An air carrier crew nearly had a runway excursion as they entered runway 25R at lax for takeoff whil...

Attributes
ACN	772204
Time
Date	200801
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : hnl.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : position and hold
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	772204
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : regained aircraft control
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Situations
Airport	markings : lax.airport

Narrative:

Cleared into position and hold lax runway 25R. As we completed the final checklist items I looked up to see that we had overshot the centerline and were headed for the far edge lights. I called 'stop!' as the captain said 'whoa' and corrected his error by a quick hard right turn. We barely missed an excursion off the left side of the runway. After lining up on the centerline takeoff was uneventful. Contributing: the acute (more than 90 degree) angle of turn required; and the fact that the lineup was not on he captain's side of the cockpit; the lack of centerline lighting in the displaced threshold area of runway 25R and the generally poor runway lighting on the humped runway; and the requirement for pilots to be heads-down to complete the checklist during the lineup. The checklist should be designed so that all items can be completed prior to lineup. The captain should not be required to look for switches or read displays or respond to checklist items during this phase of flight. The first officer should be assigned responsibility for challenge and response on the ground so that the captain can devote his full attention to maneuvering the aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CREW NEARLY HAD A RWY EXCURSION AS THEY ENTERED RWY 25R AT LAX FOR TKOF WHILE DISTRACTED BY COMPLETING THE REMAINING TKOF CHECKLIST ITEMS.

Narrative: CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD LAX RWY 25R. AS WE COMPLETED THE FINAL CHKLIST ITEMS I LOOKED UP TO SEE THAT WE HAD OVERSHOT THE CTRLINE AND WERE HEADED FOR THE FAR EDGE LIGHTS. I CALLED 'STOP!' AS THE CAPT SAID 'WHOA' AND CORRECTED HIS ERROR BY A QUICK HARD R TURN. WE BARELY MISSED AN EXCURSION OFF THE L SIDE OF THE RWY. AFTER LINING UP ON THE CTRLINE TKOF WAS UNEVENTFUL. CONTRIBUTING: THE ACUTE (MORE THAN 90 DEG) ANGLE OF TURN REQUIRED; AND THE FACT THAT THE LINEUP WAS NOT ON HE CAPT'S SIDE OF THE COCKPIT; THE LACK OF CTRLINE LIGHTING IN THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD AREA OF RWY 25R AND THE GENERALLY POOR RWY LIGHTING ON THE HUMPED RWY; AND THE REQUIREMENT FOR PLTS TO BE HEADS-DOWN TO COMPLETE THE CHKLIST DURING THE LINEUP. THE CHKLIST SHOULD BE DESIGNED SO THAT ALL ITEMS CAN BE COMPLETED PRIOR TO LINEUP. THE CAPT SHOULD NOT BE REQUIRED TO LOOK FOR SWITCHES OR READ DISPLAYS OR RESPOND TO CHKLIST ITEMS DURING THIS PHASE OF FLT. THE FO SHOULD BE ASSIGNED RESPONSIBILITY FOR CHALLENGE AND RESPONSE ON THE GND SO THAT THE CAPT CAN DEVOTE HIS FULL ATTN TO MANEUVERING THE ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.

An air carrier crew nearly had a runway excursion as they entered runway 25R at lax for takeoff while distracted by completing the remaining takeoff checklist items.