Narrative:

I was the PF and had landed on runway 9R in atl. While still on the runway the tower issued the clearance 'air carrier XXX hold short runway 9L at dixie' and the captain read back the clearance. The captain and I then xferred controls on taxiway N10 so he could taxi the aircraft. At this point our taxi speed was very slow (about 2 KTS) and as we made our 90 degree turn onto dixie the captain and I were both surprised at our proximity to runway 9L. The captain stepped on the brakes to stop the aircraft and atl tower then told us 'air carrier XXX hold short runway 9L!' and I read back the clearance. Atl tower not knowing if we had entered the runway or not did the right thing by having an air carrier abort his takeoff on runway 9L. At this point the captain and I both realized that we had somehow missed our hold short point but fortunately the nose of the aircraft was probably another 20 ft from the runway. The flight who had just started his takeoff roll aborted his takeoff and cleared the runway somewhere around M4. The contributing cause of this event is that the captain and I failed to realize how short taxiway dixie is to runway 9L. The distance from taxiway north to dixie is maybe 200 ft which isn't enough to square your turn and still remain behind the hold short line. In our minds we could square our turn onto dixie and there would be the hold short lines. Instead we squared our turn and there was the runway! Since I was the PF and landing the aircraft I did everything I was suppose to. I briefed that we would make a 'left turn probably at N10 and would hold short of 9L for departing traffic at dixie.' I also mentioned that dixie was a hot spot. A minor contributing factor was that my map light was on MEL. It was completely dark outside so I had to use my flashlight every time I wanted to look at my airport diagram. The tower supervisor told the captain that the locals exit runway 9R at N10 a bit to the right allowing them more room to enter taxiway D. I think this is a good idea and I will certainly brief that the next time I fly into atlanta. I would also like to see better lighting at the 'hot spot' on taxiway D.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 CREW LANDED ON ATL 9R; EXITED AT N10 AND MISSED THE RUNWAY 9L HOLD SHORT LINE ON TAXIWAY DIXIE. THE CREW WAS SURPRISED AT HOW SHORT TAXIWAY DIXIE IS TO RUNWAY 9L AFTER PASSING TAXIWAY N.

Narrative: I WAS THE PF AND HAD LANDED ON RWY 9R IN ATL. WHILE STILL ON THE RWY THE TWR ISSUED THE CLRNC 'ACR XXX HOLD SHORT RWY 9L AT DIXIE' AND THE CAPT READ BACK THE CLRNC. THE CAPT AND I THEN XFERRED CTLS ON TXWY N10 SO HE COULD TAXI THE ACFT. AT THIS POINT OUR TAXI SPD WAS VERY SLOW (ABOUT 2 KTS) AND AS WE MADE OUR 90 DEG TURN ONTO DIXIE THE CAPT AND I WERE BOTH SURPRISED AT OUR PROX TO RWY 9L. THE CAPT STEPPED ON THE BRAKES TO STOP THE ACFT AND ATL TWR THEN TOLD US 'ACR XXX HOLD SHORT RWY 9L!' AND I READ BACK THE CLRNC. ATL TWR NOT KNOWING IF WE HAD ENTERED THE RWY OR NOT DID THE RIGHT THING BY HAVING AN ACR ABORT HIS TKOF ON RWY 9L. AT THIS POINT THE CAPT AND I BOTH REALIZED THAT WE HAD SOMEHOW MISSED OUR HOLD SHORT POINT BUT FORTUNATELY THE NOSE OF THE ACFT WAS PROBABLY ANOTHER 20 FT FROM THE RWY. THE FLT WHO HAD JUST STARTED HIS TKOF ROLL ABORTED HIS TKOF AND CLRED THE RWY SOMEWHERE AROUND M4. THE CONTRIBUTING CAUSE OF THIS EVENT IS THAT THE CAPT AND I FAILED TO REALIZE HOW SHORT TXWY DIXIE IS TO RWY 9L. THE DISTANCE FROM TXWY N TO DIXIE IS MAYBE 200 FT WHICH ISN'T ENOUGH TO SQUARE YOUR TURN AND STILL REMAIN BEHIND THE HOLD SHORT LINE. IN OUR MINDS WE COULD SQUARE OUR TURN ONTO DIXIE AND THERE WOULD BE THE HOLD SHORT LINES. INSTEAD WE SQUARED OUR TURN AND THERE WAS THE RWY! SINCE I WAS THE PF AND LNDG THE ACFT I DID EVERYTHING I WAS SUPPOSE TO. I BRIEFED THAT WE WOULD MAKE A 'L TURN PROBABLY AT N10 AND WOULD HOLD SHORT OF 9L FOR DEPARTING TFC AT DIXIE.' I ALSO MENTIONED THAT DIXIE WAS A HOT SPOT. A MINOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THAT MY MAP LIGHT WAS ON MEL. IT WAS COMPLETELY DARK OUTSIDE SO I HAD TO USE MY FLASHLIGHT EVERY TIME I WANTED TO LOOK AT MY ARPT DIAGRAM. THE TWR SUPVR TOLD THE CAPT THAT THE LOCALS EXIT RWY 9R AT N10 A BIT TO THE R ALLOWING THEM MORE ROOM TO ENTER TXWY D. I THINK THIS IS A GOOD IDEA AND I WILL CERTAINLY BRIEF THAT THE NEXT TIME I FLY INTO ATLANTA. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE BETTER LIGHTING AT THE 'HOT SPOT' ON TXWY D.

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.