Narrative:

We were cleared to taxi to runway 17 in mht. The company briefing page warns about the hold short line being farther than normal from the end of runway 17 and that it is difficult to see and I was expecting this. As we were nearing the runway; I briefly looked up to check the bleed confign because we were planning a bleeds off takeoff. When I looked back; I saw the hold short line and stopped smoothly but aggressively allowing our nose to just cross the line. I notified tower that we had crossed the hold short line. Tower responded by clearing us for takeoff. Then as we were approaching the runway; tower came back with a phone number to call. I cannot explain why I did not see the line coming prior to briefly looking at the bleed panel. The briefing page says the line is difficult to see but it does not say why. Perhaps because of the hilly terrain. In addition; a hot spot circle does not exist on the airport graphic and probably should. Especially considering that when I spoke to the tower via phone later that day the controller said that they are #3 in the country for runway incursions because of the line's position. I asked why the line was located so far away from the runway and he was unsure but indicated that they would like the line moved or marked more clearly. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter could not explain how the hold line was not noticed early enough to prevent crossing; but for some reason it did not register in his consciousness until it was too late. He believes that a hot spot circle should be added to the airport diagram and possibly a note of warning. Supplemental information from acn 800753: we were cleared to taxi from the gate to runway 17 via taxiway G; taxiway D; cross runway 35; taxiway H; cross runway 24. After crossing runway 24; I asked the captain if he thought our final weights were still good. Several people had inquired about being rebooked after our 1 hour maintenance delay. I sent a message to load planning and he confirmed that the weights were good. We were just over our planned takeoff weight for runway 17 flaps 1 degree; bleeds on; so I pulled up new numbers for bleeds off takeoff. As I printed that out and configured the bleeds for takeoff; the captain stopped the plane and set the brake. We had gone beyond the hold short line for runway 17 which was much further from the end of the runway than we had anticipated. The nose of the airplane was about 5-10 ft beyond the line. There was no traffic taxiing in front of us and neither the captain nor myself saw the hold short line in time to stop. We weren't sure if the tower realized that we were slightly beyond the line; so we opted to call the tower and told them what had happened. Tower cleared us for takeoff on runway 17 and as we continued to the runway; she gave us the tower's phone number to call when we got to ZZZ.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW REPORTS INADVERTENT CROSSING OF RWY 17 HOLD LINE AT MHT.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 17 IN MHT. THE COMPANY BRIEFING PAGE WARNS ABOUT THE HOLD SHORT LINE BEING FARTHER THAN NORMAL FROM THE END OF RWY 17 AND THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE AND I WAS EXPECTING THIS. AS WE WERE NEARING THE RWY; I BRIEFLY LOOKED UP TO CHK THE BLEED CONFIGN BECAUSE WE WERE PLANNING A BLEEDS OFF TKOF. WHEN I LOOKED BACK; I SAW THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND STOPPED SMOOTHLY BUT AGGRESSIVELY ALLOWING OUR NOSE TO JUST CROSS THE LINE. I NOTIFIED TWR THAT WE HAD CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE. TWR RESPONDED BY CLRING US FOR TKOF. THEN AS WE WERE APCHING THE RWY; TWR CAME BACK WITH A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL. I CANNOT EXPLAIN WHY I DID NOT SEE THE LINE COMING PRIOR TO BRIEFLY LOOKING AT THE BLEED PANEL. THE BRIEFING PAGE SAYS THE LINE IS DIFFICULT TO SEE BUT IT DOES NOT SAY WHY. PERHAPS BECAUSE OF THE HILLY TERRAIN. IN ADDITION; A HOT SPOT CIRCLE DOES NOT EXIST ON THE ARPT GRAPHIC AND PROBABLY SHOULD. ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THAT WHEN I SPOKE TO THE TWR VIA PHONE LATER THAT DAY THE CTLR SAID THAT THEY ARE #3 IN THE COUNTRY FOR RWY INCURSIONS BECAUSE OF THE LINE'S POS. I ASKED WHY THE LINE WAS LOCATED SO FAR AWAY FROM THE RWY AND HE WAS UNSURE BUT INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD LIKE THE LINE MOVED OR MARKED MORE CLEARLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER COULD NOT EXPLAIN HOW THE HOLD LINE WAS NOT NOTICED EARLY ENOUGH TO PREVENT CROSSING; BUT FOR SOME REASON IT DID NOT REGISTER IN HIS CONSCIOUSNESS UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE. HE BELIEVES THAT A HOT SPOT CIRCLE SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE ARPT DIAGRAM AND POSSIBLY A NOTE OF WARNING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 800753: WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI FROM THE GATE TO RWY 17 VIA TXWY G; TXWY D; CROSS RWY 35; TXWY H; CROSS RWY 24. AFTER XING RWY 24; I ASKED THE CAPT IF HE THOUGHT OUR FINAL WTS WERE STILL GOOD. SEVERAL PEOPLE HAD INQUIRED ABOUT BEING REBOOKED AFTER OUR 1 HR MAINT DELAY. I SENT A MESSAGE TO LOAD PLANNING AND HE CONFIRMED THAT THE WTS WERE GOOD. WE WERE JUST OVER OUR PLANNED TKOF WT FOR RWY 17 FLAPS 1 DEG; BLEEDS ON; SO I PULLED UP NEW NUMBERS FOR BLEEDS OFF TKOF. AS I PRINTED THAT OUT AND CONFIGURED THE BLEEDS FOR TKOF; THE CAPT STOPPED THE PLANE AND SET THE BRAKE. WE HAD GONE BEYOND THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 17 WHICH WAS MUCH FURTHER FROM THE END OF THE RWY THAN WE HAD ANTICIPATED. THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT 5-10 FT BEYOND THE LINE. THERE WAS NO TFC TAXIING IN FRONT OF US AND NEITHER THE CAPT NOR MYSELF SAW THE HOLD SHORT LINE IN TIME TO STOP. WE WEREN'T SURE IF THE TWR REALIZED THAT WE WERE SLIGHTLY BEYOND THE LINE; SO WE OPTED TO CALL THE TWR AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED. TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF ON RWY 17 AND AS WE CONTINUED TO THE RWY; SHE GAVE US THE TWR'S PHONE NUMBER TO CALL WHEN WE GOT TO ZZZ.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.