Narrative:

Landing in pit on 28R, we cleared the runway and ground cleared us to the ramp. As we taxied on back parallel to runway 28, the tower yelled, 'stop;' an small aircraft had landed approximately 2 mins in front of us and had stopped on the taxiway because he was lost--again, no red rotating beacon. Probably in both events we came within 100' of these small aircraft's on the ground and did not see them. Luckily, the tower was watching or we would have come much closer. Since or when I started flying aircraft 30 yrs ago, a red rotating lights meant a high obstacle or an aircraft. I can agree that a white strobe light can be seen better than a red light in the air, but when other lights are put behind it as when on the ground, it is not as easily idented as an aircraft. Many runways have strobes at the end that look just like aircraft strobes. A red rotating light would have stopped these 2 near fender benders and I suspect could have helped the pilot see the commuter in la last week. All runways have lights and CAT ii have many white-green-blue and white strobes (on txwys), but no red. I suggest that all aircraft again be required to have red rotating beacons, especially for ground identify. This would only require a red cap on the beacon instead of a clear one. I hope this gets back to the folks handling these regulations. Related subject: with many txwys at airports now, if taxiway lights were closer together, it would be easier to identify the txwys. Right now it is not easy to follow a curving taxiway or identify it because there is no flow from one light to the next.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG FAILED TO SEE AND ACFT STOPPED ON THE TXWY UNTIL TWR ADVISED THE ACFT TO STOP.

Narrative: LNDG IN PIT ON 28R, WE CLRED THE RWY AND GND CLRED US TO THE RAMP. AS WE TAXIED ON BACK PARALLEL TO RWY 28, THE TWR YELLED, 'STOP;' AN SMA HAD LANDED APPROX 2 MINS IN FRONT OF US AND HAD STOPPED ON THE TXWY BECAUSE HE WAS LOST--AGAIN, NO RED ROTATING BEACON. PROBABLY IN BOTH EVENTS WE CAME WITHIN 100' OF THESE SMA'S ON THE GND AND DID NOT SEE THEM. LUCKILY, THE TWR WAS WATCHING OR WE WOULD HAVE COME MUCH CLOSER. SINCE OR WHEN I STARTED FLYING ACFT 30 YRS AGO, A RED ROTATING LIGHTS MEANT A HIGH OBSTACLE OR AN ACFT. I CAN AGREE THAT A WHITE STROBE LIGHT CAN BE SEEN BETTER THAN A RED LIGHT IN THE AIR, BUT WHEN OTHER LIGHTS ARE PUT BEHIND IT AS WHEN ON THE GND, IT IS NOT AS EASILY IDENTED AS AN ACFT. MANY RWYS HAVE STROBES AT THE END THAT LOOK JUST LIKE ACFT STROBES. A RED ROTATING LIGHT WOULD HAVE STOPPED THESE 2 NEAR FENDER BENDERS AND I SUSPECT COULD HAVE HELPED THE PLT SEE THE COMMUTER IN LA LAST WK. ALL RWYS HAVE LIGHTS AND CAT II HAVE MANY WHITE-GREEN-BLUE AND WHITE STROBES (ON TXWYS), BUT NO RED. I SUGGEST THAT ALL ACFT AGAIN BE REQUIRED TO HAVE RED ROTATING BEACONS, ESPECIALLY FOR GND IDENT. THIS WOULD ONLY REQUIRE A RED CAP ON THE BEACON INSTEAD OF A CLEAR ONE. I HOPE THIS GETS BACK TO THE FOLKS HANDLING THESE REGS. RELATED SUBJECT: WITH MANY TXWYS AT ARPTS NOW, IF TXWY LIGHTS WERE CLOSER TOGETHER, IT WOULD BE EASIER TO IDENT THE TXWYS. RIGHT NOW IT IS NOT EASY TO FOLLOW A CURVING TXWY OR IDENT IT BECAUSE THERE IS NO FLOW FROM ONE LIGHT TO THE NEXT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.