Narrative:

Runway 9L was our assigned takeoff runway. Our position was #1 at the hold short. The aircraft ahead of us was cleared for takeoff with an aircraft inbound on a an 8 mi final. The first officer received and acknowledged a clearance for a runway change to runway 12, 'position and hold.' neither myself nor the flight engineer heard and/or mentally registered the runway change. As I was preparing myself for an immediate takeoff (note: the inbound aircraft, now on a 5-6 mi final) I initiated taxi onto runway 9L. The first officer did not notice the direction of taxi as he was 'head in the cockpit' trying to retrieve takeoff, v-spd data for runway 12. He then queried me as to the need for runway 12 data. At this time I stated we were using 9L and he responded that the tower gave us runway 12. I then changed my direction of taxi, had the first officer verify the clearance, and takeoff on runway 12 was uneventful. Although I did taxi across the hold short line for a short distance, we did not come close to penetrating the runway 9L edge line as the distance from the 2 is rather lengthy. To preclude this from happening again, my recommendations: 1) aircraft should not be given a last min runway change when at the hold short for their previously assigned runway. 2) if a runway change is to be made, more forewarning should be given. 3) most certainly, a runway change and a position and hold clearance should not be issued to pilots in the same transmission but north 2 independently acknowledged xmissions. 4) in a multi person cockpit the crew member receiving a runway change on the radio either for takeoff or landing ensure that the other members of the crew understand same.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN LGT ACR ACFT INADVERTENTLY TAXIED PASSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE DUE TO NOT BEING INFORMED BY THE FO THAT TWR HAS CHANGED THEIR INTENDED TKOF RWY.

Narrative: RWY 9L WAS OUR ASSIGNED TKOF RWY. OUR POS WAS #1 AT THE HOLD SHORT. THE ACFT AHEAD OF US WAS CLRED FOR TKOF WITH AN ACFT INBOUND ON A AN 8 MI FINAL. THE FO RECEIVED AND ACKNOWLEDGED A CLRNC FOR A RWY CHANGE TO RWY 12, 'POS AND HOLD.' NEITHER MYSELF NOR THE FE HEARD AND/OR MENTALLY REGISTERED THE RWY CHANGE. AS I WAS PREPARING MYSELF FOR AN IMMEDIATE TKOF (NOTE: THE INBOUND ACFT, NOW ON A 5-6 MI FINAL) I INITIATED TAXI ONTO RWY 9L. THE FO DID NOT NOTICE THE DIRECTION OF TAXI AS HE WAS 'HEAD IN THE COCKPIT' TRYING TO RETRIEVE TKOF, V-SPD DATA FOR RWY 12. HE THEN QUERIED ME AS TO THE NEED FOR RWY 12 DATA. AT THIS TIME I STATED WE WERE USING 9L AND HE RESPONDED THAT THE TWR GAVE US RWY 12. I THEN CHANGED MY DIRECTION OF TAXI, HAD THE FO VERIFY THE CLRNC, AND TKOF ON RWY 12 WAS UNEVENTFUL. ALTHOUGH I DID TAXI ACROSS THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR A SHORT DISTANCE, WE DID NOT COME CLOSE TO PENETRATING THE RWY 9L EDGE LINE AS THE DISTANCE FROM THE 2 IS RATHER LENGTHY. TO PRECLUDE THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN, MY RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) ACFT SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN A LAST MIN RWY CHANGE WHEN AT THE HOLD SHORT FOR THEIR PREVIOUSLY ASSIGNED RWY. 2) IF A RWY CHANGE IS TO BE MADE, MORE FOREWARNING SHOULD BE GIVEN. 3) MOST CERTAINLY, A RWY CHANGE AND A POS AND HOLD CLRNC SHOULD NOT BE ISSUED TO PLTS IN THE SAME XMISSION BUT N 2 INDEPENDENTLY ACKNOWLEDGED XMISSIONS. 4) IN A MULTI PERSON COCKPIT THE CREW MEMBER RECEIVING A RWY CHANGE ON THE RADIO EITHER FOR TKOF OR LNDG ENSURE THAT THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CREW UNDERSTAND SAME.

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.