Narrative:

We were cleared to taxi to runway 21L. The initial hold short position for runway 21L is also the hold short position for runway 25. This is marked not only with the standard hold short markings but also with a large yellow sign that stated that the hold short position for runway 25 is also the hold short position for runway 21L. When we reached the hold short position we were the #2 aircraft in line behind a single cessna who was also holding short of runway 25 for runway 21L. The tower issued a clearance to the cessna, the exact wording I did not hear, at which time the cessna crossed the threshold of runway 25 and stopped short of runway 21L. At this time, the tower issued us a clearance to follow the cessna and hold short of runway 21L. As we began to move, the cessna was cleared into position and hold. We taxied across the threshold of runway 25 and cleared what we thought was a hold short line for the other side of runway 25. It was at this point the tower informed us that we had just crossed the hold short line for runway 21L. The captain and I were initially shocked and confused as to what the controller was talking about. It seemed clear to us that the controller must have been mistaken and we were holding in the correct place. As we began to take a closer look at the runway markings, we finally began to realize what had happened. What had initially appeared to be the standard placement of hold short markings for typical parallel, or in this case semi-parallel runways, were in fact reversed. To hold short for runway 21L actually means stopping on runway 25 and vice versa from the opposite direction. The one transmission that the tower made about our problem was the only time the tower made reference to it. Shortly after, we were cleared into position and hold and then cleared for takeoff. Looking back on the event it is clear that both the captain and myself mis-read the hold short markings. It's also clear that we both did not see the 'hot spot' warning on the approach plate. We operate with a paperless cockpit, which means that our approach plates are on large hand held computers. One of its features is we are able to 'zoom' in and out on a specific area of a chart. But this can also limit the immediate viewing area. The hand held that I was using, was displaying the plan view of the airport. However, I had enlarged the picture so I could clearly see all of the markings for our specific taxi route. In doing so, the 'hot spot' area had been pushed either way off to the side or even completely off the screen, causing me to never take notice of it. It also seems clear that we both assumed that the sign prior to runway 25 was there to inform pilots that it was the proper holding point for both runways. In the end, it is clear that as a crew, we should have had a greater situational awareness. But it also seems clear that the wording on the sign prior to runway 25 fools pilots into seeing that point as the one hold short point for both runways -- especially because of the matter of fact way we were informed by the controller. I also have never run across a hold short line that held you on the threshold of an active runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE400A FLC HAS RWY INCURSION AT LUK.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 21L. THE INITIAL HOLD SHORT POS FOR RWY 21L IS ALSO THE HOLD SHORT POS FOR RWY 25. THIS IS MARKED NOT ONLY WITH THE STANDARD HOLD SHORT MARKINGS BUT ALSO WITH A LARGE YELLOW SIGN THAT STATED THAT THE HOLD SHORT POS FOR RWY 25 IS ALSO THE HOLD SHORT POS FOR RWY 21L. WHEN WE REACHED THE HOLD SHORT POS WE WERE THE #2 ACFT IN LINE BEHIND A SINGLE CESSNA WHO WAS ALSO HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 25 FOR RWY 21L. THE TWR ISSUED A CLRNC TO THE CESSNA, THE EXACT WORDING I DID NOT HEAR, AT WHICH TIME THE CESSNA CROSSED THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 25 AND STOPPED SHORT OF RWY 21L. AT THIS TIME, THE TWR ISSUED US A CLRNC TO FOLLOW THE CESSNA AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 21L. AS WE BEGAN TO MOVE, THE CESSNA WAS CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD. WE TAXIED ACROSS THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 25 AND CLRED WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS A HOLD SHORT LINE FOR THE OTHER SIDE OF RWY 25. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THE TWR INFORMED US THAT WE HAD JUST CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 21L. THE CAPT AND I WERE INITIALLY SHOCKED AND CONFUSED AS TO WHAT THE CTLR WAS TALKING ABOUT. IT SEEMED CLR TO US THAT THE CTLR MUST HAVE BEEN MISTAKEN AND WE WERE HOLDING IN THE CORRECT PLACE. AS WE BEGAN TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE RWY MARKINGS, WE FINALLY BEGAN TO REALIZE WHAT HAD HAPPENED. WHAT HAD INITIALLY APPEARED TO BE THE STANDARD PLACEMENT OF HOLD SHORT MARKINGS FOR TYPICAL PARALLEL, OR IN THIS CASE SEMI-PARALLEL RWYS, WERE IN FACT REVERSED. TO HOLD SHORT FOR RWY 21L ACTUALLY MEANS STOPPING ON RWY 25 AND VICE VERSA FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. THE ONE XMISSION THAT THE TWR MADE ABOUT OUR PROB WAS THE ONLY TIME THE TWR MADE REF TO IT. SHORTLY AFTER, WE WERE CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD AND THEN CLRED FOR TKOF. LOOKING BACK ON THE EVENT IT IS CLR THAT BOTH THE CAPT AND MYSELF MIS-READ THE HOLD SHORT MARKINGS. IT'S ALSO CLR THAT WE BOTH DID NOT SEE THE 'HOT SPOT' WARNING ON THE APCH PLATE. WE OPERATE WITH A PAPERLESS COCKPIT, WHICH MEANS THAT OUR APCH PLATES ARE ON LARGE HAND HELD COMPUTERS. ONE OF ITS FEATURES IS WE ARE ABLE TO 'ZOOM' IN AND OUT ON A SPECIFIC AREA OF A CHART. BUT THIS CAN ALSO LIMIT THE IMMEDIATE VIEWING AREA. THE HAND HELD THAT I WAS USING, WAS DISPLAYING THE PLAN VIEW OF THE ARPT. HOWEVER, I HAD ENLARGED THE PICTURE SO I COULD CLRLY SEE ALL OF THE MARKINGS FOR OUR SPECIFIC TAXI RTE. IN DOING SO, THE 'HOT SPOT' AREA HAD BEEN PUSHED EITHER WAY OFF TO THE SIDE OR EVEN COMPLETELY OFF THE SCREEN, CAUSING ME TO NEVER TAKE NOTICE OF IT. IT ALSO SEEMS CLR THAT WE BOTH ASSUMED THAT THE SIGN PRIOR TO RWY 25 WAS THERE TO INFORM PLTS THAT IT WAS THE PROPER HOLDING POINT FOR BOTH RWYS. IN THE END, IT IS CLR THAT AS A CREW, WE SHOULD HAVE HAD A GREATER SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. BUT IT ALSO SEEMS CLR THAT THE WORDING ON THE SIGN PRIOR TO RWY 25 FOOLS PLTS INTO SEEING THAT POINT AS THE ONE HOLD SHORT POINT FOR BOTH RWYS -- ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF THE MATTER OF FACT WAY WE WERE INFORMED BY THE CTLR. I ALSO HAVE NEVER RUN ACROSS A HOLD SHORT LINE THAT HELD YOU ON THE THRESHOLD OF AN ACTIVE RWY.

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.