Narrative:

After engine start we pulled out on hangar ramp in front of hangar X and stopped to call tower for clearance. Tower gave txwys a, C, P to xx. I acknowledged txwys a, C, P. We proceeded down ramp around to taxiway a, heading west. As we came abeam approximately end of F concourse, tower called and asked us to report when we got to spot 6 for ground radar check. I acknowledged. We passed spot 16 and I told tower we had just passed spot 16. Tower replied, 'just report at spot 6.' I acknowledged. This was at about the wide open area at txwys a-d and visibility seemed to be worse as we angled toward taxiway C. At this time we were searching for spot 6 marker, and I was looking to the right for taxiway C turnoff. Looking forward for spot 6 again, I must have missed the taxiway D turn while talking to tower earlier, and then thought taxiway C was taxiway D. We passed what was actually taxiway C and I saw the blue taxiway lights to the right and slightly forward and thought that was the right side of taxiway C. As we passed, I never saw the hold short marking for runway 4/22 and noticed the white runway lights and white shoulder stripe. At this point, I knew we had begun to cross runway 4/22 and I said 'that's the runway!' we were committed to and had to continue to cross to clear the runway. At this point tower told us to stop. Then I asked tower if he could see us. He acknowledged. He cleared us right on taxiway M, right on taxiway P to runway xx. Coming across runway 4/22 on taxiway P, the entire length of taxiway P was clear and visibility good. Tower notified us of the event. Factors: fog pocket, searching for spot 6, radio communication while searching, poor communication of crew, no help from tower offered, no markings on the taxi line with signs too far to the side -- maybe blind spot from window post. Multi-tasking. Concentrating on looking through fog for references instead of concentrating on taxiway markings.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9-50 BEING TAXIED FROM THE HANGAR TO THE GATE EXECUTED A RWY INCURSION DUE TO REDUCED VISIBILITY, POOR CREW COM, AND POOR TXWY MARKINGS.

Narrative: AFTER ENG START WE PULLED OUT ON HANGAR RAMP IN FRONT OF HANGAR X AND STOPPED TO CALL TWR FOR CLRNC. TWR GAVE TXWYS A, C, P TO XX. I ACKNOWLEDGED TXWYS A, C, P. WE PROCEEDED DOWN RAMP AROUND TO TXWY A, HDG W. AS WE CAME ABEAM APPROX END OF F CONCOURSE, TWR CALLED AND ASKED US TO RPT WHEN WE GOT TO SPOT 6 FOR GND RADAR CHK. I ACKNOWLEDGED. WE PASSED SPOT 16 AND I TOLD TWR WE HAD JUST PASSED SPOT 16. TWR REPLIED, 'JUST RPT AT SPOT 6.' I ACKNOWLEDGED. THIS WAS AT ABOUT THE WIDE OPEN AREA AT TXWYS A-D AND VISIBILITY SEEMED TO BE WORSE AS WE ANGLED TOWARD TXWY C. AT THIS TIME WE WERE SEARCHING FOR SPOT 6 MARKER, AND I WAS LOOKING TO THE R FOR TXWY C TURNOFF. LOOKING FORWARD FOR SPOT 6 AGAIN, I MUST HAVE MISSED THE TXWY D TURN WHILE TALKING TO TWR EARLIER, AND THEN THOUGHT TXWY C WAS TXWY D. WE PASSED WHAT WAS ACTUALLY TXWY C AND I SAW THE BLUE TXWY LIGHTS TO THE R AND SLIGHTLY FORWARD AND THOUGHT THAT WAS THE R SIDE OF TXWY C. AS WE PASSED, I NEVER SAW THE HOLD SHORT MARKING FOR RWY 4/22 AND NOTICED THE WHITE RWY LIGHTS AND WHITE SHOULDER STRIPE. AT THIS POINT, I KNEW WE HAD BEGUN TO CROSS RWY 4/22 AND I SAID 'THAT'S THE RWY!' WE WERE COMMITTED TO AND HAD TO CONTINUE TO CROSS TO CLR THE RWY. AT THIS POINT TWR TOLD US TO STOP. THEN I ASKED TWR IF HE COULD SEE US. HE ACKNOWLEDGED. HE CLRED US R ON TXWY M, R ON TXWY P TO RWY XX. COMING ACROSS RWY 4/22 ON TXWY P, THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF TXWY P WAS CLR AND VISIBILITY GOOD. TWR NOTIFIED US OF THE EVENT. FACTORS: FOG POCKET, SEARCHING FOR SPOT 6, RADIO COM WHILE SEARCHING, POOR COM OF CREW, NO HELP FROM TWR OFFERED, NO MARKINGS ON THE TAXI LINE WITH SIGNS TOO FAR TO THE SIDE -- MAYBE BLIND SPOT FROM WINDOW POST. MULTI-TASKING. CONCENTRATING ON LOOKING THROUGH FOG FOR REFS INSTEAD OF CONCENTRATING ON TXWY MARKINGS.

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.