Narrative:

Upon completing the before takeoff checklist; I noticed the hold short line for runway 28C go under the nose. I immediately told the captain to stop because we were crossing the line. He said it was the approach area sign. I looked again and I saw the hold short line on the pavement. I again told him to stop and call ground for clarification. He again said it was the approach sign (no pronoun) tapped the brakes and brought the aircraft almost to a stop but did not quite stop it. In the time during which this conversation was happening we ended up completely on the other side of the line. I quickly called ground which told us to call tower. Tower told us that we have indeed crossed the hold short line and that we should have asked for clarification before continuing to taxi. We apologized and they cleared us into position and hold and subsequently to takeoff. To my knowledge there was no other traffic in the final approach to the runway or taking off. Once airborne; the captain again called the tower for clarification because he was still unsure of where the hold short line really was. Causes: 1) I; as the first officer; should have been looking outside. I was fooled by the airport chart. Looking at the layout of the airport; I was expecting the hold short line to be further down taxiway east and I was; therefore; surprised to see the hold short line appear under the nose suddenly. However; considering that it was an unusual departure runway with an unusual taxi route; I should have been looking outside more. 2) I was looking at the pavement markings but the captain was looking at the signs on the side of the taxiway. He said he was confused by the red 'approach' vertical sign and that he was expecting the hold short line further down the taxiway. 3) once seeing the hold short line go under the nose of the aircraft I should have just stepped on the brakes and then explained; rather than trying to verbally explain the situation with the aircraft in motion. In the future I will. 4) the location of the hold short line seems unusual and most importantly the marking can generate confusion with the simultaneous presence of 'approach area' and 'hold short line' signs. A 'hot spot' highlight would certainly help raise awareness among pilots and perhaps avoid such events in the future. Supplemental information from acn 802970: we were instructed to taxi to runway 28C behind traffic. We arrived at the sign mounted 28C approach (in red); and I thought that we had arrived at the runway approach holding area. I thought that there would be an additional runway hold position sign after the approach sign. We were completing the before takeoff checklist and preparing to be cleared to line up and/or takeoff. The first officer told me that the approach sign was the only sign and it was also the hold short area that the ATC wanted us to hold at. We were taxiing slow; and I immediately stopped to query ATC if that was the hold short line for runway 28C. The ground controller said that it was the approach and runway holding area combined. Ground instructed us to contact the tower. The tower cleared us for takeoff. We then executed a normal takeoff. After climbing through 10000 ft; I called tower back on communication #2 to make sure that they didn't want any more information for us. He said it is a confusing intersection and we should just ask questions if we are confused. 'Consider the case closed' he said. The intersection is confusing because the active runway is actually behind the aircraft when you are at the approach sign. You must do a right 180 degree turn to see the runway. I thought that ATC would issue instructions to specifically hold short of the approach sign; but now we know that it is the only hold short area for that runway. The first officer did an excellent job of getting my attention when he saw the situation (he also had a much better view of the runway on his side). We had a very bad schedule for the previous 3 days also. I was considering possibly calling in fatigued. I would not have been confused if ATC had said 'taxi to and hold short of the runway 28C approach area.' now of course; I won't make that mistake again at pit or any other airport; but the first time was confusing for me. Perhaps the intersection could be designated as a runway incursion hot spot and pilots would be more vigilant of the intersection.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ200 FLT CREW REPORTS RWY INCURSION AT PIT.

