Narrative:

Parked at the southwest end of maf cargo building facing southwest, parallel to building on cargo ramp adjoining taxiway a at the displaced threshold of the approach end of runway 4 of el paso international kelp. See attached (10-9) where 'X' marks the spot. Was cleared by ground to hold short of runway 4 on taxiway a. Made hard right turn out of blocks and faced north. Taxied forward, perhaps 100 ft, stopped and first officer asked tower if we were where we had been told to hold short. Tower replied he could not see us and to continue taxi to the hold line. Area was poorly lit and very dark. Extensive construction was in progress. Utilizing AC lighting to search for hold line, taxied forward perhaps 50 ft. It became evident that we were now several ft onto the displaced threshold of runway 4 facing nne approximately 600 ft southwest of the beginning of runway 4. First officer informed tower we were on displaced threshold southwest of runway 4. Tower replied something to the effect that this was ok. Tower then cleared an approaching aircraft to land on runway 22, informing him that a dc-8 was holding short of runway 4 on taxiway a. Traffic appeared roughly 8-10 mi out inbound to runway 22. I saw him and activated landing lights. The approaching aircraft informed tower that we were lined up on his runway. I answered that we were on the displaced threshold of runway 4 and asked if tower wanted us to vacate. Tower instructed approaching aircraft to go around. Aircraft asked for a sidestep to runway 26L and tower approved. Tower then cleared me for takeoff on runway 4. I departed at XA05L. After takeoff I was released to departure frequency and nothing more was said. Contributing factors: 1) area was dark and poorly lit. Hold line was never seen. A conversation with an earlier departed dc-9 captain who was parked in the same area revealed that he also never saw the hold line. It was his belief that due to the construction in progress (listed on ATIS and NOTAMS) that perhaps the hold line in that area was obscured by fresh blacktop and not properly remarked. 2) it is possible that the tower thought we were taxiing south of taxiway a rather than north and that there is a clear hold line on taxiway a on the north side of the displaced threshold of runway 4. This might lead him to tell us to continue taxi. 3) as you face approximately north there is a yellow sign with the number 4 and an up-pointing arrow on it just to the east, approximately 50-100 ft of our position. It looked like an 'a.' I did not associate it right away as a runway marker because I would expect to see it preceded by a '0' -- example: the number 04 and an up- pointing arrow. Note: I refer you to the circled instruction that states the 'paved area southwest of 04 is available for taxi with tower clearance.' this led me to believe that was the tower's intention after we stopped and queried our position the first time and he urged us to continue taxi. This led me to believe also that perhaps there was a hold line somewhere on the displaced threshold. Before I was 1/2 way onto the threshold I had enough light (aircraft lighting) to see that this was not the case and I stopped. Note: area poorly lighted, tower has no view of that area, possible communications confusion between tower and myself. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: call to airport reveals that paving work is in progress and some of the lines may have been covered over or partially covered over. The reporter is correct. However, they have closed runway 4/22 for extensive repairs and will paint new lines prior to reopening.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH RWY ENTRY BY TAXIING TFC IN A NIGHT OP.

