Narrative:

Pushing from gate; no push call required. Tug driver asked if we were going to taxi on taxiway south. I said yes; as the active was runway 33L. I thought he said he was going to push beyond gate X to allow inbound aircraft access to gate Y. As the push progressed; it became apparent that we were not going deeper into the alley; but towards taxiway south. We dismissed this as no problem because we can push far enough to let another aircraft into the alley and still remain clear of taxiway south. I became distraction by monitoring the start and failed to notice that we were pushed way back onto taxiway south. When the tug driver asked for the parking brake; I noticed we were astride yellow bars. The tug was cleared off just as I realized that those bars were the hold short lines for runway 33L! Shortly after that; ground control asked us to move forward as they had already sent traffic around. When the tug asked if we were going to taxi on taxiway south; I think he was asking for permission to push us onto taxiway south. I should have stopped the push once the tug deviated from the expected path. I should have not let the engine start distract me from knowing where my ship was going.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TUG DRIVER PUSHES B737-700 ONTO ACTIVE TXWY AND CROSSES TAIL OVER RWY HOLD SHORT LINES.

Narrative: PUSHING FROM GATE; NO PUSH CALL REQUIRED. TUG DRIVER ASKED IF WE WERE GOING TO TAXI ON TXWY S. I SAID YES; AS THE ACTIVE WAS RWY 33L. I THOUGHT HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO PUSH BEYOND GATE X TO ALLOW INBOUND ACFT ACCESS TO GATE Y. AS THE PUSH PROGRESSED; IT BECAME APPARENT THAT WE WERE NOT GOING DEEPER INTO THE ALLEY; BUT TOWARDS TXWY S. WE DISMISSED THIS AS NO PROB BECAUSE WE CAN PUSH FAR ENOUGH TO LET ANOTHER ACFT INTO THE ALLEY AND STILL REMAIN CLR OF TXWY S. I BECAME DISTR BY MONITORING THE START AND FAILED TO NOTICE THAT WE WERE PUSHED WAY BACK ONTO TXWY S. WHEN THE TUG DRIVER ASKED FOR THE PARKING BRAKE; I NOTICED WE WERE ASTRIDE YELLOW BARS. THE TUG WAS CLRED OFF JUST AS I REALIZED THAT THOSE BARS WERE THE HOLD SHORT LINES FOR RWY 33L! SHORTLY AFTER THAT; GND CTL ASKED US TO MOVE FORWARD AS THEY HAD ALREADY SENT TFC AROUND. WHEN THE TUG ASKED IF WE WERE GOING TO TAXI ON TXWY S; I THINK HE WAS ASKING FOR PERMISSION TO PUSH US ONTO TXWY S. I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED THE PUSH ONCE THE TUG DEVIATED FROM THE EXPECTED PATH. I SHOULD HAVE NOT LET THE ENG START DISTRACT ME FROM KNOWING WHERE MY SHIP WAS GOING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.