Narrative:

I was providing OJT instruction to a controller in training. The PIC of the harmon rocket requested taxi instructions from the northwest side of the airport to the southeast side of the airport. This would require crossing the active runway. The pilot of the rocket was instructed by the trainee to hold short of runway 21L at taxiway C3. The pilot of the rocket read back the hold short instructions. I observed the rocket approaching the hold bars on taxiway C3 and determined that the aircraft was not going to stop. I instructed the pilot of the rocket to 'stop.' the aircraft stopped between the hold bars and the runway edge. The pilot stated 'I am holding short of the runway.' I advised him that he was about 40 ft past the hold bars. I also advised the local controller that his runway was not clear. The departing duchess was rotating and was at approximately 200 ft AGL as he passed taxiway C3. Supplemental information from acn 574326: called ground for clearance to taxi from my hangar to a maintenance facility on the other side of the field, across the active runway 21L. Initially I was told: 'taxi via taxiway a, then the north ramp, hold short of runway 21L on taxiway C4.' there was already another aircraft holding at taxiway C4 so they said 'now taxi via taxiway B to taxiway C, hold short of runway 21L at taxiway C3.' normally I would have been cleared to cross the active at taxiway 4, a direct route. When I arrived at taxiway C3, which is a diagonal taxiway, I could see that I would probably be cleared to cross the active on taxiway east, which joins taxiway C3 at an angle. I was focused on the taxiway/runway signs there to make sure that I would be lied up for taxiway east, when I realized I had crossed the hold short line. I stopped immediately. Ground said 'stop!' I said 'I am already stopped.' they replied 'yes, but you are already well past the hold short line.' this was true. I estimate that I was about 1 fuselage length beyond the line. I was then cleared across the active to Y det. No aircraft were told to go around or hold takeoff. So what caused the problem? Too narrow a focus on my part. An unusually circuitous taxi route to an unfamiliar crossing point caused me to concentrate on the taxi route and miss seeing the hold short line until I was crossing it. A contributing factor was that my aircraft is a tail-dragger, which has very limited forward visibility on the ground, requiring s-turns to see ahead. I still should have anticipated the hold short line and seen it in plenty of time to stop. I needed to maintain a wider scan. Lesson learned.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT TAXIING ON PRC ENTERED RWY WITHOUT ATC CLRNC.

Narrative: I WAS PROVIDING OJT INSTRUCTION TO A CTLR IN TRAINING. THE PIC OF THE HARMON ROCKET REQUESTED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE NW SIDE OF THE ARPT TO THE SE SIDE OF THE ARPT. THIS WOULD REQUIRE XING THE ACTIVE RWY. THE PLT OF THE ROCKET WAS INSTRUCTED BY THE TRAINEE TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 21L AT TXWY C3. THE PLT OF THE ROCKET READ BACK THE HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS. I OBSERVED THE ROCKET APCHING THE HOLD BARS ON TXWY C3 AND DETERMINED THAT THE ACFT WAS NOT GOING TO STOP. I INSTRUCTED THE PLT OF THE ROCKET TO 'STOP.' THE ACFT STOPPED BTWN THE HOLD BARS AND THE RWY EDGE. THE PLT STATED 'I AM HOLDING SHORT OF THE RWY.' I ADVISED HIM THAT HE WAS ABOUT 40 FT PAST THE HOLD BARS. I ALSO ADVISED THE LCL CTLR THAT HIS RWY WAS NOT CLR. THE DEPARTING DUCHESS WAS ROTATING AND WAS AT APPROX 200 FT AGL AS HE PASSED TXWY C3. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 574326: CALLED GND FOR CLRNC TO TAXI FROM MY HANGAR TO A MAINT FACILITY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FIELD, ACROSS THE ACTIVE RWY 21L. INITIALLY I WAS TOLD: 'TAXI VIA TXWY A, THEN THE N RAMP, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 21L ON TXWY C4.' THERE WAS ALREADY ANOTHER ACFT HOLDING AT TXWY C4 SO THEY SAID 'NOW TAXI VIA TXWY B TO TXWY C, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 21L AT TXWY C3.' NORMALLY I WOULD HAVE BEEN CLRED TO CROSS THE ACTIVE AT TXWY 4, A DIRECT RTE. WHEN I ARRIVED AT TXWY C3, WHICH IS A DIAGONAL TXWY, I COULD SEE THAT I WOULD PROBABLY BE CLRED TO CROSS THE ACTIVE ON TXWY E, WHICH JOINS TXWY C3 AT AN ANGLE. I WAS FOCUSED ON THE TXWY/RWY SIGNS THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT I WOULD BE LIED UP FOR TXWY E, WHEN I REALIZED I HAD CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE. I STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. GND SAID 'STOP!' I SAID 'I AM ALREADY STOPPED.' THEY REPLIED 'YES, BUT YOU ARE ALREADY WELL PAST THE HOLD SHORT LINE.' THIS WAS TRUE. I ESTIMATE THAT I WAS ABOUT 1 FUSELAGE LENGTH BEYOND THE LINE. I WAS THEN CLRED ACROSS THE ACTIVE TO Y DET. NO ACFT WERE TOLD TO GO AROUND OR HOLD TKOF. SO WHAT CAUSED THE PROB? TOO NARROW A FOCUS ON MY PART. AN UNUSUALLY CIRCUITOUS TAXI RTE TO AN UNFAMILIAR XING POINT CAUSED ME TO CONCENTRATE ON THE TAXI RTE AND MISS SEEING THE HOLD SHORT LINE UNTIL I WAS XING IT. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THAT MY ACFT IS A TAIL-DRAGGER, WHICH HAS VERY LIMITED FORWARD VISIBILITY ON THE GND, REQUIRING S-TURNS TO SEE AHEAD. I STILL SHOULD HAVE ANTICIPATED THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND SEEN IT IN PLENTY OF TIME TO STOP. I NEEDED TO MAINTAIN A WIDER SCAN. LESSON LEARNED.

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.