Narrative:

Taxi out to runway 25L; waiting for numbers. Given numerous hold shorts due to traffic; ie; taxiway B hold short taxiway M; taxiway M hold short runway 19R; cross 19R hold short 19L; finally left on runway 1R; right on runway 31 hold short runway 25L; call when ready. Talked to operations about numbers; got numbers; performed taxi check; and called 'ready' to ground. Told to monitor tower. Busy on tower frequency; other aircraft lined up at intersecting taxiway for runway 25L with no sequence issued. So I called ready to tower to prompt some information. Got no acknowledgement and tower cleared a donier jet position and hold. Appeared we'd be next; so captain calls for before takeoff check. I began flow and began to read while captain began slow taxi up to runway 25L. I then looked outside to determine our position; but something didn't look right. I saw the white line outlining the runway 25L runway edge well ahead of us but no hold line. Captain stopped the aircraft just as I was about to query him. (This all occurred in a matter of seconds.) he told tower he thinks we've crossed the hold line and if we're ok. Tower had not noticed or alerted us so we couldn't be very far over. Tower then said; no; we're not ok. Then told a jet on a 1 to 2 mile final to go around. Then tower asked if we were ready for immediate; replied yes; and we're cleared for takeoff runway 25L. As captain turned the aircraft; I could see the hold line just behind us. While waiting for numbers and ATC instructions; we must have had nose right up on the hold line (which is on approach end of runway 31). Captain had just made a turn south onto taxiway north looking for another hold line closer to runway 25L; but it appears that was it. No other conflicts or problems encountered. Preventative measures: perhaps we need one of those incursion warning circles on the chart at this point like at taxiway east/M. Maybe a note 10-7 under departure. A sign for this unusual hold line like taxiway B hold at lga. Closer crew attention and coordination in an unfamiliar area of the airport at a busy time would help.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 FLT CREW HAS A RWY INCURSION DURING TAXIING AT MKE.

Narrative: TAXI OUT TO RWY 25L; WAITING FOR NUMBERS. GIVEN NUMEROUS HOLD SHORTS DUE TO TFC; IE; TXWY B HOLD SHORT TXWY M; TXWY M HOLD SHORT RWY 19R; CROSS 19R HOLD SHORT 19L; FINALLY LEFT ON RWY 1R; RIGHT ON RWY 31 HOLD SHORT RWY 25L; CALL WHEN READY. TALKED TO OPS ABOUT NUMBERS; GOT NUMBERS; PERFORMED TAXI CHK; AND CALLED 'READY' TO GND. TOLD TO MONITOR TWR. BUSY ON TWR FREQ; OTHER ACFT LINED UP AT INTERSECTING TXWY FOR RWY 25L WITH NO SEQUENCE ISSUED. SO I CALLED READY TO TWR TO PROMPT SOME INFO. GOT NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND TWR CLRED A DONIER JET POSITION AND HOLD. APPEARED WE'D BE NEXT; SO CAPT CALLS FOR BEFORE TKOF CHK. I BEGAN FLOW AND BEGAN TO READ WHILE CAPT BEGAN SLOW TAXI UP TO RWY 25L. I THEN LOOKED OUTSIDE TO DETERMINE OUR POSITION; BUT SOMETHING DIDN'T LOOK RIGHT. I SAW THE WHITE LINE OUTLINING THE RWY 25L RWY EDGE WELL AHEAD OF US BUT NO HOLD LINE. CAPT STOPPED THE ACFT JUST AS I WAS ABOUT TO QUERY HIM. (THIS ALL OCCURRED IN A MATTER OF SECONDS.) HE TOLD TWR HE THINKS WE'VE CROSSED THE HOLD LINE AND IF WE'RE OK. TWR HAD NOT NOTICED OR ALERTED US SO WE COULDN'T BE VERY FAR OVER. TWR THEN SAID; NO; WE'RE NOT OK. THEN TOLD A JET ON A 1 TO 2 MILE FINAL TO GO AROUND. THEN TWR ASKED IF WE WERE READY FOR IMMEDIATE; REPLIED YES; AND WE'RE CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 25L. AS CAPT TURNED THE ACFT; I COULD SEE THE HOLD LINE JUST BEHIND US. WHILE WAITING FOR NUMBERS AND ATC INSTRUCTIONS; WE MUST HAVE HAD NOSE RIGHT UP ON THE HOLD LINE (WHICH IS ON APCH END OF RWY 31). CAPT HAD JUST MADE A TURN SOUTH ONTO TXWY N LOOKING FOR ANOTHER HOLD LINE CLOSER TO RWY 25L; BUT IT APPEARS THAT WAS IT. NO OTHER CONFLICTS OR PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED. PREVENTATIVE MEASURES: PERHAPS WE NEED ONE OF THOSE INCURSION WARNING CIRCLES ON THE CHART AT THIS POINT LIKE AT TXWY E/M. MAYBE A NOTE 10-7 UNDER DEPARTURE. A SIGN FOR THIS UNUSUAL HOLD LINE LIKE TXWY B HOLD AT LGA. CLOSER CREW ATTENTION AND COORDINATION IN AN UNFAMILIAR AREA OF THE ARPT AT A BUSY TIME WOULD HELP.

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.