Narrative:

I was the first officer on originator out of mht on mar/xa/01. I had completed my walkaround and found nothing unusual. A couple of mins prior to pushback, the 'a' flight attendant came forward and told the captain and me that a passenger who was seated on the right side near the #2 engine was complaining about a 'cowl flap' open on the right engine. The captain asked if I had seen anything unusual during my preflight, which I had not, and he asked me to look out my sliding window to see if I saw anything. I looked and stated that nothing was amiss. We had completed the before takeoff checklist and we taxied out for departure on runway 35 at mht. I had switched to tower and we were approaching the hold short line for runway 35. The hold line is in an unusual place a ways back from the runway and I had flown into mht several times before and knew the captain had also. I should have asked if he knew where the hold line was because as we approached the hold short line, the 'a' flight attendant came back up front and began talking about the 'cowl flap' again. Right then both the captain and I became distraction and we ended up letting the nose and nosewheel roll past the hold line without a takeoff or position and hold clearance. I told the tower. I believe that this could have been avoided if I had not let myself become involved in the discussion as the airplane was under power. Also, I should have asked the captain if he was familiar with the hold line. I could have also ran back outside prior to push and checked the engine again. We both were thinking too much about the customer versus taxiing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B733 CREW TAXIED PAST THE HOLD SHORT LINE DURING TAXI FOR TKOF.

Narrative: I WAS THE FO ON ORIGINATOR OUT OF MHT ON MAR/XA/01. I HAD COMPLETED MY WALKAROUND AND FOUND NOTHING UNUSUAL. A COUPLE OF MINS PRIOR TO PUSHBACK, THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT CAME FORWARD AND TOLD THE CAPT AND ME THAT A PAX WHO WAS SEATED ON THE R SIDE NEAR THE #2 ENG WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT A 'COWL FLAP' OPEN ON THE R ENG. THE CAPT ASKED IF I HAD SEEN ANYTHING UNUSUAL DURING MY PREFLT, WHICH I HAD NOT, AND HE ASKED ME TO LOOK OUT MY SLIDING WINDOW TO SEE IF I SAW ANYTHING. I LOOKED AND STATED THAT NOTHING WAS AMISS. WE HAD COMPLETED THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST AND WE TAXIED OUT FOR DEP ON RWY 35 AT MHT. I HAD SWITCHED TO TWR AND WE WERE APCHING THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 35. THE HOLD LINE IS IN AN UNUSUAL PLACE A WAYS BACK FROM THE RWY AND I HAD FLOWN INTO MHT SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE AND KNEW THE CAPT HAD ALSO. I SHOULD HAVE ASKED IF HE KNEW WHERE THE HOLD LINE WAS BECAUSE AS WE APCHED THE HOLD SHORT LINE, THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT CAME BACK UP FRONT AND BEGAN TALKING ABOUT THE 'COWL FLAP' AGAIN. RIGHT THEN BOTH THE CAPT AND I BECAME DISTR AND WE ENDED UP LETTING THE NOSE AND NOSEWHEEL ROLL PAST THE HOLD LINE WITHOUT A TKOF OR POS AND HOLD CLRNC. I TOLD THE TWR. I BELIEVE THAT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF I HAD NOT LET MYSELF BECOME INVOLVED IN THE DISCUSSION AS THE AIRPLANE WAS UNDER PWR. ALSO, I SHOULD HAVE ASKED THE CAPT IF HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE HOLD LINE. I COULD HAVE ALSO RAN BACK OUTSIDE PRIOR TO PUSH AND CHKED THE ENG AGAIN. WE BOTH WERE THINKING TOO MUCH ABOUT THE CUSTOMER VERSUS TAXIING.

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.