Narrative:

After listening to ATIS, I contacted ground and asked to taxi for a departure south, and said I was a stranger on the field and would appreciate help guiding me while taxiing. I was directed via a taxiway to a midfield intersection takeoff, not obvious from my position at the ramp area. I taxied from the ramp, following the controller's directions to turn right on a taxiway leading to the runways. I asked where he would like me to run up and he indicated an area ahead, near intersecting txwys. On completing the runup I started to taxi. All txwys were clear and the controller was engaged in communications with another aircraft. As I moved several dozen ft along the taxiway, I saw ahead what appeared to be an intersecting taxiway. I prepared to contact the controller for further instructions when my right front passenger urgently indicated his shoulder belt had become detached from the lap belt. I noted the problem, slowing as I reconnected the belt with my right hand. As I came to a stop I realized I was in the process of rolling across a pavement marking. No markings were visible or obvious on what I had thought was the intersecting taxiway ahead. I realized too late that the marking I passed appeared to be a runway hold short marking. Contacted ground, I notified the controller that I was continuing my taxi, but holding short at an intersection. He said I was holding beyond the hold short line at the runway and to contact local control for my traffic clearance. In spite of my error, I have the following recommendations: 1) small aircraft shoulder strap connectors are hazardous and have caused many such problems. An airworthiness directive should be issued calling for replacement with effective latches. 2) runway hold short lines are inadequate, especially at night or in wet conditions. Low, fixed signs with 'stop--hold short for runway MM/nn' should be required on all txwys entering onto runways, on both sides of the taxiway, with reflective lettering.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT CITES FAULTY SEATBELT DESIGN AND IMPROPER RWY HOLD LINES AS BEING CAUSATIVE TO RWY INCURSION.

Narrative: AFTER LISTENING TO ATIS, I CONTACTED GND AND ASKED TO TAXI FOR A DEP S, AND SAID I WAS A STRANGER ON THE FIELD AND WOULD APPRECIATE HELP GUIDING ME WHILE TAXIING. I WAS DIRECTED VIA A TXWY TO A MIDFIELD INTXN TKOF, NOT OBVIOUS FROM MY POS AT THE RAMP AREA. I TAXIED FROM THE RAMP, FOLLOWING THE CTLR'S DIRECTIONS TO TURN RIGHT ON A TXWY LEADING TO THE RWYS. I ASKED WHERE HE WOULD LIKE ME TO RUN UP AND HE INDICATED AN AREA AHEAD, NEAR INTERSECTING TXWYS. ON COMPLETING THE RUNUP I STARTED TO TAXI. ALL TXWYS WERE CLR AND THE CTLR WAS ENGAGED IN COMS WITH ANOTHER ACFT. AS I MOVED SEVERAL DOZEN FT ALONG THE TXWY, I SAW AHEAD WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN INTERSECTING TXWY. I PREPARED TO CONTACT THE CTLR FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS WHEN MY RIGHT FRONT PAX URGENTLY INDICATED HIS SHOULDER BELT HAD BECOME DETACHED FROM THE LAP BELT. I NOTED THE PROB, SLOWING AS I RECONNECTED THE BELT WITH MY RIGHT HAND. AS I CAME TO A STOP I REALIZED I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF ROLLING ACROSS A PAVEMENT MARKING. NO MARKINGS WERE VISIBLE OR OBVIOUS ON WHAT I HAD THOUGHT WAS THE INTERSECTING TXWY AHEAD. I REALIZED TOO LATE THAT THE MARKING I PASSED APPEARED TO BE A RWY HOLD SHORT MARKING. CONTACTED GND, I NOTIFIED THE CTLR THAT I WAS CONTINUING MY TAXI, BUT HOLDING SHORT AT AN INTXN. HE SAID I WAS HOLDING BEYOND THE HOLD SHORT LINE AT THE RWY AND TO CONTACT LCL CTL FOR MY TFC CLRNC. IN SPITE OF MY ERROR, I HAVE THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) SMA SHOULDER STRAP CONNECTORS ARE HAZARDOUS AND HAVE CAUSED MANY SUCH PROBS. AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE SHOULD BE ISSUED CALLING FOR REPLACEMENT WITH EFFECTIVE LATCHES. 2) RWY HOLD SHORT LINES ARE INADEQUATE, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT OR IN WET CONDITIONS. LOW, FIXED SIGNS WITH 'STOP--HOLD SHORT FOR RWY MM/NN' SHOULD BE REQUIRED ON ALL TXWYS ENTERING ONTO RWYS, ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TXWY, WITH REFLECTIVE LETTERING.

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