Narrative:

We were cleared to taxi from north cargo ramp to runway 16L at sea. The sun was setting and the hold short lights were very dim (as we noticed the second time around). The lights appeared to be off as we approached them from a slight angle. We were able to stop short of runway 16L after recognizing we had crossed the hold short line. The crew was on its 7TH day of duty and did not sleep all day. Also the hold short line needed to be painted. It was very difficult to locate at that time of day. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states there are yellow lights at the hold line but they are very difficult to see if you do not approach them from straight ahead. Since they were turning the sun position made it hard to sight the lights. In addition they had crossed the hold lines which were very poorly painted. They received a clearance to runway 16L behind a DC9 and as they followed they realized he was taxiing to runway 16R, not the left runway. Additionally the reporter was on IOE and the captain was explaining in depth since this was a special departure procedure. Reporter feels the combination of factors was amplified by the night freight nature of the operation and difficulty sleeping in the daytime. Supplemental information from acn 379061: we held short just in time not to cross across the edge of the runway but well beyond the hold short line. Part of reason for overlooking the hold short line besides the poor lighting was, it was our 7TH day of flying night freight on the backside of the clock. I am giving instruction to a new first officer about the takeoff we were about to make. My attention was diverted and I was tired. Supplemental information from acn 378920: the sign on the right side of the taxiway was not on. The hold short lights on the right runway were on thus giving us the illusion of these being the hold short lights. The taxi lines and hold short lines were faded and in need of repainting. We realized we were past the hold short line but short of actual runway when we saw displaced threshold markings. Crew working the 'backside of the clock' with short daytime sleeping layovers. I only slept 4-5 hours after being up 25 hours. Long night trips with short rests only build up sleep loss during our normal 7 day trips.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF B727 UNABLE TO SEE THE HOLD SHORT LIGHTS OR THE HOLD LINES AT NIGHT AS THEY TAXI TO RWY. THEY TAXI BEYOND AND ALMOST ENTER THE RWY ITSELF BEFORE STOPPING.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI FROM N CARGO RAMP TO RWY 16L AT SEA. THE SUN WAS SETTING AND THE HOLD SHORT LIGHTS WERE VERY DIM (AS WE NOTICED THE SECOND TIME AROUND). THE LIGHTS APPEARED TO BE OFF AS WE APCHED THEM FROM A SLIGHT ANGLE. WE WERE ABLE TO STOP SHORT OF RWY 16L AFTER RECOGNIZING WE HAD CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE. THE CREW WAS ON ITS 7TH DAY OF DUTY AND DID NOT SLEEP ALL DAY. ALSO THE HOLD SHORT LINE NEEDED TO BE PAINTED. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO LOCATE AT THAT TIME OF DAY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THERE ARE YELLOW LIGHTS AT THE HOLD LINE BUT THEY ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE IF YOU DO NOT APCH THEM FROM STRAIGHT AHEAD. SINCE THEY WERE TURNING THE SUN POS MADE IT HARD TO SIGHT THE LIGHTS. IN ADDITION THEY HAD CROSSED THE HOLD LINES WHICH WERE VERY POORLY PAINTED. THEY RECEIVED A CLRNC TO RWY 16L BEHIND A DC9 AND AS THEY FOLLOWED THEY REALIZED HE WAS TAXIING TO RWY 16R, NOT THE L RWY. ADDITIONALLY THE RPTR WAS ON IOE AND THE CAPT WAS EXPLAINING IN DEPTH SINCE THIS WAS A SPECIAL DEP PROC. RPTR FEELS THE COMBINATION OF FACTORS WAS AMPLIFIED BY THE NIGHT FREIGHT NATURE OF THE OP AND DIFFICULTY SLEEPING IN THE DAYTIME. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 379061: WE HELD SHORT JUST IN TIME NOT TO CROSS ACROSS THE EDGE OF THE RWY BUT WELL BEYOND THE HOLD SHORT LINE. PART OF REASON FOR OVERLOOKING THE HOLD SHORT LINE BESIDES THE POOR LIGHTING WAS, IT WAS OUR 7TH DAY OF FLYING NIGHT FREIGHT ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE CLOCK. I AM GIVING INSTRUCTION TO A NEW FO ABOUT THE TKOF WE WERE ABOUT TO MAKE. MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED AND I WAS TIRED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 378920: THE SIGN ON THE R SIDE OF THE TXWY WAS NOT ON. THE HOLD SHORT LIGHTS ON THE R RWY WERE ON THUS GIVING US THE ILLUSION OF THESE BEING THE HOLD SHORT LIGHTS. THE TAXI LINES AND HOLD SHORT LINES WERE FADED AND IN NEED OF REPAINTING. WE REALIZED WE WERE PAST THE HOLD SHORT LINE BUT SHORT OF ACTUAL RWY WHEN WE SAW DISPLACED THRESHOLD MARKINGS. CREW WORKING THE 'BACKSIDE OF THE CLOCK' WITH SHORT DAYTIME SLEEPING LAYOVERS. I ONLY SLEPT 4-5 HRS AFTER BEING UP 25 HRS. LONG NIGHT TRIPS WITH SHORT RESTS ONLY BUILD UP SLEEP LOSS DURING OUR NORMAL 7 DAY TRIPS.

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.