Narrative:

Requested airport departure from hagerstown east ramp. Tower instructed taxi straight ahead runway 27. I taxied straight ahead toward the runway. The grade was uphill, restricting visibility over the nose. About 30-40' from the runway I saw the white runway edge paint stripe and realized that I had not seen a yellow stop bar. I hit the brakes and stopped about 20-25' from the edge of the runway. As I hit the brakes the tower instructed, 'stay off of that runway.' the tower then said, 'you are about 100' past the stop bar.' I never saw the bar. I was cleared, then I took off and flew a downwind leg. I still couldn't see the stop bar from 500' AGL. The runway and a portion of the taxiway had recently been repaved (black color). The rest of the taxiway was a light color. The stop bar must have either been paved over, or was at the point where new black pavement met old light pavement, which would have contributed to obscuring the line. (See diagram.) there was no danger to the flight; no other aircraft in pattern, on runway or taxiway. I feel the controller contributed. He knew I was unfamiliar with the field, but issued a terse taxi instruction with no hold short, and did not issue a warning until I was nearly at the runway, and evidently well past the stop point. He had no other traffic at the time. Also contributing were: 1) intersection takeoff. 2) new pavement with no new yellow stop bar painted on it. 3) pilot's lack of familiarity with the airport. 4) uphill grade restricting visibility. 5) pilot used to seeing stop bar closer to the runway than in this case. 6) bright sunlight possibly obscuring worn yellow paint on light reflective surface with dark surface in background.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRIVATE PLT IN SMA TAXIING OVERSHOT HOLD LINE.

Narrative: REQUESTED ARPT DEP FROM HAGERSTOWN E RAMP. TWR INSTRUCTED TAXI STRAIGHT AHEAD RWY 27. I TAXIED STRAIGHT AHEAD TOWARD THE RWY. THE GRADE WAS UPHILL, RESTRICTING VISIBILITY OVER THE NOSE. ABOUT 30-40' FROM THE RWY I SAW THE WHITE RWY EDGE PAINT STRIPE AND REALIZED THAT I HAD NOT SEEN A YELLOW STOP BAR. I HIT THE BRAKES AND STOPPED ABOUT 20-25' FROM THE EDGE OF THE RWY. AS I HIT THE BRAKES THE TWR INSTRUCTED, 'STAY OFF OF THAT RWY.' THE TWR THEN SAID, 'YOU ARE ABOUT 100' PAST THE STOP BAR.' I NEVER SAW THE BAR. I WAS CLRED, THEN I TOOK OFF AND FLEW A DOWNWIND LEG. I STILL COULDN'T SEE THE STOP BAR FROM 500' AGL. THE RWY AND A PORTION OF THE TXWY HAD RECENTLY BEEN REPAVED (BLACK COLOR). THE REST OF THE TXWY WAS A LIGHT COLOR. THE STOP BAR MUST HAVE EITHER BEEN PAVED OVER, OR WAS AT THE POINT WHERE NEW BLACK PAVEMENT MET OLD LIGHT PAVEMENT, WHICH WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO OBSCURING THE LINE. (SEE DIAGRAM.) THERE WAS NO DANGER TO THE FLT; NO OTHER ACFT IN PATTERN, ON RWY OR TXWY. I FEEL THE CTLR CONTRIBUTED. HE KNEW I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE FIELD, BUT ISSUED A TERSE TAXI INSTRUCTION WITH NO HOLD SHORT, AND DID NOT ISSUE A WARNING UNTIL I WAS NEARLY AT THE RWY, AND EVIDENTLY WELL PAST THE STOP POINT. HE HAD NO OTHER TFC AT THE TIME. ALSO CONTRIBUTING WERE: 1) INTXN TKOF. 2) NEW PAVEMENT WITH NO NEW YELLOW STOP BAR PAINTED ON IT. 3) PLT'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE ARPT. 4) UPHILL GRADE RESTRICTING VISIBILITY. 5) PLT USED TO SEEING STOP BAR CLOSER TO THE RWY THAN IN THIS CASE. 6) BRIGHT SUNLIGHT POSSIBLY OBSCURING WORN YELLOW PAINT ON LIGHT REFLECTIVE SURFACE WITH DARK SURFACE IN BACKGROUND.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.