Narrative:

As we pushed; the tower informed us of a ground stop to ZZZ and update at XB00Z. The time was about XA15. We pulled back in to the gate and the captain called operations and dispatch to confer about the delay. About XA20 we received a call from ground that the ground stop was canceled and we had a wheels up time of XA36. We were ready to go and pushed back after starting #1 at the gate. We received a clearance to taxi to runway 13 via taxiway a and upon reaching taxiway a; the captain directed me to perform a xbleed start on #2 engine as the taxi is very short. I completed the xbleed about 1/2 way down taxiway a to runway 13 and the captain then directed me to do the before takeoff checklist. As I was doing the checklist the tower instructed us to follow a piper lance taxiing from our right to the runway. The hold short lines were recently relocated and I did not read anything on the commercial charts about the relocation. As I completed the checklist I looked up and saw that the nose of the aircraft had gone over the hold short line by a few ft. The captain noticed it at the same time and stopped the aircraft. There was no conflict since the piper lance was just taking the runway ahead of us for takeoff. In the interest of safety; we self-disclosed to the tower that we had gone over the line. They paused about 30 seconds and then cleared us on the runway for takeoff. The new hold short appeared to be about 150 ft from the runway so the placement is very unusual. It was basically painted on the ramp/runup area since it was so far back from the runway so I did not have any above ground signage on my side to alert to the hold short such as the red sign or wigwag light. It could easily be mistaken for an ILS hold short line since it is so far back and you can still make out the old line up by the runway. The tower assured no conflict but because they have had so many issues with this since the relocation advised us that we file a report. We were cleared for takeoff without incident. The captain called the tower upon landing in ZZZ and they advised that they would like the hold short line relocated to the old position because it made more sense and it did not create many of the problems they have been seeing. They told the captain that this was a common occurrence in mfe since the relocation of the hold short point. The flight landed without incident. Preventive measures: better signage such as on the right side of the taxiway; install wigwag lights to alert to the hold short; maybe have tower give an advisory to aircraft that the line is far back from the runway. Update commercial charts with the change; and put a note with an incursion hot spot on the chart. I will be more proactive in the future to look for the hold short line and anticipate an unusual placement. Mention on ATIS. Recommendation to relocate hold short back to original position because of apparent confusion with multiple operators in and out of airport consistent with tower controller's personal opinion. They were not surprised this happened and acted like it was a common occurrence with the new hold short. Tower was very supportive and appreciated us self-disclosing this to bring light to a safety problem at mfe. I will now increase my vigilance as sometimes the smallest airport can be the most tricky and not to let my guard down. In this case a study of the taxi charts would not have prevented this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW REPORTS INADVERTENTLY CROSSING NEW HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 13 AT MFE.

