Narrative:

We were instructed to 'hold short' of runway 27L in preparation for takeoff. As we turned onto taxiway A9 and came to a stop approximately 20 ft from the runway edge both the copilot and I realized that there was no 'hold line' between us and the runway. At that time we both commented that we had been consciously looking for the hold line and had not seen one, thus assuming that we had somehow missed it and must be past it. We were subsequently cleared for takeoff and departed without incident and without discussion of the situation with the controller. On a subsequent visit to this airport at roughly the same time of day while taxiing at an abnormally slow pace I did manage to see the hold line. However, with the aircraft taxi light on, it was extremely difficult to see. I feel that if these markings on the taxiway could be improved possibly with some reflective particles in the paint this situation might not have occurred. Also, the runway marking sign for runway 23L (which normally is a very distinctive 'red' and 'white' color) in this case appears almost 'black' and 'yellow' and therefore was not very helpful in identing the location of the hold line. I feel that an upgrading of this sign may aid in the prevention of a future incident of this type. I have noticed that many of the runway signs at tys look as described above. When aircraft lights hit the signs directly you can see red and white so there must be something about the internal lighting that make them appear this way at night. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter was flying a B737 at the time of the incident. He has been into the airport about 4 or 5 times since the incident and has noticed several things about the paint and signage that is different than most airports. There is a distinct difference in the signage at night than in the daytime. Only when the aircraft taxi light hits directly on the runway symbol sign does it look red and white, otherwise it looks very much the color of taxiway signage and markings, more yellow and black. The taxiway at taxiway A9 curves into the runway and the hold line is not parallel to the runway as in most txwys. This too may have been why he taxied past it. Reflective paint would assist in sighting the sign as well as having the runway signage more visibly correct. Reporter suggests that if one is checking the lines and signage that it be done at night because the daytime visual effect is quite different. The conditions are the same at each end of the runway. He also feels the smaller aircraft may not have as much of a problem as the lights are lower and may very well pick up the lines better. He did not say anything to the controller because he was embarrassed at having taxied beyond the hold line. Analyst suggested the hot line and a follow up with his company which he indicated he will do.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF B737 TAXIES BEYOND HOLD LINE BUT NOT ONTO RWY AT NIGHT. DID NOT SEE THE LINE AT ALL.

Narrative: WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO 'HOLD SHORT' OF RWY 27L IN PREPARATION FOR TKOF. AS WE TURNED ONTO TXWY A9 AND CAME TO A STOP APPROX 20 FT FROM THE RWY EDGE BOTH THE COPLT AND I REALIZED THAT THERE WAS NO 'HOLD LINE' BTWN US AND THE RWY. AT THAT TIME WE BOTH COMMENTED THAT WE HAD BEEN CONSCIOUSLY LOOKING FOR THE HOLD LINE AND HAD NOT SEEN ONE, THUS ASSUMING THAT WE HAD SOMEHOW MISSED IT AND MUST BE PAST IT. WE WERE SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED FOR TKOF AND DEPARTED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND WITHOUT DISCUSSION OF THE SIT WITH THE CTLR. ON A SUBSEQUENT VISIT TO THIS ARPT AT ROUGHLY THE SAME TIME OF DAY WHILE TAXIING AT AN ABNORMALLY SLOW PACE I DID MANAGE TO SEE THE HOLD LINE. HOWEVER, WITH THE ACFT TAXI LIGHT ON, IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO SEE. I FEEL THAT IF THESE MARKINGS ON THE TXWY COULD BE IMPROVED POSSIBLY WITH SOME REFLECTIVE PARTICLES IN THE PAINT THIS SIT MIGHT NOT HAVE OCCURRED. ALSO, THE RWY MARKING SIGN FOR RWY 23L (WHICH NORMALLY IS A VERY DISTINCTIVE 'RED' AND 'WHITE' COLOR) IN THIS CASE APPEARS ALMOST 'BLACK' AND 'YELLOW' AND THEREFORE WAS NOT VERY HELPFUL IN IDENTING THE LOCATION OF THE HOLD LINE. I FEEL THAT AN UPGRADING OF THIS SIGN MAY AID IN THE PREVENTION OF A FUTURE INCIDENT OF THIS TYPE. I HAVE NOTICED THAT MANY OF THE RWY SIGNS AT TYS LOOK AS DESCRIBED ABOVE. WHEN ACFT LIGHTS HIT THE SIGNS DIRECTLY YOU CAN SEE RED AND WHITE SO THERE MUST BE SOMETHING ABOUT THE INTERNAL LIGHTING THAT MAKE THEM APPEAR THIS WAY AT NIGHT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR WAS FLYING A B737 AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. HE HAS BEEN INTO THE ARPT ABOUT 4 OR 5 TIMES SINCE THE INCIDENT AND HAS NOTICED SEVERAL THINGS ABOUT THE PAINT AND SIGNAGE THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN MOST ARPTS. THERE IS A DISTINCT DIFFERENCE IN THE SIGNAGE AT NIGHT THAN IN THE DAYTIME. ONLY WHEN THE ACFT TAXI LIGHT HITS DIRECTLY ON THE RWY SYMBOL SIGN DOES IT LOOK RED AND WHITE, OTHERWISE IT LOOKS VERY MUCH THE COLOR OF TXWY SIGNAGE AND MARKINGS, MORE YELLOW AND BLACK. THE TXWY AT TXWY A9 CURVES INTO THE RWY AND THE HOLD LINE IS NOT PARALLEL TO THE RWY AS IN MOST TXWYS. THIS TOO MAY HAVE BEEN WHY HE TAXIED PAST IT. REFLECTIVE PAINT WOULD ASSIST IN SIGHTING THE SIGN AS WELL AS HAVING THE RWY SIGNAGE MORE VISIBLY CORRECT. RPTR SUGGESTS THAT IF ONE IS CHKING THE LINES AND SIGNAGE THAT IT BE DONE AT NIGHT BECAUSE THE DAYTIME VISUAL EFFECT IS QUITE DIFFERENT. THE CONDITIONS ARE THE SAME AT EACH END OF THE RWY. HE ALSO FEELS THE SMALLER ACFT MAY NOT HAVE AS MUCH OF A PROB AS THE LIGHTS ARE LOWER AND MAY VERY WELL PICK UP THE LINES BETTER. HE DID NOT SAY ANYTHING TO THE CTLR BECAUSE HE WAS EMBARRASSED AT HAVING TAXIED BEYOND THE HOLD LINE. ANALYST SUGGESTED THE HOT LINE AND A FOLLOW UP WITH HIS COMPANY WHICH HE INDICATED HE WILL DO.

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.