Narrative:

We were cleared to taxi to runway 6 for departure. When we arrived at intersection of taxiway J on taxiway east we held short of juliette for possible back taxi into position from taxiway J because there was an small aircraft Y taxiing just head of us and we thought he might not be ready for departure and we were. Shortly thereafter, small aircraft Y called ready for takeoff but was instructed to continue holding short due to landing traffic runway 6. The small aircraft Y continued holding and after 2 arrs he departed. From our position I could see hold short lines where the small aircraft Y had been holding short. I also was familiar with the airport and knew there were hold short line there. But, I was also confused because where we had stopped there was also a runway 5 sign and a hold short line but because I could see the hold short line where the small aircraft Y was sitting. I thought this line was possibly for aircraft using intersection J for departure. I was going to ask the tower for confirmation but because of normal handling received by small aircraft Y. I taxied ahead. After approximately 100 ft, it appeared the hold short lines were either black or worn off so I stopped the aircraft at position B. After 2 more arrs we were cleared for takeoff. As I taxied to the takeoff position, I could see 3 different hold short lines at different locations marked a, D, and D, and they had been painted over with black paint. This left the intersection of taxiways J and east hold short lines as the only one for runway 6. I said nothing to the tower controller because a small small aircraft was on final runway 6 and as heavy precipitation was rapidly approaching the airport I didn't want to cause him to go around. We were also in clear view of the tower and at no time did ATC say anything about our position. We subsequently departed with normal ATC handling and no mention of anything abnormal about our operation by ATC. I also didn't say any thing because I thought 'why not leave well enough alone?' if we were in violation of the hold short lines, so was small aircraft Y. ATC would also be in violation for allowing several lndgs while 2 different aircraft were encroaching into the neutral zone. I fell into the complacency trap of not satisfying my concerns and asking the tower to verify that there was another hold short line closer to runway 6 and by allowing previous aircraft handling to sway my judgement. I was very tired and had accumulated 32 hours of flying in 5 days prior to this, our last leg. I also think ATC is unaware of any problem there at roa airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER FLC EXPERIENCES CONFUSION WHILE HOLDING SHORT FOR TKOF FOR RWY 06 AT ROA DUE MULTIPLE PAINTED OVER AND INDISTINCT HOLD LINES.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 6 FOR DEP. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT INTXN OF TAXIWAY J ON TAXIWAY E WE HELD SHORT OF JULIETTE FOR POSSIBLE BACK TAXI INTO POS FROM TAXIWAY J BECAUSE THERE WAS AN SMA Y TAXIING JUST HEAD OF US AND WE THOUGHT HE MIGHT NOT BE READY FOR DEP AND WE WERE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, SMA Y CALLED READY FOR TKOF BUT WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONTINUE HOLDING SHORT DUE TO LNDG TFC RWY 6. THE SMA Y CONTINUED HOLDING AND AFTER 2 ARRS HE DEPARTED. FROM OUR POS I COULD SEE HOLD SHORT LINES WHERE THE SMA Y HAD BEEN HOLDING SHORT. I ALSO WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT AND KNEW THERE WERE HOLD SHORT LINE THERE. BUT, I WAS ALSO CONFUSED BECAUSE WHERE WE HAD STOPPED THERE WAS ALSO A RWY 5 SIGN AND A HOLD SHORT LINE BUT BECAUSE I COULD SEE THE HOLD SHORT LINE WHERE THE SMA Y WAS SITTING. I THOUGHT THIS LINE WAS POSSIBLY FOR ACFT USING INTXN J FOR DEP. I WAS GOING TO ASK THE TWR FOR CONFIRMATION BUT BECAUSE OF NORMAL HANDLING RECEIVED BY SMA Y. I TAXIED AHEAD. AFTER APPROX 100 FT, IT APPEARED THE HOLD SHORT LINES WERE EITHER BLACK OR WORN OFF SO I STOPPED THE ACFT AT POS B. AFTER 2 MORE ARRS WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. AS I TAXIED TO THE TKOF POS, I COULD SEE 3 DIFFERENT HOLD SHORT LINES AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS MARKED A, D, AND D, AND THEY HAD BEEN PAINTED OVER WITH BLACK PAINT. THIS LEFT THE INTXN OF TAXIWAYS J AND E HOLD SHORT LINES AS THE ONLY ONE FOR RWY 6. I SAID NOTHING TO THE TWR CTLR BECAUSE A SMALL SMA WAS ON FINAL RWY 6 AND AS HVY PRECIPITATION WAS RAPIDLY APCHING THE ARPT I DIDN'T WANT TO CAUSE HIM TO GAR. WE WERE ALSO IN CLR VIEW OF THE TWR AND AT NO TIME DID ATC SAY ANYTHING ABOUT OUR POS. WE SUBSEQUENTLY DEPARTED WITH NORMAL ATC HANDLING AND NO MENTION OF ANYTHING ABNORMAL ABOUT OUR OP BY ATC. I ALSO DIDN'T SAY ANY THING BECAUSE I THOUGHT 'WHY NOT LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE?' IF WE WERE IN VIOLATION OF THE HOLD SHORT LINES, SO WAS SMA Y. ATC WOULD ALSO BE IN VIOLATION FOR ALLOWING SEVERAL LNDGS WHILE 2 DIFFERENT ACFT WERE ENCROACHING INTO THE NEUTRAL ZONE. I FELL INTO THE COMPLACENCY TRAP OF NOT SATISFYING MY CONCERNS AND ASKING THE TWR TO VERIFY THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER HOLD SHORT LINE CLOSER TO RWY 6 AND BY ALLOWING PREVIOUS ACFT HANDLING TO SWAY MY JUDGEMENT. I WAS VERY TIRED AND HAD ACCUMULATED 32 HRS OF FLYING IN 5 DAYS PRIOR TO THIS, OUR LAST LEG. I ALSO THINK ATC IS UNAWARE OF ANY PROBLEM THERE AT ROA ARPT.

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.