Narrative: AS WE PUSHED; THE TWR INFORMED US OF A GND STOP TO ZZZ AND UPDATE AT XB00Z. THE TIME WAS ABOUT XA15. WE PULLED BACK IN TO THE GATE AND THE CAPT CALLED OPS AND DISPATCH TO CONFER ABOUT THE DELAY. ABOUT XA20 WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM GND THAT THE GND STOP WAS CANCELED AND WE HAD A WHEELS UP TIME OF XA36. WE WERE READY TO GO AND PUSHED BACK AFTER STARTING #1 AT THE GATE. WE RECEIVED A CLRNC TO TAXI TO RWY 13 VIA TXWY A AND UPON REACHING TXWY A; THE CAPT DIRECTED ME TO PERFORM A XBLEED START ON #2 ENG AS THE TAXI IS VERY SHORT. I COMPLETED THE XBLEED ABOUT 1/2 WAY DOWN TXWY A TO RWY 13 AND THE CAPT THEN DIRECTED ME TO DO THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST. AS I WAS DOING THE CHKLIST THE TWR INSTRUCTED US TO FOLLOW A PIPER LANCE TAXIING FROM OUR R TO THE RWY. THE HOLD SHORT LINES WERE RECENTLY RELOCATED AND I DID NOT READ ANYTHING ON THE COMMERCIAL CHARTS ABOUT THE RELOCATION. AS I COMPLETED THE CHKLIST I LOOKED UP AND SAW THAT THE NOSE OF THE ACFT HAD GONE OVER THE HOLD SHORT LINE BY A FEW FT. THE CAPT NOTICED IT AT THE SAME TIME AND STOPPED THE ACFT. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT SINCE THE PIPER LANCE WAS JUST TAKING THE RWY AHEAD OF US FOR TKOF. IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY; WE SELF-DISCLOSED TO THE TWR THAT WE HAD GONE OVER THE LINE. THEY PAUSED ABOUT 30 SECONDS AND THEN CLRED US ON THE RWY FOR TKOF. THE NEW HOLD SHORT APPEARED TO BE ABOUT 150 FT FROM THE RWY SO THE PLACEMENT IS VERY UNUSUAL. IT WAS BASICALLY PAINTED ON THE RAMP/RUNUP AREA SINCE IT WAS SO FAR BACK FROM THE RWY SO I DID NOT HAVE ANY ABOVE GND SIGNAGE ON MY SIDE TO ALERT TO THE HOLD SHORT SUCH AS THE RED SIGN OR WIGWAG LIGHT. IT COULD EASILY BE MISTAKEN FOR AN ILS HOLD SHORT LINE SINCE IT IS SO FAR BACK AND YOU CAN STILL MAKE OUT THE OLD LINE UP BY THE RWY. THE TWR ASSURED NO CONFLICT BUT BECAUSE THEY HAVE HAD SO MANY ISSUES WITH THIS SINCE THE RELOCATION ADVISED US THAT WE FILE A RPT. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE CAPT CALLED THE TWR UPON LNDG IN ZZZ AND THEY ADVISED THAT THEY WOULD LIKE THE HOLD SHORT LINE RELOCATED TO THE OLD POS BECAUSE IT MADE MORE SENSE AND IT DID NOT CREATE MANY OF THE PROBS THEY HAVE BEEN SEEING. THEY TOLD THE CAPT THAT THIS WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE IN MFE SINCE THE RELOCATION OF THE HOLD SHORT POINT. THE FLT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. PREVENTIVE MEASURES: BETTER SIGNAGE SUCH AS ON THE R SIDE OF THE TXWY; INSTALL WIGWAG LIGHTS TO ALERT TO THE HOLD SHORT; MAYBE HAVE TWR GIVE AN ADVISORY TO ACFT THAT THE LINE IS FAR BACK FROM THE RWY. UPDATE COMMERCIAL CHARTS WITH THE CHANGE; AND PUT A NOTE WITH AN INCURSION HOT SPOT ON THE CHART. I WILL BE MORE PROACTIVE IN THE FUTURE TO LOOK FOR THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND ANTICIPATE AN UNUSUAL PLACEMENT. MENTION ON ATIS. RECOMMENDATION TO RELOCATE HOLD SHORT BACK TO ORIGINAL POS BECAUSE OF APPARENT CONFUSION WITH MULTIPLE OPERATORS IN AND OUT OF ARPT CONSISTENT WITH TWR CTLR'S PERSONAL OPINION. THEY WERE NOT SURPRISED THIS HAPPENED AND ACTED LIKE IT WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THE NEW HOLD SHORT. TWR WAS VERY SUPPORTIVE AND APPRECIATED US SELF-DISCLOSING THIS TO BRING LIGHT TO A SAFETY PROB AT MFE. I WILL NOW INCREASE MY VIGILANCE AS SOMETIMES THE SMALLEST ARPT CAN BE THE MOST TRICKY AND NOT TO LET MY GUARD DOWN. IN THIS CASE A STUDY OF THE TAXI CHARTS WOULD NOT HAVE PREVENTED THIS.

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.