Narrative: UPON COMPLETING THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST; I NOTICED THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 28C GO UNDER THE NOSE. I IMMEDIATELY TOLD THE CAPT TO STOP BECAUSE WE WERE XING THE LINE. HE SAID IT WAS THE APCH AREA SIGN. I LOOKED AGAIN AND I SAW THE HOLD SHORT LINE ON THE PAVEMENT. I AGAIN TOLD HIM TO STOP AND CALL GND FOR CLARIFICATION. HE AGAIN SAID IT WAS THE APCH SIGN (NO PRONOUN) TAPPED THE BRAKES AND BROUGHT THE ACFT ALMOST TO A STOP BUT DID NOT QUITE STOP IT. IN THE TIME DURING WHICH THIS CONVERSATION WAS HAPPENING WE ENDED UP COMPLETELY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LINE. I QUICKLY CALLED GND WHICH TOLD US TO CALL TWR. TWR TOLD US THAT WE HAVE INDEED CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND THAT WE SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION BEFORE CONTINUING TO TAXI. WE APOLOGIZED AND THEY CLRED US INTO POS AND HOLD AND SUBSEQUENTLY TO TKOF. TO MY KNOWLEDGE THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC IN THE FINAL APCH TO THE RWY OR TAKING OFF. ONCE AIRBORNE; THE CAPT AGAIN CALLED THE TWR FOR CLARIFICATION BECAUSE HE WAS STILL UNSURE OF WHERE THE HOLD SHORT LINE REALLY WAS. CAUSES: 1) I; AS THE FO; SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOOKING OUTSIDE. I WAS FOOLED BY THE ARPT CHART. LOOKING AT THE LAYOUT OF THE ARPT; I WAS EXPECTING THE HOLD SHORT LINE TO BE FURTHER DOWN TXWY E AND I WAS; THEREFORE; SURPRISED TO SEE THE HOLD SHORT LINE APPEAR UNDER THE NOSE SUDDENLY. HOWEVER; CONSIDERING THAT IT WAS AN UNUSUAL DEP RWY WITH AN UNUSUAL TAXI RTE; I SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOOKING OUTSIDE MORE. 2) I WAS LOOKING AT THE PAVEMENT MARKINGS BUT THE CAPT WAS LOOKING AT THE SIGNS ON THE SIDE OF THE TXWY. HE SAID HE WAS CONFUSED BY THE RED 'APCH' VERT SIGN AND THAT HE WAS EXPECTING THE HOLD SHORT LINE FURTHER DOWN THE TXWY. 3) ONCE SEEING THE HOLD SHORT LINE GO UNDER THE NOSE OF THE ACFT I SHOULD HAVE JUST STEPPED ON THE BRAKES AND THEN EXPLAINED; RATHER THAN TRYING TO VERBALLY EXPLAIN THE SITUATION WITH THE ACFT IN MOTION. IN THE FUTURE I WILL. 4) THE LOCATION OF THE HOLD SHORT LINE SEEMS UNUSUAL AND MOST IMPORTANTLY THE MARKING CAN GENERATE CONFUSION WITH THE SIMULTANEOUS PRESENCE OF 'APCH AREA' AND 'HOLD SHORT LINE' SIGNS. A 'HOT SPOT' HIGHLIGHT WOULD CERTAINLY HELP RAISE AWARENESS AMONG PLTS AND PERHAPS AVOID SUCH EVENTS IN THE FUTURE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 802970: WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO RWY 28C BEHIND TFC. WE ARRIVED AT THE SIGN MOUNTED 28C APCH (IN RED); AND I THOUGHT THAT WE HAD ARRIVED AT THE RWY APCH HOLDING AREA. I THOUGHT THAT THERE WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL RWY HOLD POS SIGN AFTER THE APCH SIGN. WE WERE COMPLETING THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST AND PREPARING TO BE CLRED TO LINE UP AND/OR TKOF. THE FO TOLD ME THAT THE APCH SIGN WAS THE ONLY SIGN AND IT WAS ALSO THE HOLD SHORT AREA THAT THE ATC WANTED US TO HOLD AT. WE WERE TAXIING SLOW; AND I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED TO QUERY ATC IF THAT WAS THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 28C. THE GND CTLR SAID THAT IT WAS THE APCH AND RWY HOLDING AREA COMBINED. GND INSTRUCTED US TO CONTACT THE TWR. THE TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF. WE THEN EXECUTED A NORMAL TKOF. AFTER CLBING THROUGH 10000 FT; I CALLED TWR BACK ON COM #2 TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DIDN'T WANT ANY MORE INFO FOR US. HE SAID IT IS A CONFUSING INTXN AND WE SHOULD JUST ASK QUESTIONS IF WE ARE CONFUSED. 'CONSIDER THE CASE CLOSED' HE SAID. THE INTXN IS CONFUSING BECAUSE THE ACTIVE RWY IS ACTUALLY BEHIND THE ACFT WHEN YOU ARE AT THE APCH SIGN. YOU MUST DO A R 180 DEG TURN TO SEE THE RWY. I THOUGHT THAT ATC WOULD ISSUE INSTRUCTIONS TO SPECIFICALLY HOLD SHORT OF THE APCH SIGN; BUT NOW WE KNOW THAT IT IS THE ONLY HOLD SHORT AREA FOR THAT RWY. THE FO DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF GETTING MY ATTN WHEN HE SAW THE SITUATION (HE ALSO HAD A MUCH BETTER VIEW OF THE RWY ON HIS SIDE). WE HAD A VERY BAD SCHEDULE FOR THE PREVIOUS 3 DAYS ALSO. I WAS CONSIDERING POSSIBLY CALLING IN FATIGUED. I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CONFUSED IF ATC HAD SAID 'TAXI TO AND HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY 28C APCH AREA.' NOW OF COURSE; I WON'T MAKE THAT MISTAKE AGAIN AT PIT OR ANY OTHER ARPT; BUT THE FIRST TIME WAS CONFUSING FOR ME. PERHAPS THE INTXN COULD BE DESIGNATED AS A RWY INCURSION HOT SPOT AND PLTS WOULD BE MORE VIGILANT OF THE INTXN.

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.