Narrative: PARKED AT THE SW END OF MAF CARGO BUILDING FACING SW, PARALLEL TO BUILDING ON CARGO RAMP ADJOINING TXWY A AT THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD OF THE APCH END OF RWY 4 OF EL PASO INTL KELP. SEE ATTACHED (10-9) WHERE 'X' MARKS THE SPOT. WAS CLRED BY GND TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4 ON TXWY A. MADE HARD R TURN OUT OF BLOCKS AND FACED N. TAXIED FORWARD, PERHAPS 100 FT, STOPPED AND FO ASKED TWR IF WE WERE WHERE WE HAD BEEN TOLD TO HOLD SHORT. TWR REPLIED HE COULD NOT SEE US AND TO CONTINUE TAXI TO THE HOLD LINE. AREA WAS POORLY LIT AND VERY DARK. EXTENSIVE CONSTRUCTION WAS IN PROGRESS. UTILIZING AC LIGHTING TO SEARCH FOR HOLD LINE, TAXIED FORWARD PERHAPS 50 FT. IT BECAME EVIDENT THAT WE WERE NOW SEVERAL FT ONTO THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD OF RWY 4 FACING NNE APPROX 600 FT SW OF THE BEGINNING OF RWY 4. FO INFORMED TWR WE WERE ON DISPLACED THRESHOLD SW OF RWY 4. TWR REPLIED SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT THAT THIS WAS OK. TWR THEN CLRED AN APCHING ACFT TO LAND ON RWY 22, INFORMING HIM THAT A DC-8 WAS HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 4 ON TXWY A. TFC APPEARED ROUGHLY 8-10 MI OUT INBOUND TO RWY 22. I SAW HIM AND ACTIVATED LNDG LIGHTS. THE APCHING ACFT INFORMED TWR THAT WE WERE LINED UP ON HIS RWY. I ANSWERED THAT WE WERE ON THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD OF RWY 4 AND ASKED IF TWR WANTED US TO VACATE. TWR INSTRUCTED APCHING ACFT TO GAR. ACFT ASKED FOR A SIDESTEP TO RWY 26L AND TWR APPROVED. TWR THEN CLRED ME FOR TKOF ON RWY 4. I DEPARTED AT XA05L. AFTER TKOF I WAS RELEASED TO DEP FREQ AND NOTHING MORE WAS SAID. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) AREA WAS DARK AND POORLY LIT. HOLD LINE WAS NEVER SEEN. A CONVERSATION WITH AN EARLIER DEPARTED DC-9 CAPT WHO WAS PARKED IN THE SAME AREA REVEALED THAT HE ALSO NEVER SAW THE HOLD LINE. IT WAS HIS BELIEF THAT DUE TO THE CONSTRUCTION IN PROGRESS (LISTED ON ATIS AND NOTAMS) THAT PERHAPS THE HOLD LINE IN THAT AREA WAS OBSCURED BY FRESH BLACKTOP AND NOT PROPERLY REMARKED. 2) IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE TWR THOUGHT WE WERE TAXIING S OF TXWY A RATHER THAN N AND THAT THERE IS A CLR HOLD LINE ON TXWY A ON THE N SIDE OF THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD OF RWY 4. THIS MIGHT LEAD HIM TO TELL US TO CONTINUE TAXI. 3) AS YOU FACE APPROX N THERE IS A YELLOW SIGN WITH THE NUMBER 4 AND AN UP-POINTING ARROW ON IT JUST TO THE E, APPROX 50-100 FT OF OUR POS. IT LOOKED LIKE AN 'A.' I DID NOT ASSOCIATE IT RIGHT AWAY AS A RWY MARKER BECAUSE I WOULD EXPECT TO SEE IT PRECEDED BY A '0' -- EXAMPLE: THE NUMBER 04 AND AN UP- POINTING ARROW. NOTE: I REFER YOU TO THE CIRCLED INSTRUCTION THAT STATES THE 'PAVED AREA SW OF 04 IS AVAILABLE FOR TAXI WITH TWR CLRNC.' THIS LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT WAS THE TWR'S INTENTION AFTER WE STOPPED AND QUERIED OUR POS THE FIRST TIME AND HE URGED US TO CONTINUE TAXI. THIS LED ME TO BELIEVE ALSO THAT PERHAPS THERE WAS A HOLD LINE SOMEWHERE ON THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD. BEFORE I WAS 1/2 WAY ONTO THE THRESHOLD I HAD ENOUGH LIGHT (ACFT LIGHTING) TO SEE THAT THIS WAS NOT THE CASE AND I STOPPED. NOTE: AREA POORLY LIGHTED, TWR HAS NO VIEW OF THAT AREA, POSSIBLE COMS CONFUSION BTWN TWR AND MYSELF. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CALL TO ARPT REVEALS THAT PAVING WORK IS IN PROGRESS AND SOME OF THE LINES MAY HAVE BEEN COVERED OVER OR PARTIALLY COVERED OVER. THE RPTR IS CORRECT. HOWEVER, THEY HAVE CLOSED RWY 4/22 FOR EXTENSIVE REPAIRS AND WILL PAINT NEW LINES PRIOR TO REOPENING.

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.