOKED L AND SAW AN ACFT PULL INTO POS, PUT ITS LIGHTS ON AND BEGIN THE TKOF ROLL ON RWY 1R. WE WERE NOT ON THE RWY, BUT WE WERE TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT, SO I IMMEDIATELY BACKED UP A FEW YARDS. THE TWR ASKED IF WE HAD ENCROACHED ON RWY 1R AND I SAID YES. THE TWR THEN ISSUED A GAR TO AN ACFT ON FINAL, THEN CLRED US TO CROSS RWY 1R AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 1L. A MIN LATER, WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 1L AT TXWY B. THE TWR MADE NO FURTHER COMMENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 572567: I TOLD THE CAPT WE NEEDED TO STOP BECAUSE I THOUGHT WE HAD PASSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE. I REMEMBER SEEING A RED RWY MARKER ON THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT BUT THOUGHT IT WAS FOR RWY 25R/7L -- IT SEEMED TOO FAR FROM RWY 1R. I SAW GREEN CTRLINE TAXI LIGHTS LEAD ACROSS RWY 1R BUT DID NOT SEE THE HOLD SHORT LINE (THE TAXI LIGHT WAS NOT VERY BRIGHT) NOR WAS THE LINE LIT BY IN GND LIGHTS. I ALSO DID NOT SEE RWY EDGE LIGHTS ON RWY 1R ACROSS THE TXWY B MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO KNOW WHERE THE RWY BEGAN. BOTH OF US HAD THE AIRFIELD DIAGRAM OUT DURING TAXI. WE LATER NOTED THAT THERE ISN'T A HOLD LINE DEPICTED ON THE DIAGRAM. I BELIEVE SEVERAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCURSION: NIGHT, TAXIING TO A NON-STANDARD RWY, INTXN TKOF (PER GND REQUEST), POOR TXWY/RWY EDGE LIGHTING, WEAK TAXI LIGHT ON ACFT, ACFT TAKING OFF FULL LENGTH AND AT INTXNS, AND LACK OF COCKPIT VERBALIZATION AS WE LOOKED FOR THE HOLD SHORT LINE. IN THE FUTURE I WILL VERBALIZE WHAT I SEE TO THE CAPT AS WE GET IN THE HOLD SHORT AREA TO INSURE THE CAPT KNOWS WHERE TO STOP.

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.