EMB ERJ 145 ER/LR
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness
Conflict Ground Conflict; Less Severe; Ground Incursion Runway
General None Reported / Taken
Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors; Procedure; Airport
Landing on Runway XXR at approximately 1-2 mile final approach; I heard an aircraft call ready for takeoff. Tower replied 'Callsign; hold short of Runway XXR'. In very broken English the aircraft replied; 'Authorized into position.' This grabbed my undivided attention due to the fact that we were very close to landing on the same runway that apparently someone else was going to enter. The Tower replied with; 'Negative! Hold short of Runway XXR.' I visually scanned for traffic on the runway or entering the runway. I saw a small Cessna aircraft on Taxiway B moving towards Runway XXR. I was far enough away that I couldn't see where the hold short line was. Unable to distinguish if a runway incursion had occurred but clearly aware that there was some radio confusion about whether or not this airplane was going to hold short and the Cessna was definitely moving towards the runway; I verbalized that the airplane was moving. I continued to watch the Cessna move towards the runway getting ready to call for a go-around. About 15-20 FT prior to where the taxiway blacktop turned into the runway concrete; the Cessna stopped moving and made a radio call stating 'Hold short of XXR.' I continued to watch the aircraft to make sure it did indeed stop; and it appeared it had stopped moving. At this point of our approach I could see that the Cessna was a full aircraft length past the runway hold short line. I again debated calling for a go-around or for the Tower to call for the go-around; and ultimately decided to continue to land. I came to this decision in part due to our very low altitude; the fact that the Tower had not made any radio comments about the runway incursion; and the Cessna had seemed to grasp the fact that we were on short final and was not moving anymore. Another factor in my decision was the fact that the runway hold short line on Runway XXR is abnormally far from the runway. Even though the Cessna was completely past the line it was still only about 1/2 the way to the runway from the hold short line; about 15-20 FT away. I decided it would be safer to land the plane. After rethinking the events I now wish I would have executed the go-around.
EMB-145 continued approach to landing after observing a Cessna aircraft come to a stop past the hold-short line of an intersecting taxiway on the same runway.