Narrative:

Upon landing rollout on runway 26R in ont, ca, we were given taxi instructions to turn left on taxiway K, left on taxiway M, and hold short runway 26R at taxiway P. On approach, I was expecting the normal right turn and taxi in via taxiway P, taxiway north, and taxiway U. With numerous txwys closed and a slightly longer landing roll than anticipated, due to a slight tailwind, we went past taxiway P and required the left turn route. As we exited at taxiway K, I called for 'flaps up clean up.' I was taxiing slowly and in the back of my mind I was thinking that this was where we had a crew end up on runway 26L by mistake. Taxiway M is very close to runway 26L, just 1 aircraft length, and as I was straightening the aircraft from the left turn onto taxiway K, the nosewheel was already on taxiway M. I looked and didn't see any taxiway signs. I saw blacktop asphalt running parallel and close to runway 26R. It didn't look like a taxiway to me. It looked like a surface vehicle road. The rest of the runways and txwys in ont are concrete. Taxiway M is the only thing on the surface that is blacktop asphalt, it has humps in it and it is not perfectly straight like the other txwys and runways. As we passed taxiway M, the first officer and I were doing our 'flaps up, clean up' flows when the tower called and told us that we had passed taxiway M. I realized that I had been looking at runway 26L and thinking that it was taxiway M. I saw the hold short lines for runway 26L approaching and had to brake fairly hard to avoid going out onto runway 26L. Had the tower controller not caught the error I am sure that I would have taxied the aircraft onto runway 26L. There was no traffic on final for runway 26L, so the tower controller cleared us to back-taxi on runway 26L and take taxiway P across runway 26R then to the gate. I knew the area was tricky, I had looked at my 10-9 page and had it out, and I still made the mistake. Contributing factors: the clearance was not what I had expected. I had never taken this taxi route before. The first officer had never taken this taxi route before. We were both doing our 'flaps up, clean up' flows. The taxiway is unusually close to runway 26L. The taxiway is blacktop, while the rest of the airport is concrete, giving it the appearance of a road. Runways 26R&left are close together. This area is not well marked, it may not be marked at all. I don't think taxiway M is striped.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW TAXIES ACROSS HOLD SHORT LINE AT ONT.

Narrative: UPON LNDG ROLLOUT ON RWY 26R IN ONT, CA, WE WERE GIVEN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN L ON TXWY K, L ON TXWY M, AND HOLD SHORT RWY 26R AT TXWY P. ON APCH, I WAS EXPECTING THE NORMAL R TURN AND TAXI IN VIA TXWY P, TXWY N, AND TXWY U. WITH NUMEROUS TXWYS CLOSED AND A SLIGHTLY LONGER LNDG ROLL THAN ANTICIPATED, DUE TO A SLIGHT TAILWIND, WE WENT PAST TXWY P AND REQUIRED THE L TURN RTE. AS WE EXITED AT TXWY K, I CALLED FOR 'FLAPS UP CLEAN UP.' I WAS TAXIING SLOWLY AND IN THE BACK OF MY MIND I WAS THINKING THAT THIS WAS WHERE WE HAD A CREW END UP ON RWY 26L BY MISTAKE. TXWY M IS VERY CLOSE TO RWY 26L, JUST 1 ACFT LENGTH, AND AS I WAS STRAIGHTENING THE ACFT FROM THE L TURN ONTO TXWY K, THE NOSEWHEEL WAS ALREADY ON TXWY M. I LOOKED AND DIDN'T SEE ANY TXWY SIGNS. I SAW BLACKTOP ASPHALT RUNNING PARALLEL AND CLOSE TO RWY 26R. IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE A TXWY TO ME. IT LOOKED LIKE A SURFACE VEHICLE ROAD. THE REST OF THE RWYS AND TXWYS IN ONT ARE CONCRETE. TXWY M IS THE ONLY THING ON THE SURFACE THAT IS BLACKTOP ASPHALT, IT HAS HUMPS IN IT AND IT IS NOT PERFECTLY STRAIGHT LIKE THE OTHER TXWYS AND RWYS. AS WE PASSED TXWY M, THE FO AND I WERE DOING OUR 'FLAPS UP, CLEAN UP' FLOWS WHEN THE TWR CALLED AND TOLD US THAT WE HAD PASSED TXWY M. I REALIZED THAT I HAD BEEN LOOKING AT RWY 26L AND THINKING THAT IT WAS TXWY M. I SAW THE HOLD SHORT LINES FOR RWY 26L APCHING AND HAD TO BRAKE FAIRLY HARD TO AVOID GOING OUT ONTO RWY 26L. HAD THE TWR CTLR NOT CAUGHT THE ERROR I AM SURE THAT I WOULD HAVE TAXIED THE ACFT ONTO RWY 26L. THERE WAS NO TFC ON FINAL FOR RWY 26L, SO THE TWR CTLR CLRED US TO BACK-TAXI ON RWY 26L AND TAKE TXWY P ACROSS RWY 26R THEN TO THE GATE. I KNEW THE AREA WAS TRICKY, I HAD LOOKED AT MY 10-9 PAGE AND HAD IT OUT, AND I STILL MADE THE MISTAKE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THE CLRNC WAS NOT WHAT I HAD EXPECTED. I HAD NEVER TAKEN THIS TAXI RTE BEFORE. THE FO HAD NEVER TAKEN THIS TAXI RTE BEFORE. WE WERE BOTH DOING OUR 'FLAPS UP, CLEAN UP' FLOWS. THE TXWY IS UNUSUALLY CLOSE TO RWY 26L. THE TXWY IS BLACKTOP, WHILE THE REST OF THE ARPT IS CONCRETE, GIVING IT THE APPEARANCE OF A ROAD. RWYS 26R&L ARE CLOSE TOGETHER. THIS AREA IS NOT WELL MARKED, IT MAY NOT BE MARKED AT ALL. I DON'T THINK TXWY M IS STRIPED.

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.