Narrative:

Preflight and pushback normal operations. Aircraft pushed back tail east on narrow taxiway between terminal and runway 8/26. Strong northwest wind dictated runway 33 in use. An MD80 had also pushed about the same time and was released on a taxiway parallel to runway 33 between the parking area and runway 33. A turboprop was pushed and running in front (to the south) of the MD80. It looked like we were #3 for takeoff. We received our taxi clearance to 'taxi slowly to follow the MD80, hold short of runway 33.' circumstances ended in our aircraft crossing the runway 33/15 hold bar, for our taxiway, by my guess of 20-30 ft before tower had us hold position. We were told to follow the MD80. Their aircraft was pushed to a position that is beyond the hold bar for our taxiway. The turboprop was even further away from us and closer to the beginning of runway than the MD80. Our yellow taxi line turned 90 degrees to the left to parallel runway 33 which is where the other 2 aircraft were. The hold bar for our taxiway is located approximately 1200 ft from the beginning of runway 33 and adjacent to it. Except for the parallel taxiway, there is no clear depiction on the airport plan view that the parallel taxiway does not take you to runway 33 (it does not). I am unfamiliar with taxiing to runway 33, it was all new to me. The now obvious constraints and restrs placed on the tower and aircraft movement for runway 33 departures, due to the lack of real estate, is not communicated to flight crews. I did not understand the big picture. What happened: after being told to taxi slowly and to follow the MD80, I taxied up to the 90 degree turn noticing the MD80 had begun to taxi. I also noticed how close the taxiway was to the tarmac boundary line which lies close to the runway boundary white line. I was directing my full concentration on the approaching turn (to follow the MD80) and remain within the boundary line. I did not see the hold bar or recognize that it was a hold bar for our runway. This is my fault. It is there. I was not looking for one for it is in an illogical location, especially given the fact that there were 2 aircraft not yet to the runway beyond our hold bar. The tower did a masterful job of halting me just some ft beyond the hold bar and then taxiing our jet and the MD80 to position us for safe takeoffs within their airfield's restrs. Suggestions: I don't know if it's feasible, but a set of amber flashing hold bar lights, either above ground or flush mounted, would help greatly to get the attention of the taxiing pilot. Also, air carrier Y should put in 'departure considerations' on the 10-7 page information on the fact that runway 33 is accessed only by back taxi, and the unusual position of the hold bar. This would help alert the first time runway 33 user of the fact that there are no usable txwys to the threshold of runway 33. I now understand the unique procedures for taxiing/back taxiing to bur runway 33. I feel for the uninitiated. It's a set-up.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 FLT CREW INADVERTENTLY CROSSED THE HOLD LINE FOR RWY 33 AT BUR WITHOUT A CLRNC.

Narrative: PREFLT AND PUSHBACK NORMAL OPS. ACFT PUSHED BACK TAIL E ON NARROW TXWY BTWN TERMINAL AND RWY 8/26. STRONG NW WIND DICTATED RWY 33 IN USE. AN MD80 HAD ALSO PUSHED ABOUT THE SAME TIME AND WAS RELEASED ON A TXWY PARALLEL TO RWY 33 BTWN THE PARKING AREA AND RWY 33. A TURBOPROP WAS PUSHED AND RUNNING IN FRONT (TO THE S) OF THE MD80. IT LOOKED LIKE WE WERE #3 FOR TKOF. WE RECEIVED OUR TAXI CLRNC TO 'TAXI SLOWLY TO FOLLOW THE MD80, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 33.' CIRCUMSTANCES ENDED IN OUR ACFT XING THE RWY 33/15 HOLD BAR, FOR OUR TXWY, BY MY GUESS OF 20-30 FT BEFORE TWR HAD US HOLD POS. WE WERE TOLD TO FOLLOW THE MD80. THEIR ACFT WAS PUSHED TO A POS THAT IS BEYOND THE HOLD BAR FOR OUR TXWY. THE TURBOPROP WAS EVEN FURTHER AWAY FROM US AND CLOSER TO THE BEGINNING OF RWY THAN THE MD80. OUR YELLOW TAXI LINE TURNED 90 DEGS TO THE L TO PARALLEL RWY 33 WHICH IS WHERE THE OTHER 2 ACFT WERE. THE HOLD BAR FOR OUR TXWY IS LOCATED APPROX 1200 FT FROM THE BEGINNING OF RWY 33 AND ADJACENT TO IT. EXCEPT FOR THE PARALLEL TXWY, THERE IS NO CLR DEPICTION ON THE ARPT PLAN VIEW THAT THE PARALLEL TXWY DOES NOT TAKE YOU TO RWY 33 (IT DOES NOT). I AM UNFAMILIAR WITH TAXIING TO RWY 33, IT WAS ALL NEW TO ME. THE NOW OBVIOUS CONSTRAINTS AND RESTRS PLACED ON THE TWR AND ACFT MOVEMENT FOR RWY 33 DEPS, DUE TO THE LACK OF REAL ESTATE, IS NOT COMMUNICATED TO FLT CREWS. I DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE BIG PICTURE. WHAT HAPPENED: AFTER BEING TOLD TO TAXI SLOWLY AND TO FOLLOW THE MD80, I TAXIED UP TO THE 90 DEG TURN NOTICING THE MD80 HAD BEGUN TO TAXI. I ALSO NOTICED HOW CLOSE THE TXWY WAS TO THE TARMAC BOUNDARY LINE WHICH LIES CLOSE TO THE RWY BOUNDARY WHITE LINE. I WAS DIRECTING MY FULL CONCENTRATION ON THE APCHING TURN (TO FOLLOW THE MD80) AND REMAIN WITHIN THE BOUNDARY LINE. I DID NOT SEE THE HOLD BAR OR RECOGNIZE THAT IT WAS A HOLD BAR FOR OUR RWY. THIS IS MY FAULT. IT IS THERE. I WAS NOT LOOKING FOR ONE FOR IT IS IN AN ILLOGICAL LOCATION, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE FACT THAT THERE WERE 2 ACFT NOT YET TO THE RWY BEYOND OUR HOLD BAR. THE TWR DID A MASTERFUL JOB OF HALTING ME JUST SOME FT BEYOND THE HOLD BAR AND THEN TAXIING OUR JET AND THE MD80 TO POS US FOR SAFE TKOFS WITHIN THEIR AIRFIELD'S RESTRS. SUGGESTIONS: I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S FEASIBLE, BUT A SET OF AMBER FLASHING HOLD BAR LIGHTS, EITHER ABOVE GND OR FLUSH MOUNTED, WOULD HELP GREATLY TO GET THE ATTN OF THE TAXIING PLT. ALSO, ACR Y SHOULD PUT IN 'DEP CONSIDERATIONS' ON THE 10-7 PAGE INFO ON THE FACT THAT RWY 33 IS ACCESSED ONLY BY BACK TAXI, AND THE UNUSUAL POS OF THE HOLD BAR. THIS WOULD HELP ALERT THE FIRST TIME RWY 33 USER OF THE FACT THAT THERE ARE NO USABLE TXWYS TO THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 33. I NOW UNDERSTAND THE UNIQUE PROCS FOR TAXIING/BACK TAXIING TO BUR RWY 33. I FEEL FOR THE UNINITIATED. IT'S A SET-UP.

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.