Narrative:

Taxiing out from gate Y to spot X, given ground clearance 'taxi to runway 7L via txwys D, B, hold short of runway 19L.' I taxied past taxiway D on taxiway south (*thinking that runway 19L was taxiway D) until the ground controller told us to 'stop.' at this point, we were already past the hold short line on runway 19L. At the time the first officer was busy copying a revised departure clearance from ground control, so he was not able to help with the taxi. In hindsight, it would have been better to tell the ground controller to stand by with the clearance until we were established on taxiway D or until we had stopped at the end of the runway. I was taxing much slower than usual because I have trouble following taxi directions in las. (I had even made a comment to the first officer about that the night before, on taxi in.) thinking this over, I think las is difficult because of the lack of taxiway edge lights (on other airports -- even in the day time you have the light 'posts' to help define the taxiway. So when you taxi wbound from gate Y, all you see is a huge expanse of concrete with a few scattered signs). To make things worse, the taxi diagram shows a couple of triangular shaped areas that would normally be grassy areas on other airports. I was looking to pass one of those as a help to find taxiway D. I obviously never saw it and kept right on going.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW HAD RWY INCURSION AT LAS.

Narrative: TAXIING OUT FROM GATE Y TO SPOT X, GIVEN GND CLRNC 'TAXI TO RWY 7L VIA TXWYS D, B, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 19L.' I TAXIED PAST TXWY D ON TXWY S (*THINKING THAT RWY 19L WAS TXWY D) UNTIL THE GND CTLR TOLD US TO 'STOP.' AT THIS POINT, WE WERE ALREADY PAST THE HOLD SHORT LINE ON RWY 19L. AT THE TIME THE FO WAS BUSY COPYING A REVISED DEP CLRNC FROM GND CTL, SO HE WAS NOT ABLE TO HELP WITH THE TAXI. IN HINDSIGHT, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER TO TELL THE GND CTLR TO STAND BY WITH THE CLRNC UNTIL WE WERE ESTABLISHED ON TXWY D OR UNTIL WE HAD STOPPED AT THE END OF THE RWY. I WAS TAXING MUCH SLOWER THAN USUAL BECAUSE I HAVE TROUBLE FOLLOWING TAXI DIRECTIONS IN LAS. (I HAD EVEN MADE A COMMENT TO THE FO ABOUT THAT THE NIGHT BEFORE, ON TAXI IN.) THINKING THIS OVER, I THINK LAS IS DIFFICULT BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF TXWY EDGE LIGHTS (ON OTHER ARPTS -- EVEN IN THE DAY TIME YOU HAVE THE LIGHT 'POSTS' TO HELP DEFINE THE TXWY. SO WHEN YOU TAXI WBOUND FROM GATE Y, ALL YOU SEE IS A HUGE EXPANSE OF CONCRETE WITH A FEW SCATTERED SIGNS). TO MAKE THINGS WORSE, THE TAXI DIAGRAM SHOWS A COUPLE OF TRIANGULAR SHAPED AREAS THAT WOULD NORMALLY BE GRASSY AREAS ON OTHER ARPTS. I WAS LOOKING TO PASS ONE OF THOSE AS A HELP TO FIND TXWY D. I OBVIOUSLY NEVER SAW IT AND KEPT RIGHT ON GOING.

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.