Narrative:

Taxi for takeoff at kslc. Doing before takeoff checklist, flight attendant advised they had a passenger on oxygen problem and needed an extra min. We pulled off to side of taxiway on freight ramp. Almost immediately flight attendants advised they were ready. So we pulled back onto taxiway after advising tower we were ready. Tower said, (I thought I heard) 'taxi into position and hold.' always, always, I look to my right and left to clear before crossing runways, txwys, etc. This time I didn't. First officer was into finishing up his duties so he didn't see me taxi onto runway 34R. Because we were heavy, I wanted to use all the runway: therefore, in lining up I saw to my right an aircraft on short final. I gave the throttles a shove and we cleared across the runway onto taxiway M. Landing aircraft continued to landing. It's probable the tower said 'hold short,' but I swear I hear 'position and hold,' hearing what I wanted to hear maybe events conspired against us. The passenger problem, associated with approaching takeoff runway, checklist, and tower keeping us in sequence (we were number 1 for runway) so that everybody was busy, caused me to obviously miss what was actually said. I usually state aloud what I hear on runway clearance, from controller to verify to myself and my first officer. That way it provides a backup for correction. I didn't do that this time to my regret. Additionally, tower, in their reply, stated we were still number 1 which may have planted the seed in expectation of takeoff clearance. Supplemental information from acn 509908: tower directed us to 'taxi up to and hold sort of runway 34R.' I rogered this instruction and as we made a 90 degree left turn approaching the hold short line I began reading the before takeoff checklist. We crossed the runway 34R hold line, and about runway centerline a company B737 on approximately a one mile final asked tower if the B757 was crossing. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: callback revealed that the reporter did not use his usual crutches and reminders for takeoff and cleared into position verification. He attributes that to the distraction of the finishing up of the passenger problem and the breakdown in coordination of the cockpit crew because of the rush to get under way.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISTRACTED WITH PAX AND INTERPHONE USE AN ACR CAPTAIN INTERPRETS A HOLD SHORT CLRNC TO BE 'POS AND HOLD' RESULTING IN ENTRY ONTO THE RWY WITH AN ARRIVING ACFT ON SHORT FINAL. ANOTHER CREW MEMBER NOTED THE ERROR AND A HASTY CROSSING OF THE RWY IS COMPLETED BEFORE THE ARRIV ACFT'S LNDG.

Narrative: TAXI FOR TAKEOFF AT KSLC. DOING BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST, FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED THEY HAD A PAX ON OXYGEN PROB AND NEEDED AN EXTRA MIN. WE PULLED OFF TO SIDE OF TXWY ON FREIGHT RAMP. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY FLT ATTENDANTS ADVISED THEY WERE READY. SO WE PULLED BACK ONTO TXWY AFTER ADVISING TWR WE WERE READY. TWR SAID, (I THOUGHT I HEARD) 'TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD.' ALWAYS, ALWAYS, I LOOK TO MY R AND L TO CLR BEFORE CROSSING RWYS, TXWYS, ETC. THIS TIME I DIDN'T. FO WAS INTO FINISHING UP HIS DUTIES SO HE DIDN'T SEE ME TAXI ONTO RWY 34R. BECAUSE WE WERE HEAVY, I WANTED TO USE ALL THE RWY: THEREFORE, IN LINING UP I SAW TO MY R AN ACFT ON SHORT FINAL. I GAVE THE THROTTLES A SHOVE AND WE CLRED ACROSS THE RWY ONTO TXWY M. LNDG ACFT CONTINUED TO LNDG. IT'S PROBABLE THE TWR SAID 'HOLD SHORT,' BUT I SWEAR I HEAR 'POS AND HOLD,' HEARING WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR MAYBE EVENTS CONSPIRED AGAINST US. THE PAX PROB, ASSOCIATED WITH APCHING TAKEOFF RWY, CHKLIST, AND TWR KEEPING US IN SEQUENCE (WE WERE NUMBER 1 FOR RWY) SO THAT EVERYBODY WAS BUSY, CAUSED ME TO OBVIOUSLY MISS WHAT WAS ACTUALLY SAID. I USUALLY STATE ALOUD WHAT I HEAR ON RWY CLRNC, FROM CTLR TO VERIFY TO MYSELF AND MY FO. THAT WAY IT PROVIDES A BACKUP FOR CORRECTION. I DIDN'T DO THAT THIS TIME TO MY REGRET. ADDITIONALLY, TWR, IN THEIR REPLY, STATED WE WERE STILL NUMBER 1 WHICH MAY HAVE PLANTED THE SEED IN EXPECTATION OF TAKEOFF CLRNC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 509908: TWR DIRECTED US TO 'TAXI UP TO AND HOLD SORT OF RWY 34R.' I ROGERED THIS INSTRUCTION AND AS WE MADE A 90 DEG L TURN APCHING THE HOLD SHORT LINE I BEGAN READING THE BEFORE TAKEOFF CHKLIST. WE CROSSED THE RWY 34R HOLD LINE, AND ABOUT RWY CTRLINE A COMPANY B737 ON APPROX A ONE MILE FINAL ASKED TWR IF THE B757 WAS CROSSING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CALLBACK REVEALED THAT THE RPTR DID NOT USE HIS USUAL CRUTCHES AND REMINDERS FOR TAKEOFF AND CLRED INTO POS VERIFICATION. HE ATTRIBUTES THAT TO THE DISTRACTION OF THE FINISHING UP OF THE PAX PROB AND THE BREAKDOWN IN COORDINATION OF THE COCKPIT CREW BECAUSE OF THE RUSH TO GET UNDER WAY.

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.