Narrative:

Approaching harrisburg international airport (mdt), the ATIS information mentioned something about taxiway F, and I recall the recorded message saying, 'do not cross this line.' on final approach to runway 31, I looked down as I crossed the area mentioned on ATIS, and saw nothing unusual. I was expecting construction or equipment problems. I did not taxi near this intersection since I landed down from this position mentioned in the ATIS. I passed it off as not relevant to my present position and final destination to the ramp. I did not understand the nature of the warning and felt uneasy not knowing what the problem was. I departed the ramp 3 hours later and was told to taxi to runway 31. A learjet taxiing in front of me (military type) stopped at or near intersection F and continued taxiing to runway 31. I stopped in sequence and continued to follow the learjet. Ground control gave instructions to stop and advised me I had crossed the hold line at taxiway F. A large transport plane landed, and I was later cleared for takeoff. I had never encountered a hold line this far from the runway, and did not notice the marking. There were no flashing yellow warning lights common on intxns, or any other signage indicating the need for heads up at this intersection that I recall. When told to taxi to runway 31, I took it as a clearance to taxi to the runway. I would have expected the clearance to read, 'taxi to runway 31, hold at or do not cross taxiway F.' I was not familiar with this airport, and feel if this hold line was that important, the warning should be included in the ground control clearance as a clearance limit, thereby ensuring a greater emphasis to heed this stop due to readback requirements. Looking at the airport diagram in the united states terminal procedures book, I see no sign of a holding line. They do warn of runway crossing clrncs, however. For 100% compliance, it is my opinion that pilots unfamiliar with this operation will require more than an ATIS mention for clarity.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AC90 PLT HAD A RWY INCURSION AFTER HE DID NOT HOLD AT THE HOLD LINE THAT WAS POSITIONED 300 FT FROM THE END OF THE RWY.

Narrative: APCHING HARRISBURG INTL ARPT (MDT), THE ATIS INFO MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT TXWY F, AND I RECALL THE RECORDED MESSAGE SAYING, 'DO NOT CROSS THIS LINE.' ON FINAL APCH TO RWY 31, I LOOKED DOWN AS I CROSSED THE AREA MENTIONED ON ATIS, AND SAW NOTHING UNUSUAL. I WAS EXPECTING CONSTRUCTION OR EQUIP PROBS. I DID NOT TAXI NEAR THIS INTXN SINCE I LANDED DOWN FROM THIS POS MENTIONED IN THE ATIS. I PASSED IT OFF AS NOT RELEVANT TO MY PRESENT POS AND FINAL DEST TO THE RAMP. I DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF THE WARNING AND FELT UNEASY NOT KNOWING WHAT THE PROB WAS. I DEPARTED THE RAMP 3 HRS LATER AND WAS TOLD TO TAXI TO RWY 31. A LEARJET TAXIING IN FRONT OF ME (MIL TYPE) STOPPED AT OR NEAR INTXN F AND CONTINUED TAXIING TO RWY 31. I STOPPED IN SEQUENCE AND CONTINUED TO FOLLOW THE LEARJET. GND CTL GAVE INSTRUCTIONS TO STOP AND ADVISED ME I HAD CROSSED THE HOLD LINE AT TXWY F. A LARGE TRANSPORT PLANE LANDED, AND I WAS LATER CLRED FOR TKOF. I HAD NEVER ENCOUNTERED A HOLD LINE THIS FAR FROM THE RWY, AND DID NOT NOTICE THE MARKING. THERE WERE NO FLASHING YELLOW WARNING LIGHTS COMMON ON INTXNS, OR ANY OTHER SIGNAGE INDICATING THE NEED FOR HEADS UP AT THIS INTXN THAT I RECALL. WHEN TOLD TO TAXI TO RWY 31, I TOOK IT AS A CLRNC TO TAXI TO THE RWY. I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED THE CLRNC TO READ, 'TAXI TO RWY 31, HOLD AT OR DO NOT CROSS TXWY F.' I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS ARPT, AND FEEL IF THIS HOLD LINE WAS THAT IMPORTANT, THE WARNING SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE GND CTL CLRNC AS A CLRNC LIMIT, THEREBY ENSURING A GREATER EMPHASIS TO HEED THIS STOP DUE TO READBACK REQUIREMENTS. LOOKING AT THE ARPT DIAGRAM IN THE UNITED STATES TERMINAL PROCS BOOK, I SEE NO SIGN OF A HOLDING LINE. THEY DO WARN OF RWY XING CLRNCS, HOWEVER. FOR 100% COMPLIANCE, IT IS MY OPINION THAT PLTS UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS OP WILL REQUIRE MORE THAN AN ATIS MENTION FOR CLARITY.

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.