An E145 crew, taxiing for takeoff at bos, incurred a runway they were told to hold short of.

Attributes
ACN	545129
Time
Date	200204
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bos.airport
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	EMB ERJ 145 ER&LR
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : bos.tower
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 525
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Airport
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While taxiing, received instructions to follow preceding aircraft to runway 9 and hold short of runway 4L at bos. Captain was taxiing aircraft while first officer running checklists. Bos has a bravo hold point and both captain and first officer distraction by discussing proper taxi route to hold point bravo -- both first officer and captain spending a lot of time looking down at airport diagram. Captain continued following previous aircraft across runway 4L without clearance. Ground controller commented we were not cleared to cross runway 4L, but go ahead and position and hold on runway 9. Contributing factors: 1) distraction in cockpit as both first officer and captain referring to airport diagram -- unfamiliar with airport. 2) poor airport signage placement. 3) close proximity of runway 4L to very short taxi to runway 9 departure end. Unusual. 4) common runway incursion point at bos airport.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN E145 CREW, TAXIING FOR TKOF AT BOS, INCURRED A RWY THEY WERE TOLD TO HOLD SHORT OF.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING, RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS TO FOLLOW PRECEDING ACFT TO RWY 9 AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4L AT BOS. CAPT WAS TAXIING ACFT WHILE FO RUNNING CHKLISTS. BOS HAS A BRAVO HOLD POINT AND BOTH CAPT AND FO DISTR BY DISCUSSING PROPER TAXI RTE TO HOLD POINT BRAVO -- BOTH FO AND CAPT SPENDING A LOT OF TIME LOOKING DOWN AT ARPT DIAGRAM. CAPT CONTINUED FOLLOWING PREVIOUS ACFT ACROSS RWY 4L WITHOUT CLRNC. GND CTLR COMMENTED WE WERE NOT CLRED TO CROSS RWY 4L, BUT GO AHEAD AND POS AND HOLD ON RWY 9. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) DISTR IN COCKPIT AS BOTH FO AND CAPT REFERRING TO ARPT DIAGRAM -- UNFAMILIAR WITH ARPT. 2) POOR ARPT SIGNAGE PLACEMENT. 3) CLOSE PROX OF RWY 4L TO VERY SHORT TAXI TO RWY 9 DEP END. UNUSUAL. 4) COMMON RWY INCURSION POINT AT BOS ARPT.

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.