Taxiway lines painted over but appear when sun position is just right causing taxi confusion.

Attributes
ACN	338472
Time
Date	199606
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Brasilia EMB-120 All Series
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	338472
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

San francisco international, taxiway D, south side of runway 28L: airport maintenance 'moved' the exit 75 ft west by painting out the side lines and the centerline. Problem is, with late afternoon sun, the blacked-out lines reflect sunlight and appear normal. I hadn't figured this out until I made the turn from runway centerline and then almost ran over the runway edge lights that had been installed! Seems to me that the proper action would have been to remove the old paint. This airport is notorious for black paint. Maybe they could rent the mechanical stripper from air carrier X. Works great, and you never have to black-out again yrs later when the first coat wears out! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that the stripper he speaks about is so great, it just lifts the paint right up and one does not get the reflection when the sun hits it. It is gone! The day before the callback he had taxied from runway 28R to cross runway 28L and there was no new line painted in that area. He understands that construction takes time, but taxi lines are essential to avoid conflict. When there is a solution available it should be used. Hitting taxi lights can be hazardous. Reporter aircraft is EMB120.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TXWY LINES PAINTED OVER BUT APPEAR WHEN SUN POS IS JUST RIGHT CAUSING TAXI CONFUSION.

Narrative: SAN FRANCISCO INTL, TXWY D, S SIDE OF RWY 28L: ARPT MAINT 'MOVED' THE EXIT 75 FT W BY PAINTING OUT THE SIDE LINES AND THE CTRLINE. PROB IS, WITH LATE AFTERNOON SUN, THE BLACKED-OUT LINES REFLECT SUNLIGHT AND APPEAR NORMAL. I HADN'T FIGURED THIS OUT UNTIL I MADE THE TURN FROM RWY CTRLINE AND THEN ALMOST RAN OVER THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS THAT HAD BEEN INSTALLED! SEEMS TO ME THAT THE PROPER ACTION WOULD HAVE BEEN TO REMOVE THE OLD PAINT. THIS ARPT IS NOTORIOUS FOR BLACK PAINT. MAYBE THEY COULD RENT THE MECHANICAL STRIPPER FROM ACR X. WORKS GREAT, AND YOU NEVER HAVE TO BLACK-OUT AGAIN YRS LATER WHEN THE FIRST COAT WEARS OUT! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE STRIPPER HE SPEAKS ABOUT IS SO GREAT, IT JUST LIFTS THE PAINT RIGHT UP AND ONE DOES NOT GET THE REFLECTION WHEN THE SUN HITS IT. IT IS GONE! THE DAY BEFORE THE CALLBACK HE HAD TAXIED FROM RWY 28R TO CROSS RWY 28L AND THERE WAS NO NEW LINE PAINTED IN THAT AREA. HE UNDERSTANDS THAT CONSTRUCTION TAKES TIME, BUT TAXI LINES ARE ESSENTIAL TO AVOID CONFLICT. WHEN THERE IS A SOLUTION AVAILABLE IT SHOULD BE USED. HITTING TAXI LIGHTS CAN BE HAZARDOUS. RPTR ACFT IS EMB120.

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.