Narrative:

Flight departed from a concourse gate at atl on dec/xx/93 at approximately PM30 in light snow. One engine was started and we taxied to the north end of the ramp to be deiced. Deicing took about 6 mins and we were then cleared to taxi to runway 26L via taxiway F. I turned on the taxi lights and turned right onto taxiway F. The WX radar was checked as were flight controls, and air conditioning packs which had been off for deicing, were reinstated. Approaching ramp 5, it was anticipated that there would be little delay for takeoff, so the taxi check was initiated. At this point, I believe our visual cues were affected sufficiently by the WX that I was unaware of the approaching barricade fence blocking the last end of our taxiway. During my replies to the taxi check, after I checked my navigation instruments, I became aware of the approaching barricade. I brought the aircraft to a stop as quickly as I could, but it penetrated the chain link fence barricaded area by about 20 ft. I contacted the flight attendant in charge. It was determined that there were no known injuries, and I briefed her on what had happened. I made an announcement to the passenger, and then called our maintenance for assistance. The aircraft was inspected and little damage was found. Subsequently, the aircraft was pushed back out of the 'fenced area,' engines were started and the aircraft returned to the gate for closer inspection and passenger were deplaned. I believe that the 1 mi visibility at night and the minimal lighting and markings on the barricade fence were factors in both initiating the taxi checklist at a less than optimum time and in not perceiving the approaching barricade during the completion of that checklist. The barricade fence was chain link, topped by occasional red lights. These red lights, at a distance, are easily perceived to be aircraft or backgnd lights. Though there were red colored pvc pipes lashed to the fence, again at a distance they could not be seen. I would recommend the use of some type of 'reflective material' instead of the red pipe that would reflect lights at a distance. I would also recommend yellow or orange 'flashing' lights on any type of temporary barricade. Red lights on airports generally denote permanently fixed structures and are not as effective in drawing attention to their position. The red lights on a chain link fence, at a distance, too easily blend into backgnd lighting.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARPT PROB OBSTRUCTION NOT VISIBLE.

Narrative: FLT DEPARTED FROM A CONCOURSE GATE AT ATL ON DEC/XX/93 AT APPROX PM30 IN LIGHT SNOW. ONE ENG WAS STARTED AND WE TAXIED TO THE N END OF THE RAMP TO BE DEICED. DEICING TOOK ABOUT 6 MINS AND WE WERE THEN CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 26L VIA TXWY F. I TURNED ON THE TAXI LIGHTS AND TURNED R ONTO TXWY F. THE WX RADAR WAS CHKED AS WERE FLT CTLS, AND AIR CONDITIONING PACKS WHICH HAD BEEN OFF FOR DEICING, WERE REINSTATED. APCHING RAMP 5, IT WAS ANTICIPATED THAT THERE WOULD BE LITTLE DELAY FOR TKOF, SO THE TAXI CHK WAS INITIATED. AT THIS POINT, I BELIEVE OUR VISUAL CUES WERE AFFECTED SUFFICIENTLY BY THE WX THAT I WAS UNAWARE OF THE APCHING BARRICADE FENCE BLOCKING THE LAST END OF OUR TXWY. DURING MY REPLIES TO THE TAXI CHK, AFTER I CHKED MY NAV INSTS, I BECAME AWARE OF THE APCHING BARRICADE. I BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A STOP AS QUICKLY AS I COULD, BUT IT PENETRATED THE CHAIN LINK FENCE BARRICADED AREA BY ABOUT 20 FT. I CONTACTED THE FLT ATTENDANT IN CHARGE. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WERE NO KNOWN INJURIES, AND I BRIEFED HER ON WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PAX, AND THEN CALLED OUR MAINT FOR ASSISTANCE. THE ACFT WAS INSPECTED AND LITTLE DAMAGE WAS FOUND. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT WAS PUSHED BACK OUT OF THE 'FENCED AREA,' ENGS WERE STARTED AND THE ACFT RETURNED TO THE GATE FOR CLOSER INSPECTION AND PAX WERE DEPLANED. I BELIEVE THAT THE 1 MI VISIBILITY AT NIGHT AND THE MINIMAL LIGHTING AND MARKINGS ON THE BARRICADE FENCE WERE FACTORS IN BOTH INITIATING THE TAXI CHKLIST AT A LESS THAN OPTIMUM TIME AND IN NOT PERCEIVING THE APCHING BARRICADE DURING THE COMPLETION OF THAT CHKLIST. THE BARRICADE FENCE WAS CHAIN LINK, TOPPED BY OCCASIONAL RED LIGHTS. THESE RED LIGHTS, AT A DISTANCE, ARE EASILY PERCEIVED TO BE ACFT OR BACKGND LIGHTS. THOUGH THERE WERE RED COLORED PVC PIPES LASHED TO THE FENCE, AGAIN AT A DISTANCE THEY COULD NOT BE SEEN. I WOULD RECOMMEND THE USE OF SOME TYPE OF 'REFLECTIVE MATERIAL' INSTEAD OF THE RED PIPE THAT WOULD REFLECT LIGHTS AT A DISTANCE. I WOULD ALSO RECOMMEND YELLOW OR ORANGE 'FLASHING' LIGHTS ON ANY TYPE OF TEMPORARY BARRICADE. RED LIGHTS ON ARPTS GENERALLY DENOTE PERMANENTLY FIXED STRUCTURES AND ARE NOT AS EFFECTIVE IN DRAWING ATTN TO THEIR POS. THE RED LIGHTS ON A CHAIN LINK FENCE, AT A DISTANCE, TOO EASILY BLEND INTO BACKGND LIGHTING.

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.