Narrative:

My inbound flight to elp was XXX1. Our scheduled departure time out of ZZZ1 was xa:00, arrival elp at xb:00. Our actual departure time from ZZZ1 was xb:00, arrival elp at xc:00. Our delay was due to a hydraulic problem and an exterior lighting problem. Our scheduled ground time in elp was :49. The aircraft was turned in 26 minutes in an attempt to get the aircraft back on schedule. The departure ATIS listed runway 4 as the primary runway for takeoff and landing along with runway 8R for departure only. The aircraft was parked and we set the MD80 up for an 8 degree flap for runway 4 with standard thrust. The aircraft was pushed straight back and when we contacted ground control, we were told to taxi to 8R, our airport information sheets produced by our company requires a left hand turnout for 8R. The elp ramp areas, txwys and runways are all asphalt and everything looks the same. I began to make the 180 degree turn to get my bearings and began the taxi to 8R. My first officer had his head down in the cockpit because 8R requires a different flap setting, speed and power settings because it is a shorter runway. In trying to complete the tight 180 degree turn, the aircraft taxied beyond the hold short lines for 8R which I did not even see. When taxiing, I normally look for hold short signs and then stop prior to the hold short lines. In this case the aircraft was taxied beyond the hold short line as well as on taxiway F which is a south direction only taxiway. The incursion resulted from: 1. Rushing - the aircraft arriving late and the quick 26 minute turn due to the mechanicals in ZZZ1. 2. The change in departure runway from what was planned resulting in the aircraft being reconfigured and the first officer being heads down. 3. Lack of proper airport signs. My first flight to elp was probably over 10 yrs ago. Flight XXX was my second time to elp so I'm not that familiar with it. I believe the first taxiway F sign I saw was in the distance across from 8R that was a hold short sign for runway 4 on taxiway F. I don't believe there was a taxiway F sign from the ramp area which would help in orientation. This all happened so fast with the 180 degree turn, but I also don't believe there is a taxiway F runway 8R hold short sign at the spot where the incursion occurred. Runway 8R doesn't even look like a runway because it is a displaced threshold. I believe the only indication you have is the painted hold short line which I didn't see because I was making the turn and thinking in my mind that the runway would be a little farther from the ramp area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE OF AN ACTIVE RWY IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE RAMP TXWY, CLAIMING SIGNAGE/MARKING PROBS WITH TXWY F.

Narrative: MY INBND FLT TO ELP WAS XXX1. OUR SCHEDULED DEP TIME OUT OF ZZZ1 WAS XA:00, ARR ELP AT XB:00. OUR ACTUAL DEP TIME FROM ZZZ1 WAS XB:00, ARR ELP AT XC:00. OUR DELAY WAS DUE TO A HYDRAULIC PROB AND AN EXTERIOR LIGHTING PROB. OUR SCHEDULED GND TIME IN ELP WAS :49. THE ACFT WAS TURNED IN 26 MINUTES IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET THE ACFT BACK ON SCHEDULE. THE DEP ATIS LISTED RWY 4 AS THE PRIMARY RWY FOR TKOF AND LNDG ALONG WITH RWY 8R FOR DEP ONLY. THE ACFT WAS PARKED AND WE SET THE MD80 UP FOR AN 8 DEG FLAP FOR RWY 4 WITH STANDARD THRUST. THE ACFT WAS PUSHED STRAIGHT BACK AND WHEN WE CONTACTED GND CTL, WE WERE TOLD TO TAXI TO 8R, OUR ARPT INFO SHEETS PRODUCED BY OUR COMPANY REQUIRES A L HAND TURNOUT FOR 8R. THE ELP RAMP AREAS, TXWYS AND RWYS ARE ALL ASPHALT AND EVERYTHING LOOKS THE SAME. I BEGAN TO MAKE THE 180 DEG TURN TO GET MY BEARINGS AND BEGAN THE TAXI TO 8R. MY FIRST OFFICER HAD HIS HEAD DOWN IN THE COCKPIT BECAUSE 8R REQUIRES A DIFFERENT FLAP SETTING, SPEED AND POWER SETTINGS BECAUSE IT IS A SHORTER RWY. IN TRYING TO COMPLETE THE TIGHT 180 DEG TURN, THE ACFT TAXIED BEYOND THE HOLD SHORT LINES FOR 8R WHICH I DID NOT EVEN SEE. WHEN TAXIING, I NORMALLY LOOK FOR HOLD SHORT SIGNS AND THEN STOP PRIOR TO THE HOLD SHORT LINES. IN THIS CASE THE ACFT WAS TAXIED BEYOND THE HOLD SHORT LINE AS WELL AS ON TXWY F WHICH IS A S DIRECTION ONLY TXWY. THE INCURSION RESULTED FROM: 1. RUSHING - THE ACFT ARRIVING LATE AND THE QUICK 26 MINUTE TURN DUE TO THE MECHANICALS IN ZZZ1. 2. THE CHANGE IN DEP RWY FROM WHAT WAS PLANNED RESULTING IN THE ACFT BEING RECONFIGURED AND THE FO BEING HEADS DOWN. 3. LACK OF PROPER ARPT SIGNS. MY FIRST FLT TO ELP WAS PROBABLY OVER 10 YRS AGO. FLT XXX WAS MY SECOND TIME TO ELP SO I'M NOT THAT FAMILIAR WITH IT. I BELIEVE THE FIRST TXWY F SIGN I SAW WAS IN THE DISTANCE ACROSS FROM 8R THAT WAS A HOLD SHORT SIGN FOR RWY 4 ON TXWY F. I DON'T BELIEVE THERE WAS A TXWY F SIGN FROM THE RAMP AREA WHICH WOULD HELP IN ORIENTATION. THIS ALL HAPPENED SO FAST WITH THE 180 DEG TURN, BUT I ALSO DON'T BELIEVE THERE IS A TXWY F RWY 8R HOLD SHORT SIGN AT THE SPOT WHERE THE INCURSION OCCURRED. RWY 8R DOESN'T EVEN LOOK LIKE A RWY BECAUSE IT IS A DISPLACED THRESHOLD. I BELIEVE THE ONLY INDICATION YOU HAVE IS THE PAINTED HOLD SHORT LINE WHICH I DIDN'T SEE BECAUSE I WAS MAKING THE TURN AND THINKING IN MY MIND THAT THE RWY WOULD BE A LITTLE FARTHER FROM THE RAMP AREA.

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.