Narrative:

We were assigned runway 32R for departure, which was a relatively short taxi from the concourse via taxiway B. Crew was preoccupied with completion of taxi, delayed engine start, and before takeoff checklists in a compressed time span. No other aircraft were ahead of us in sequence for takeoff. Taxiway B does not cross runway 32R, but transmits the lead-in area for the runway. While performing 'challenge and response checklist items, we missed the hold point to this lead-in area. I do not know that an actual runway incursion occurred, as the threshold for runway 32R was further northwest of our position, but we did enter the lead-in area, and thankfully there was no aircraft on approach to the runway. We immediately saw that we had proceeded too far, and expedited through the lead-in area, and thankfully there was no aircraft on approach to the runway. We immediately saw that we had proceeded too far, and expedited through the lead-in area. At that point ground control noted our position, and instructed us to turn back to runway 32R via taxiway a and cleared us into position and hold. Clearly, our rush to complete checklist items was the primary cause of our failure to see and stop at the hold point. A red lighted runway sign exists at this point, but there are no flashing alert lights that may have helped command our attention. This would help, as the area is rather congested with the convergence of several txwys and the approach ends of runways 27R and 32R in close proximity. The captain noted that he saw the red lighted sign for runway 27R, and was headed for that area with the mistaken assumption that it was the hold point for our assigned runway 32R. The low light conditions of the dawn hour also contributed to the confusion. The easiest, most logical solution to this potential hazardous situation is to slow down and not fall into the 'gotta go, gotta get there' trap. We had anticipated runway 32L at intersection T10 for the departure runway as announced in the ATIS message, which would have provided much more taxi time and preparation, so we fell into the 'hurry up' mode when assigned runway 32R. The lesson for first officer is: keep an eye on where the captain is taxiing, and back him up!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 FLC TAXIES OVER THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 32R AT ORD, IL.

Narrative: WE WERE ASSIGNED RWY 32R FOR DEP, WHICH WAS A RELATIVELY SHORT TAXI FROM THE CONCOURSE VIA TXWY B. CREW WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH COMPLETION OF TAXI, DELAYED ENG START, AND BEFORE TKOF CHKLISTS IN A COMPRESSED TIME SPAN. NO OTHER ACFT WERE AHEAD OF US IN SEQUENCE FOR TKOF. TXWY B DOES NOT CROSS RWY 32R, BUT XMITS THE LEAD-IN AREA FOR THE RWY. WHILE PERFORMING 'CHALLENGE AND RESPONSE CHKLIST ITEMS, WE MISSED THE HOLD POINT TO THIS LEAD-IN AREA. I DO NOT KNOW THAT AN ACTUAL RWY INCURSION OCCURRED, AS THE THRESHOLD FOR RWY 32R WAS FURTHER NW OF OUR POS, BUT WE DID ENTER THE LEAD-IN AREA, AND THANKFULLY THERE WAS NO ACFT ON APCH TO THE RWY. WE IMMEDIATELY SAW THAT WE HAD PROCEEDED TOO FAR, AND EXPEDITED THROUGH THE LEAD-IN AREA, AND THANKFULLY THERE WAS NO ACFT ON APCH TO THE RWY. WE IMMEDIATELY SAW THAT WE HAD PROCEEDED TOO FAR, AND EXPEDITED THROUGH THE LEAD-IN AREA. AT THAT POINT GND CTL NOTED OUR POS, AND INSTRUCTED US TO TURN BACK TO RWY 32R VIA TXWY A AND CLRED US INTO POS AND HOLD. CLRLY, OUR RUSH TO COMPLETE CHKLIST ITEMS WAS THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF OUR FAILURE TO SEE AND STOP AT THE HOLD POINT. A RED LIGHTED RWY SIGN EXISTS AT THIS POINT, BUT THERE ARE NO FLASHING ALERT LIGHTS THAT MAY HAVE HELPED COMMAND OUR ATTN. THIS WOULD HELP, AS THE AREA IS RATHER CONGESTED WITH THE CONVERGENCE OF SEVERAL TXWYS AND THE APCH ENDS OF RWYS 27R AND 32R IN CLOSE PROX. THE CAPT NOTED THAT HE SAW THE RED LIGHTED SIGN FOR RWY 27R, AND WAS HEADED FOR THAT AREA WITH THE MISTAKEN ASSUMPTION THAT IT WAS THE HOLD POINT FOR OUR ASSIGNED RWY 32R. THE LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS OF THE DAWN HR ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE CONFUSION. THE EASIEST, MOST LOGICAL SOLUTION TO THIS POTENTIAL HAZARDOUS SIT IS TO SLOW DOWN AND NOT FALL INTO THE 'GOTTA GO, GOTTA GET THERE' TRAP. WE HAD ANTICIPATED RWY 32L AT INTXN T10 FOR THE DEP RWY AS ANNOUNCED IN THE ATIS MESSAGE, WHICH WOULD HAVE PROVIDED MUCH MORE TAXI TIME AND PREPARATION, SO WE FELL INTO THE 'HURRY UP' MODE WHEN ASSIGNED RWY 32R. THE LESSON FOR FO IS: KEEP AN EYE ON WHERE THE CAPT IS TAXIING, AND BACK HIM UP!

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.