Narrative:

Our flight received initial taxi clearance to depart the ramp up taxiway C, runway 6 to runway 30R. It is now completely dark, and we taxied at a fairly slow, steady rate, briefing and completing the before takeoff checklist down to the line. Approaching runway 30R on runway 6, ground control was still primary and told us to hold. I began to stop and turned off all of our lights that would project into the sight path of the landing B737, and we stopped and switched to tower in time to hear tower announce to the B737 that there was an aircraft holding within 200 ft of the runway. The B737 acknowledged and was issued clearance to land. Once that traffic was clear of our position, tower cleared us to back taxi and hold for release at the end of runway 30R. Once in position, the tower then advised us that they would have to file a runway incursion report because we had stopped within 200 ft of the runway holding on runway 6. I acknowledged the tower without comment and we departed. Subsequent discussion with hamilton tower educated our crew that in canada, any encroachment at a hold point as indicated by peripheral signs or taxiway marking lines, though still well clear of an active runway, is reported as a runway incursion. We do not know how such sits and differences are dealt with when the runway has not been entered or nearly entered. We had stopped very close to what we thought would have been the imaginary line projected between the hold signs located well off of the runway edge of runway 6. Because we were on a runway, there was no line painted on the ground, and tower was viewing us from a fair distance away, in the dark, at an angle. Remedies: 1) be ever more cautious and stop well behind such hold signs. 2) hold briefings and checklists while taxiing on txwys/runways close to an active. 3) separate and clarify canadian definition of runway incursion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 CREW ACCUSED OF RWY INCURSION AT YHM.

Narrative: OUR FLT RECEIVED INITIAL TAXI CLRNC TO DEPART THE RAMP UP TXWY C, RWY 6 TO RWY 30R. IT IS NOW COMPLETELY DARK, AND WE TAXIED AT A FAIRLY SLOW, STEADY RATE, BRIEFING AND COMPLETING THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST DOWN TO THE LINE. APCHING RWY 30R ON RWY 6, GND CTL WAS STILL PRIMARY AND TOLD US TO HOLD. I BEGAN TO STOP AND TURNED OFF ALL OF OUR LIGHTS THAT WOULD PROJECT INTO THE SIGHT PATH OF THE LNDG B737, AND WE STOPPED AND SWITCHED TO TWR IN TIME TO HEAR TWR ANNOUNCE TO THE B737 THAT THERE WAS AN ACFT HOLDING WITHIN 200 FT OF THE RWY. THE B737 ACKNOWLEDGED AND WAS ISSUED CLRNC TO LAND. ONCE THAT TFC WAS CLR OF OUR POS, TWR CLRED US TO BACK TAXI AND HOLD FOR RELEASE AT THE END OF RWY 30R. ONCE IN POS, THE TWR THEN ADVISED US THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO FILE A RWY INCURSION RPT BECAUSE WE HAD STOPPED WITHIN 200 FT OF THE RWY HOLDING ON RWY 6. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE TWR WITHOUT COMMENT AND WE DEPARTED. SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSION WITH HAMILTON TWR EDUCATED OUR CREW THAT IN CANADA, ANY ENCROACHMENT AT A HOLD POINT AS INDICATED BY PERIPHERAL SIGNS OR TXWY MARKING LINES, THOUGH STILL WELL CLR OF AN ACTIVE RWY, IS RPTED AS A RWY INCURSION. WE DO NOT KNOW HOW SUCH SITS AND DIFFERENCES ARE DEALT WITH WHEN THE RWY HAS NOT BEEN ENTERED OR NEARLY ENTERED. WE HAD STOPPED VERY CLOSE TO WHAT WE THOUGHT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE IMAGINARY LINE PROJECTED BTWN THE HOLD SIGNS LOCATED WELL OFF OF THE RWY EDGE OF RWY 6. BECAUSE WE WERE ON A RWY, THERE WAS NO LINE PAINTED ON THE GND, AND TWR WAS VIEWING US FROM A FAIR DISTANCE AWAY, IN THE DARK, AT AN ANGLE. REMEDIES: 1) BE EVER MORE CAUTIOUS AND STOP WELL BEHIND SUCH HOLD SIGNS. 2) HOLD BRIEFINGS AND CHKLISTS WHILE TAXIING ON TXWYS/RWYS CLOSE TO AN ACTIVE. 3) SEPARATE AND CLARIFY CANADIAN DEFINITION OF RWY INCURSION.

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.