Narrative:

On nov/xx/96, at approximately XA03 EST, I committed a runway incursion at atlanta's hartsfield international airport by failing to stop at the runway 8R hold short line while taxiing sbound on taxiway D. An air carrier MD80 had just begun its takeoff roll when atlanta ground called ordering me to either stop immediately or expedite on across runway 8R. I chose to stop, and while partially on runway 8R executed a 180 degree turn and go back to the north of the intersection of taxiway D and runway 8R. I turned my aircraft to the east on the taxiway to minimize any tail exposure. The distance from the departure end of runway 8R to the intersection of taxiway D is approximately 5000 ft. Approximately 10-15 seconds later, the MD80 passed overhead in its climb out at an altitude of approximately 300-500 ft. Following receipt of an IFR clearance from atlanta to st petersburg, I contacted atlanta ground for taxi clearance while at GA parking. The clearance was to taxi via taxiway D to runway 9L, cleared to cross runway 8L and hold short runway 8R. Somehow, in my mind I thought I was cleared to runway 9L after crossing runway 8L, even though I had read back the clearance correctly, which in fact did require me to hold short of runway 8R. After much reflection, I conclude that this incident (runway incursion) was the result of human error. Somehow, I was thinking of runway 9L as I was taxiing, even though I had read back 'hold short runway 8R.' in my opinion, there were no major contributing factors to this incident. Minor contributing factors would include: relative unfamiliarity with this airport, light rain somewhat impaired visibility out of the windshield, and the sense of urgency to keep the speed up while taxiing. There simply is no acceptable excuse for my failure to come to a complete stop at the hold short line on taxiway D at runway 8R. To help prevent a repeat of this incident, I believe it would be helpful to copy the taxi clearance, in some form of shorthand, especially at unfamiliar airports. Advising the ground controller of the pilot's relative unfamiliarity of the airport would alert that controller to keep a closer watch of the particular aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIR AMBULANCE PLT HAD A RWY INCURSION WHILE AN ACR DC9 WAS ON TKOF. THE ATCT LCL CTLR USED THE WRONG CALL SIGN WHEN ORDERING THE ACR TO REJECT SO HE CONTINUED HIS TKOF ROLL AND CLBED OVER THE AIR AMBULANCE. C414, DC9.

Narrative: ON NOV/XX/96, AT APPROX XA03 EST, I COMMITTED A RWY INCURSION AT ATLANTA'S HARTSFIELD INTL ARPT BY FAILING TO STOP AT THE RWY 8R HOLD SHORT LINE WHILE TAXIING SBOUND ON TXWY D. AN ACR MD80 HAD JUST BEGUN ITS TKOF ROLL WHEN ATLANTA GND CALLED ORDERING ME TO EITHER STOP IMMEDIATELY OR EXPEDITE ON ACROSS RWY 8R. I CHOSE TO STOP, AND WHILE PARTIALLY ON RWY 8R EXECUTED A 180 DEG TURN AND GO BACK TO THE N OF THE INTXN OF TXWY D AND RWY 8R. I TURNED MY ACFT TO THE E ON THE TXWY TO MINIMIZE ANY TAIL EXPOSURE. THE DISTANCE FROM THE DEP END OF RWY 8R TO THE INTXN OF TXWY D IS APPROX 5000 FT. APPROX 10-15 SECONDS LATER, THE MD80 PASSED OVERHEAD IN ITS CLBOUT AT AN ALT OF APPROX 300-500 FT. FOLLOWING RECEIPT OF AN IFR CLRNC FROM ATLANTA TO ST PETERSBURG, I CONTACTED ATLANTA GND FOR TAXI CLRNC WHILE AT GA PARKING. THE CLRNC WAS TO TAXI VIA TXWY D TO RWY 9L, CLRED TO CROSS RWY 8L AND HOLD SHORT RWY 8R. SOMEHOW, IN MY MIND I THOUGHT I WAS CLRED TO RWY 9L AFTER XING RWY 8L, EVEN THOUGH I HAD READ BACK THE CLRNC CORRECTLY, WHICH IN FACT DID REQUIRE ME TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 8R. AFTER MUCH REFLECTION, I CONCLUDE THAT THIS INCIDENT (RWY INCURSION) WAS THE RESULT OF HUMAN ERROR. SOMEHOW, I WAS THINKING OF RWY 9L AS I WAS TAXIING, EVEN THOUGH I HAD READ BACK 'HOLD SHORT RWY 8R.' IN MY OPINION, THERE WERE NO MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS INCIDENT. MINOR CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WOULD INCLUDE: RELATIVE UNFAMILIARITY WITH THIS ARPT, LIGHT RAIN SOMEWHAT IMPAIRED VISIBILITY OUT OF THE WINDSHIELD, AND THE SENSE OF URGENCY TO KEEP THE SPD UP WHILE TAXIING. THERE SIMPLY IS NO ACCEPTABLE EXCUSE FOR MY FAILURE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE ON TXWY D AT RWY 8R. TO HELP PREVENT A REPEAT OF THIS INCIDENT, I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO COPY THE TAXI CLRNC, IN SOME FORM OF SHORTHAND, ESPECIALLY AT UNFAMILIAR ARPTS. ADVISING THE GND CTLR OF THE PLT'S RELATIVE UNFAMILIARITY OF THE ARPT WOULD ALERT THAT CTLR TO KEEP A CLOSER WATCH OF THE PARTICULAR ACFT.

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.