Bellanca given taxi instructions to runway 16L and appeared to stop short of the runway. The ground controller gave further information for full length use of runway and runup and it was determined that the aircraft was on the runway already. Tower unable to determine aircraft position with binoculars due to poor line of sight and blending of aircraft lights with runway taxiway lights.

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Attributes
ACN	379142
Time
Date	199709
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rno
State Reference	NV
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Bellanca Aircraft Corp Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 4 controller radar : 4
ASRS Report	379142
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Aircraft issued taxi instructions to runway 16L. He stopped short of the full length so I instructed him that the taxiway goes to the right for runup and full length. At that point I couldn't tell where he was. I could see him and with 3 controllers looking through binoculars none of us could tell. The line of sight was too bad. It turned out the bellanca was on runway 16L. Just lucky no one was landing or departing runway 16L at that time. Contributing factors were: 1) it was dark. 2) line of sight. The line of sight from the tower to the northeast part of the airport is extremely poor. During the day small aircraft blend in with scenery. At night you see the flashers on the aircraft but you have no depth perception. At night they blend in with taxiway and runway lights. This time I feel we were just lucky. What about next time?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BELLANCA GIVEN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO RWY 16L AND APPEARED TO STOP SHORT OF THE RWY. THE GND CTLR GAVE FURTHER INFO FOR FULL LENGTH USE OF RWY AND RUNUP AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ACFT WAS ON THE RWY ALREADY. TWR UNABLE TO DETERMINE ACFT POS WITH BINOCULARS DUE TO POOR LINE OF SIGHT AND BLENDING OF ACFT LIGHTS WITH RWY TXWY LIGHTS.

Narrative: ACFT ISSUED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO RWY 16L. HE STOPPED SHORT OF THE FULL LENGTH SO I INSTRUCTED HIM THAT THE TXWY GOES TO THE R FOR RUNUP AND FULL LENGTH. AT THAT POINT I COULDN'T TELL WHERE HE WAS. I COULD SEE HIM AND WITH 3 CTLRS LOOKING THROUGH BINOCULARS NONE OF US COULD TELL. THE LINE OF SIGHT WAS TOO BAD. IT TURNED OUT THE BELLANCA WAS ON RWY 16L. JUST LUCKY NO ONE WAS LNDG OR DEPARTING RWY 16L AT THAT TIME. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: 1) IT WAS DARK. 2) LINE OF SIGHT. THE LINE OF SIGHT FROM THE TWR TO THE NE PART OF THE ARPT IS EXTREMELY POOR. DURING THE DAY SMALL ACFT BLEND IN WITH SCENERY. AT NIGHT YOU SEE THE FLASHERS ON THE ACFT BUT YOU HAVE NO DEPTH PERCEPTION. AT NIGHT THEY BLEND IN WITH TXWY AND RWY LIGHTS. THIS TIME I FEEL WE WERE JUST LUCKY. WHAT ABOUT NEXT TIME?

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.