Narrative:

We were instructed by ground control to taxi to runway 1L at bravo via hotel. About three quarters of the way; we were instructed to taxi full length of runway 1L. I continued taxiing and verified with the sic that runway 1L was all the way down past runway 7L where both runways intersect. I looked outside for taxi lines and lights to guide me to the hold short line. I was aware of the fact that this is a 'runway incursion hot spot.' while taxiing; I saw the red sign denoting runways 7L/1L to my right. Immediately after passing the sign I realized that I had just crossed the hold short line for both runways. I stopped the aircraft and told the sic that I had crossed the line. We immediately notified tower and they instructed us to make a 180 degree turn back over the line and resume holding short. While we executed this procedure the aircraft behind us called the tower and advised them that they; too; had crossed the hold short line. I called the tower supervisor over the phone; as directed; immediately upon landing and explained to him my error. He commented that it was an unusual operation at night and had occurred three times that evening. We maintained a sterile cockpit during taxi operations and the sic and I were both searching for the hold short line. I accept full responsibility for the safe operation of the aircraft; however; I believe that portion of the taxiway and runway environment was not clearly delineated by edge lights or centerline lights. Visual guidance; even on a clear night; seems compromised at that point. I misinterpreted the red hold short sign as a direction sign; and I think I did so because I was intent on taxiing 'full length' and because I was concentrating on finding the hold short line. This is a great reminder to me that hold short locations are also noted by signs; not just paint on the taxiway surface. Three aircraft; including my own; caused runway incursions that evening in a short period of time. Although I accept full responsibility for my actions; perhaps these three incidents are indicative of a systemic/signage issue at that location of the airport. Possible improvements might include better lighting; more signs and a note in the airport diagram page showing the actual location of the hold short line.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter commented that it would be helpful if hold short lines were all displayed on the airport pages. If they were; it would quickly become standard practice to locate not only the taxi route by which a flight is cleared but also exactly where that cleared route ends. The fact that lines are not routinely displayed results in ground movement without the charted clearance 'limit' common to every airborne clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LJ45 CLRD TO TAXI TO LAS RWY 1L FULL LENGTH EXPERIENCES A RWY INCURSION WHEN IT CROSSES COMMON HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 1L/7L.

Narrative: WE WERE INSTRUCTED BY GND CTL TO TAXI TO RWY 1L AT BRAVO VIA HOTEL. ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF THE WAY; WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI FULL LENGTH OF RWY 1L. I CONTINUED TAXIING AND VERIFIED WITH THE SIC THAT RWY 1L WAS ALL THE WAY DOWN PAST RWY 7L WHERE BOTH RWYS INTERSECT. I LOOKED OUTSIDE FOR TAXI LINES AND LIGHTS TO GUIDE ME TO THE HOLD SHORT LINE. I WAS AWARE OF THE FACT THAT THIS IS A 'RWY INCURSION HOT SPOT.' WHILE TAXIING; I SAW THE RED SIGN DENOTING RWYS 7L/1L TO MY RIGHT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER PASSING THE SIGN I REALIZED THAT I HAD JUST CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR BOTH RWYS. I STOPPED THE ACFT AND TOLD THE SIC THAT I HAD CROSSED THE LINE. WE IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED TWR AND THEY INSTRUCTED US TO MAKE A 180 DEG TURN BACK OVER THE LINE AND RESUME HOLDING SHORT. WHILE WE EXECUTED THIS PROC THE ACFT BEHIND US CALLED THE TWR AND ADVISED THEM THAT THEY; TOO; HAD CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE. I CALLED THE TWR SUPVR OVER THE PHONE; AS DIRECTED; IMMEDIATELY UPON LNDG AND EXPLAINED TO HIM MY ERROR. HE COMMENTED THAT IT WAS AN UNUSUAL OPERATION AT NIGHT AND HAD OCCURRED THREE TIMES THAT EVENING. WE MAINTAINED A STERILE COCKPIT DURING TAXI OPERATIONS AND THE SIC AND I WERE BOTH SEARCHING FOR THE HOLD SHORT LINE. I ACCEPT FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SAFE OPERATION OF THE ACFT; HOWEVER; I BELIEVE THAT PORTION OF THE TXWY AND RWY ENVIRONMENT WAS NOT CLEARLY DELINEATED BY EDGE LIGHTS OR CTRLINE LIGHTS. VISUAL GUIDANCE; EVEN ON A CLEAR NIGHT; SEEMS COMPROMISED AT THAT POINT. I MISINTERPRETED THE RED HOLD SHORT SIGN AS A DIRECTION SIGN; AND I THINK I DID SO BECAUSE I WAS INTENT ON TAXIING 'FULL LENGTH' AND BECAUSE I WAS CONCENTRATING ON FINDING THE HOLD SHORT LINE. THIS IS A GREAT REMINDER TO ME THAT HOLD SHORT LOCATIONS ARE ALSO NOTED BY SIGNS; NOT JUST PAINT ON THE TXWY SURFACE. THREE ACFT; INCLUDING MY OWN; CAUSED RWY INCURSIONS THAT EVENING IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. ALTHOUGH I ACCEPT FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY ACTIONS; PERHAPS THESE THREE INCIDENTS ARE INDICATIVE OF A SYSTEMIC/SIGNAGE ISSUE AT THAT LOCATION OF THE ARPT. POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENTS MIGHT INCLUDE BETTER LIGHTING; MORE SIGNS AND A NOTE IN THE ARPT DIAGRAM PAGE SHOWING THE ACTUAL LOCATION OF THE HOLD SHORT LINE.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER COMMENTED THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF HOLD SHORT LINES WERE ALL DISPLAYED ON THE ARPT PAGES. IF THEY WERE; IT WOULD QUICKLY BECOME STANDARD PRACTICE TO LOCATE NOT ONLY THE TAXI ROUTE BY WHICH A FLT IS CLEARED BUT ALSO EXACTLY WHERE THAT CLEARED ROUTE ENDS. THE FACT THAT LINES ARE NOT ROUTINELY DISPLAYED RESULTS IN GND MOVEMENT WITHOUT THE CHARTED CLRNC 'LIMIT' COMMON TO EVERY AIRBORNE CLRNC.

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.