Narrative:

We pushed from gate on time for our last leg. Due to construction, there were numerous txwys closed and runway 26R was closed. We pushed back, tail east, as per advice from ground control. We were instructed to 'taxi to runway 26L via taxiway U, cross runway 26R and hold short of runway 26L.' proceeded across runway 26R (turned on lights as I crossed) and looked at chart to see my position. The first officer told me he had the data for intersection U departure, if we wanted to do that. (He had checked the performance computer and had it out to insert the intersection, but was not looking at it at the time.) instead, he was heads up and watching as another aircraft was crossing the runway at taxiway Q to the west of us. I noticed that also and requested the departure at taxiway U from ground. Ground control began a spiel that began with, 'company flight number, tower (this caused some confusion. I felt the clearance would come next), roger, we have an agreement with the city concerning noise abatement and it prohibits intersection departures unless operationally necessary.' during this time, I was feeling we were near the runway and I was looking for the red runway 27L/8R sign. I don't know if we had already passed it by because the next thing I recall hearing is, 'company flight number hold short runway 26L, hold short of the runway,' or something to that effect, which occurred during his description of the noise abatement procedure. My peripheral vision picked up the hold short line passing by my shoulder and I immediately stopped. I looked left to see a B757 going around about 400 ft away and he passed over us at about 1000 ft. I did not feel rushed. I was not overly tired (but tired). I had the chart on the yoke and was taxiing slowly, less than 12 KTS. My expectations were: 1) I would see the red sign, 2) I would be cleared to either cross or taxi into position and hold, only by virtue of his (ground control) saying tower and roger. I do not yet know if there were signs for the runway at that intersection. If there were, I don't think I would have crossed. I am appalled at my actions as I have been working in the air safety business for 13 yrs, investigated incidents, and was well aware of the performance level of the tower personnel. This is the first time in 25 yrs of professional flying and 30 yrs of aviation. In the future, I'll look for more than just a runway sign, but go by the diagram and other visual queues available.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 FLT CREW INADVERTENTLY CROSS A HOLD LINE FOR A RWY THEY WERE TO HOLD SHORT OF RESULTING IN A B757 GOING AROUND.

Narrative: WE PUSHED FROM GATE ON TIME FOR OUR LAST LEG. DUE TO CONSTRUCTION, THERE WERE NUMEROUS TXWYS CLOSED AND RWY 26R WAS CLOSED. WE PUSHED BACK, TAIL E, AS PER ADVICE FROM GND CTL. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO 'TAXI TO RWY 26L VIA TXWY U, CROSS RWY 26R AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 26L.' PROCEEDED ACROSS RWY 26R (TURNED ON LIGHTS AS I CROSSED) AND LOOKED AT CHART TO SEE MY POS. THE FO TOLD ME HE HAD THE DATA FOR INTXN U DEP, IF WE WANTED TO DO THAT. (HE HAD CHKED THE PERFORMANCE COMPUTER AND HAD IT OUT TO INSERT THE INTXN, BUT WAS NOT LOOKING AT IT AT THE TIME.) INSTEAD, HE WAS HEADS UP AND WATCHING AS ANOTHER ACFT WAS XING THE RWY AT TXWY Q TO THE W OF US. I NOTICED THAT ALSO AND REQUESTED THE DEP AT TXWY U FROM GND. GND CTL BEGAN A SPIEL THAT BEGAN WITH, 'COMPANY FLT NUMBER, TWR (THIS CAUSED SOME CONFUSION. I FELT THE CLRNC WOULD COME NEXT), ROGER, WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY CONCERNING NOISE ABATEMENT AND IT PROHIBITS INTXN DEPS UNLESS OPERATIONALLY NECESSARY.' DURING THIS TIME, I WAS FEELING WE WERE NEAR THE RWY AND I WAS LOOKING FOR THE RED RWY 27L/8R SIGN. I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAD ALREADY PASSED IT BY BECAUSE THE NEXT THING I RECALL HEARING IS, 'COMPANY FLT NUMBER HOLD SHORT RWY 26L, HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY,' OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT, WHICH OCCURRED DURING HIS DESCRIPTION OF THE NOISE ABATEMENT PROC. MY PERIPHERAL VISION PICKED UP THE HOLD SHORT LINE PASSING BY MY SHOULDER AND I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED. I LOOKED L TO SEE A B757 GOING AROUND ABOUT 400 FT AWAY AND HE PASSED OVER US AT ABOUT 1000 FT. I DID NOT FEEL RUSHED. I WAS NOT OVERLY TIRED (BUT TIRED). I HAD THE CHART ON THE YOKE AND WAS TAXIING SLOWLY, LESS THAN 12 KTS. MY EXPECTATIONS WERE: 1) I WOULD SEE THE RED SIGN, 2) I WOULD BE CLRED TO EITHER CROSS OR TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD, ONLY BY VIRTUE OF HIS (GND CTL) SAYING TWR AND ROGER. I DO NOT YET KNOW IF THERE WERE SIGNS FOR THE RWY AT THAT INTXN. IF THERE WERE, I DON'T THINK I WOULD HAVE CROSSED. I AM APPALLED AT MY ACTIONS AS I HAVE BEEN WORKING IN THE AIR SAFETY BUSINESS FOR 13 YRS, INVESTIGATED INCIDENTS, AND WAS WELL AWARE OF THE PERFORMANCE LEVEL OF THE TWR PERSONNEL. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN 25 YRS OF PROFESSIONAL FLYING AND 30 YRS OF AVIATION. IN THE FUTURE, I'LL LOOK FOR MORE THAN JUST A RWY SIGN, BUT GO BY THE DIAGRAM AND OTHER VISUAL QUEUES AVAILABLE.

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.