Small Aircraft; High Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 11; Flight Crew Total 770; Flight Crew Type 568
Confusion; Situational Awareness; Distraction
Ground Incursion Runway
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Airport; Human Factors; Environment - Non Weather Related
After completing a VOR check at the VOR check point and configuring the aircraft for departure I contacted Ground and received instructions to taxi to Runway 28L. Having just landed for the purposes of the VOR check I was not planning to do a runup so I intended to taxi to the hold short line and contact the Tower. As I was taxiing my attention was briefly on something inside the cockpit. At this point Ground called and told me told me to hold position. I realized I had taxied several feet past the hold short line. However; I was still some distance away from the runway itself. Ground then told me to contact the Tower. I did and received my departure clearance and departed normally. The hold short line in this instance was somewhat unusual in that it was perpendicular to the runway with the taxiway continuing another 200 FT before making a U turn to the start of the runway. I was expecting the more standard hold short line which is parallel to the runway that you encounter when approaching at a right angle to the runway. While my attention was inside the cockpit I missed seeing the hold short line. Although I'd been to this airport many times before I did not remember anything unusual about the hold short line; possibly because I might have previously made intersection departures rather than taxiing to the end of the runway. Clearly I should have been paying more attention outside the cockpit while taxiing and left inside the cockpit tasks until the plane was stopped. Contributing factors were the unusual placement of the hold short line and my unfamiliarity with the airport.
A small aircraft pilot incurred HWD Runway 28L after he did not recognize the runway hold short line on Taxiway A because of its distance from the runway and because it was perpendicular to the runway orientation.