Narrative:

Following pushback, initial taxi clearance: taxi runway 8R via taxiway D, transition to taxiway east after passing the terminal. After beginning our taxi, clearance was amended to: 'transition to taxiway 3 now' and we subsequently turned onto taxiway E6 assuming it the transition to taxiway east. Realizing it was in fact access to runway 8R/26L, the captain stopped the aircraft well short of the runway. However, with the nosewheel somewhat over the hold short line. The fact that txwys east and D are a solid concrete pad in this area and seem to be poorly marked was definitely a contributing factor. In addition, cockpit duties, closeout, checklists undoubtedly momentarily diverted attention. Corrective action might simply be a clearly depicted marking or line in the area designating these txwys, as ATC informed us of 4 nearly identical sits in the past 12 months. Supplemental information from acn 423875: I think the reason this happened was first, the txwys at that position have no signs identing them, and both taxiway D and taxiway east are part of the ramp and tough to spot. I didn't see taxiway D at all, and only barely recognized taxiway east and a taxiway, and thought it was taxiway D. Second, the airport diagram does not show taxiway D to exist at all in that area and taxiway east is questionable. A further complication was that the sun was just above the horizon at my 10 O'clock and very bright, further reducing my visibility. The first officer was performing his normal duties at the time and was unaware of a problem until I applied the brakes. I was advised by the tower supervisor that there have been at least 3 similar reported incidents at phx this yr alone -- with almost the same causes and effects. In the future, I plan to verify taxi rtes far more carefully, and not assume anything. I also think charts and taxiway markings at phx should be reviewed to avoid future problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A TAXIING ACR B757 CROSSED THE HOLD LINE FOR RWY 8R AT TXWY E6 AT PHX ARPT. CREW WAS FOLLOWING THE LINE FOR TXWY E AND TXWY E6 WHICH LED THEM TO THE RWY, THINKING IT WAS THE 'TRANSITION POINT FROM TXWY D TO TXWY E' AS DIRECTED BY PHX GND CTLR.

Narrative: FOLLOWING PUSHBACK, INITIAL TAXI CLRNC: TAXI RWY 8R VIA TXWY D, TRANSITION TO TXWY E AFTER PASSING THE TERMINAL. AFTER BEGINNING OUR TAXI, CLRNC WAS AMENDED TO: 'TRANSITION TO TXWY 3 NOW' AND WE SUBSEQUENTLY TURNED ONTO TXWY E6 ASSUMING IT THE TRANSITION TO TXWY E. REALIZING IT WAS IN FACT ACCESS TO RWY 8R/26L, THE CAPT STOPPED THE ACFT WELL SHORT OF THE RWY. HOWEVER, WITH THE NOSEWHEEL SOMEWHAT OVER THE HOLD SHORT LINE. THE FACT THAT TXWYS E AND D ARE A SOLID CONCRETE PAD IN THIS AREA AND SEEM TO BE POORLY MARKED WAS DEFINITELY A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. IN ADDITION, COCKPIT DUTIES, CLOSEOUT, CHKLISTS UNDOUBTEDLY MOMENTARILY DIVERTED ATTN. CORRECTIVE ACTION MIGHT SIMPLY BE A CLRLY DEPICTED MARKING OR LINE IN THE AREA DESIGNATING THESE TXWYS, AS ATC INFORMED US OF 4 NEARLY IDENTICAL SITS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 423875: I THINK THE REASON THIS HAPPENED WAS FIRST, THE TXWYS AT THAT POS HAVE NO SIGNS IDENTING THEM, AND BOTH TXWY D AND TXWY E ARE PART OF THE RAMP AND TOUGH TO SPOT. I DIDN'T SEE TXWY D AT ALL, AND ONLY BARELY RECOGNIZED TXWY E AND A TXWY, AND THOUGHT IT WAS TXWY D. SECOND, THE ARPT DIAGRAM DOES NOT SHOW TXWY D TO EXIST AT ALL IN THAT AREA AND TXWY E IS QUESTIONABLE. A FURTHER COMPLICATION WAS THAT THE SUN WAS JUST ABOVE THE HORIZON AT MY 10 O'CLOCK AND VERY BRIGHT, FURTHER REDUCING MY VISIBILITY. THE FO WAS PERFORMING HIS NORMAL DUTIES AT THE TIME AND WAS UNAWARE OF A PROB UNTIL I APPLIED THE BRAKES. I WAS ADVISED BY THE TWR SUPVR THAT THERE HAVE BEEN AT LEAST 3 SIMILAR RPTED INCIDENTS AT PHX THIS YR ALONE -- WITH ALMOST THE SAME CAUSES AND EFFECTS. IN THE FUTURE, I PLAN TO VERIFY TAXI RTES FAR MORE CAREFULLY, AND NOT ASSUME ANYTHING. I ALSO THINK CHARTS AND TXWY MARKINGS AT PHX SHOULD BE REVIEWED TO AVOID FUTURE PROBS.

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.