Taxiing air carrier misses holding intersection due to unclr ATC instructions and no taxiway sign.

Attributes
ACN	201946
Time
Date	199202
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hnl
State Reference	HI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	201946
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	202300
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

While taxiing wbound on 'a' (see diagram), we were told to hold short of 'east'. The only taxiway designator visible said 'H'. The captain slowed while I reviewed the taxiway (airport) plate. We came to a full stop just past the 'H' designator as we realized 'H' and 'east' merged, but there was no sign for 'east'! The ground controller asked if we were holding short and I replied 'we just missed it.' he asked us to pull forward and hold short of 'Y'. Contributing to our confusion was: lack of a lighted taxiway designator. If ground had advised us to hold short of 'H', the taxiway the aircraft exiting the ramp would have been using, the confusion would not have arisen. At night, even operating at an airport we are intimately familiar with, with the numerous taxiway closures now underway during construction, pilots get confused.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAXIING ACR MISSES HOLDING INTXN DUE TO UNCLR ATC INSTRUCTIONS AND NO TAXIWAY SIGN.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING WBOUND ON 'A' (SEE DIAGRAM), WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD SHORT OF 'E'. THE ONLY TAXIWAY DESIGNATOR VISIBLE SAID 'H'. THE CAPT SLOWED WHILE I REVIEWED THE TAXIWAY (ARPT) PLATE. WE CAME TO A FULL STOP JUST PAST THE 'H' DESIGNATOR AS WE REALIZED 'H' AND 'E' MERGED, BUT THERE WAS NO SIGN FOR 'E'! THE GND CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE HOLDING SHORT AND I REPLIED 'WE JUST MISSED IT.' HE ASKED US TO PULL FORWARD AND HOLD SHORT OF 'Y'. CONTRIBUTING TO OUR CONFUSION WAS: LACK OF A LIGHTED TAXIWAY DESIGNATOR. IF GND HAD ADVISED US TO HOLD SHORT OF 'H', THE TAXIWAY THE ACFT EXITING THE RAMP WOULD HAVE BEEN USING, THE CONFUSION WOULD NOT HAVE ARISEN. AT NIGHT, EVEN OPERATING AT AN ARPT WE ARE INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH, WITH THE NUMEROUS TAXIWAY CLOSURES NOW UNDERWAY DURING CONSTRUCTION, PLTS GET CONFUSED.

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.