Narrative:

Cleared to taxi to runway 36, 'hold short of runway 9L,' at cvg. Upon approaching 9L on taxiway juliett the PIC taxied onto runway 9L and crossed it west/O clearance. Prior to crossing the second officer said, 'this is 9L,' and the first officer said, 'no, this is 9R.' the captain continued to taxi. By the time I (PIC) realized the error I had already taxied onto 9L. Seconds later ground controller pointed out the error. By then it was too late to take a corrective action so we continued to taxi. Human performance considerations: I (PIC) was reporting for duty to fly after having worked as a captain-first officer instructor since 6/88. I was legal, current and recent in accordance with all far's and company policy. Because of IFR WX, icing, slippery/cluttered runway and a major checklist revision, I had a 'full bag' to deal with. My anxiety level was high as I was working to reacclimate to operating a fast/moving heavy jet in extremely extenuating circumstances. I had, in my mind, reversed the airport. In my mind 9L meant 27L, so I had planned well in advance to hold short of 27L. Even though the second officer pointed out the error correctly, when the first officer and I had the same mental picture, I decided to proceed and cross 9L in error. In addition, runway 27L/9R is the more important in cvg since it is the runway used to accommodate turbojet aircraft. Even though I saw a commuter airplane taxiing onto 9L, I felt protected by the system in the midst of my error. If I could suggest one thing it would be to issue clrncs such as, 'hold short of 9L/27R' intentionally naming both runways. Supplemental information from acn 105928: contributing factors: trying to complete checklist upon reaching 9L but had to interrupt it and discuss the inability to complete new taxi checklist when flaps are left up due to ice on taxiway. Also confusion over left and right in relations to runways 9 when runways 27 are the dominant runways in use.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAXIED ACROSS ACTIVE RWY AFTER BEING CLEARED TO HOLD SHORT OF IT.

Narrative: CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 36, 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 9L,' AT CVG. UPON APCHING 9L ON TXWY JULIETT THE PIC TAXIED ONTO RWY 9L AND CROSSED IT W/O CLRNC. PRIOR TO XING THE S/O SAID, 'THIS IS 9L,' AND THE F/O SAID, 'NO, THIS IS 9R.' THE CAPT CONTINUED TO TAXI. BY THE TIME I (PIC) REALIZED THE ERROR I HAD ALREADY TAXIED ONTO 9L. SECONDS LATER GND CTLR POINTED OUT THE ERROR. BY THEN IT WAS TOO LATE TO TAKE A CORRECTIVE ACTION SO WE CONTINUED TO TAXI. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: I (PIC) WAS RPTING FOR DUTY TO FLY AFTER HAVING WORKED AS A CAPT-F/O INSTRUCTOR SINCE 6/88. I WAS LEGAL, CURRENT AND RECENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH ALL FAR'S AND COMPANY POLICY. BECAUSE OF IFR WX, ICING, SLIPPERY/CLUTTERED RWY AND A MAJOR CHKLIST REVISION, I HAD A 'FULL BAG' TO DEAL WITH. MY ANXIETY LEVEL WAS HIGH AS I WAS WORKING TO REACCLIMATE TO OPERATING A FAST/MOVING HVY JET IN EXTREMELY EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES. I HAD, IN MY MIND, REVERSED THE ARPT. IN MY MIND 9L MEANT 27L, SO I HAD PLANNED WELL IN ADVANCE TO HOLD SHORT OF 27L. EVEN THOUGH THE S/O POINTED OUT THE ERROR CORRECTLY, WHEN THE F/O AND I HAD THE SAME MENTAL PICTURE, I DECIDED TO PROCEED AND CROSS 9L IN ERROR. IN ADDITION, RWY 27L/9R IS THE MORE IMPORTANT IN CVG SINCE IT IS THE RWY USED TO ACCOMMODATE TURBOJET ACFT. EVEN THOUGH I SAW A COMMUTER AIRPLANE TAXIING ONTO 9L, I FELT PROTECTED BY THE SYS IN THE MIDST OF MY ERROR. IF I COULD SUGGEST ONE THING IT WOULD BE TO ISSUE CLRNCS SUCH AS, 'HOLD SHORT OF 9L/27R' INTENTIONALLY NAMING BOTH RWYS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 105928: CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: TRYING TO COMPLETE CHKLIST UPON REACHING 9L BUT HAD TO INTERRUPT IT AND DISCUSS THE INABILITY TO COMPLETE NEW TAXI CHKLIST WHEN FLAPS ARE LEFT UP DUE TO ICE ON TXWY. ALSO CONFUSION OVER LEFT AND RIGHT IN RELATIONS TO RWYS 9 WHEN RWYS 27 ARE THE DOMINANT RWYS IN USE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.