Air carrier crosses hold line. Blames lack of signage and faded lines as cause.

Attributes
ACN	287671
Time
Date	199411
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground other : taxi
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	287671
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Departing ramp we were issued a clearance to taxi via the outer to foxtrot hold short of runway 22. As we started our turn onto what we thought was foxtrot -- we saw that we were about to be nose to nose with a commuter aircraft. We also looked down the outer and saw we were coming head to head with another aircraft. We consulted our taxi charts to make sure we were on foxtrot. At this time the commuter altered course and turned back to the right onto echo -- he had just cleared runway 22 after landing. We were now sure that we were on fox and I had stopped the aircraft. At this time ground control came on and told us to hold our position and not to pull any further forward. I think that in the confusion about what taxiway we were on, we must have rolled past the hold short line. I think a major contributing factor to this occurrence is the fact that there was no sign or marking at all indicating taxiway foxtrot or echo. In addition, ground eventually cleared us to expedite across runway 22 via fox etc. This was very uncomfortable, because fox doglegs to the right after crossing runway 22, and again no signs. It's not too bad in daylight, but at night the faded taxi stripes and lack of proper signs and markings at lga is very confusing -- and dangerous.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CROSSES HOLD LINE. BLAMES LACK OF SIGNAGE AND FADED LINES AS CAUSE.

Narrative: DEPARTING RAMP WE WERE ISSUED A CLRNC TO TAXI VIA THE OUTER TO FOXTROT HOLD SHORT OF RWY 22. AS WE STARTED OUR TURN ONTO WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS FOXTROT -- WE SAW THAT WE WERE ABOUT TO BE NOSE TO NOSE WITH A COMMUTER ACFT. WE ALSO LOOKED DOWN THE OUTER AND SAW WE WERE COMING HEAD TO HEAD WITH ANOTHER ACFT. WE CONSULTED OUR TAXI CHARTS TO MAKE SURE WE WERE ON FOXTROT. AT THIS TIME THE COMMUTER ALTERED COURSE AND TURNED BACK TO THE R ONTO ECHO -- HE HAD JUST CLRED RWY 22 AFTER LNDG. WE WERE NOW SURE THAT WE WERE ON FOX AND I HAD STOPPED THE ACFT. AT THIS TIME GND CTL CAME ON AND TOLD US TO HOLD OUR POS AND NOT TO PULL ANY FURTHER FORWARD. I THINK THAT IN THE CONFUSION ABOUT WHAT TXWY WE WERE ON, WE MUST HAVE ROLLED PAST THE HOLD SHORT LINE. I THINK A MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS OCCURRENCE IS THE FACT THAT THERE WAS NO SIGN OR MARKING AT ALL INDICATING TXWY FOXTROT OR ECHO. IN ADDITION, GND EVENTUALLY CLRED US TO EXPEDITE ACROSS RWY 22 VIA FOX ETC. THIS WAS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE, BECAUSE FOX DOGLEGS TO THE R AFTER XING RWY 22, AND AGAIN NO SIGNS. IT'S NOT TOO BAD IN DAYLIGHT, BUT AT NIGHT THE FADED TAXI STRIPES AND LACK OF PROPER SIGNS AND MARKINGS AT LGA IS VERY CONFUSING -- AND DANGEROUS.

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.