Narrative:

Landed runway 1 off charted visual. Turned off at runway 33 and back onto taxiway J. Ground said 'taxi to the gate.' I picked taxiway J, planned a turn at taxiway P, and into the gate area. Briefed it to first officer. Taxi speed normal 20 KTS until approaching taxiway P. Slowed taxi speed to about 8-10 KTS, but I did not realize that the hold short for runway 4 would be painted on the ground at about the intersection of taxiway and taxiway P. I stopped short of the hold short, but in my slightly late right turn onto taxiway P, it is possible a portion of my left wing protruded over the hold short line. Tower just asked if we were turning onto taxiway P or were on the runway, and we said we were turning onto taxiway P. They said 'roger.' there was no vehicular traffic in the area, and no aircraft in sight on final to runway 4. Therefore, I don't believe it is technically an incursion. This, however, does not mitigate my error in turning a bit late into taxiway P or a bit too close to the hold short line. I made a mistake by not being more careful or vigilant. I should have used more care in the vicinity of taxiway P, and expected perhaps some confusion in signage, lighting or deck markings since the hold short was just paint on the ground. I did not expect this, and the location of the hold short line surprised me as I came upon it. The rest of my crew was unaware of anything unusual. The turn onto taxiway P was very slow and easy. FAA inspector in my jumpseat did not say anything, and post flight had no comments and said we did a great job. Next time, I'm going to more carefully scrutinize the chart or a more exact location of these things. I'm going to brief it better, and taxi slower, and engage the first officer more in backing me up during taxi. I think charts could be improved with a larger scale, more information, and more and better accuracy in depicting the layout. Pilots are asked to navigate on the ground with resolution of maybe 25-50 ft, and do it off of a chart of perhaps 25 square mi, and at night. And the chart is in very small type size. Maybe chart company could make a chart that has quarter page size depictions of critical areas, runway incursion hotspots, intxns of txwys and runways, etc. The chart doesn't appear to have evolved with either the complexity of ground operations, the traffic volume or the pace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIC OF TAXIING B737-700 ALLOWS HIS PORT WING TO PASS OVER THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 4/22 AT TXWY J AT DCA, DC.

Narrative: LANDED RWY 1 OFF CHARTED VISUAL. TURNED OFF AT RWY 33 AND BACK ONTO TXWY J. GND SAID 'TAXI TO THE GATE.' I PICKED TXWY J, PLANNED A TURN AT TXWY P, AND INTO THE GATE AREA. BRIEFED IT TO FO. TAXI SPD NORMAL 20 KTS UNTIL APCHING TXWY P. SLOWED TAXI SPD TO ABOUT 8-10 KTS, BUT I DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE HOLD SHORT FOR RWY 4 WOULD BE PAINTED ON THE GND AT ABOUT THE INTXN OF TXWY AND TXWY P. I STOPPED SHORT OF THE HOLD SHORT, BUT IN MY SLIGHTLY LATE R TURN ONTO TXWY P, IT IS POSSIBLE A PORTION OF MY L WING PROTRUDED OVER THE HOLD SHORT LINE. TWR JUST ASKED IF WE WERE TURNING ONTO TXWY P OR WERE ON THE RWY, AND WE SAID WE WERE TURNING ONTO TXWY P. THEY SAID 'ROGER.' THERE WAS NO VEHICULAR TFC IN THE AREA, AND NO ACFT IN SIGHT ON FINAL TO RWY 4. THEREFORE, I DON'T BELIEVE IT IS TECHNICALLY AN INCURSION. THIS, HOWEVER, DOES NOT MITIGATE MY ERROR IN TURNING A BIT LATE INTO TXWY P OR A BIT TOO CLOSE TO THE HOLD SHORT LINE. I MADE A MISTAKE BY NOT BEING MORE CAREFUL OR VIGILANT. I SHOULD HAVE USED MORE CARE IN THE VICINITY OF TXWY P, AND EXPECTED PERHAPS SOME CONFUSION IN SIGNAGE, LIGHTING OR DECK MARKINGS SINCE THE HOLD SHORT WAS JUST PAINT ON THE GND. I DID NOT EXPECT THIS, AND THE LOCATION OF THE HOLD SHORT LINE SURPRISED ME AS I CAME UPON IT. THE REST OF MY CREW WAS UNAWARE OF ANYTHING UNUSUAL. THE TURN ONTO TXWY P WAS VERY SLOW AND EASY. FAA INSPECTOR IN MY JUMPSEAT DID NOT SAY ANYTHING, AND POST FLT HAD NO COMMENTS AND SAID WE DID A GREAT JOB. NEXT TIME, I'M GOING TO MORE CAREFULLY SCRUTINIZE THE CHART OR A MORE EXACT LOCATION OF THESE THINGS. I'M GOING TO BRIEF IT BETTER, AND TAXI SLOWER, AND ENGAGE THE FO MORE IN BACKING ME UP DURING TAXI. I THINK CHARTS COULD BE IMPROVED WITH A LARGER SCALE, MORE INFO, AND MORE AND BETTER ACCURACY IN DEPICTING THE LAYOUT. PLTS ARE ASKED TO NAVIGATE ON THE GND WITH RESOLUTION OF MAYBE 25-50 FT, AND DO IT OFF OF A CHART OF PERHAPS 25 SQUARE MI, AND AT NIGHT. AND THE CHART IS IN VERY SMALL TYPE SIZE. MAYBE CHART COMPANY COULD MAKE A CHART THAT HAS QUARTER PAGE SIZE DEPICTIONS OF CRITICAL AREAS, RWY INCURSION HOTSPOTS, INTXNS OF TXWYS AND RWYS, ETC. THE CHART DOESN'T APPEAR TO HAVE EVOLVED WITH EITHER THE COMPLEXITY OF GND OPS, THE TFC VOLUME OR THE PACE.

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.