<< >> NASA ASRS Report 383251, October 1997

DC9 aircraft taxiing on a rainy night when taxiway markings were difficult to see. Flight crew stopped when seeing runway edge lights and beyond hold short line. Ground controller was advised and a clearance was issued.

Attributes
ACN	383251
Time
Date	199710
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca
State Reference	DC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 30
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	383251
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 8200 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	383166
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

On taxi clearance at dca was cleared eastbound on a taxiway whose only visual identify was colocated with the north/south runway markers. We were told to taxi on that taxiway until reaching the sbound taxiway that had no markers, only ground markings that we never did see on the glistening wet asphalt. We were proceeding slowly in an easterly direction knowing fully we had a 90 degree right turn coming up. The first real indicators of our true location was starting to see runway edge lights. We stopped immediately with no part of the aircraft on the runway but definitely beyond where we could make our 90 degree right turn. We told ground and we cleared to make a left 270 degree turn and proceed as cleared. At no point did we see the eastbound taxi markings, the sbound markings, or the runway hold short line. On a rainy evening, the benefits of the yellow hold short lights are immediately apparent as no other markings are (were) visible.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9 ACFT TAXIING ON A RAINY NIGHT WHEN TXWY MARKINGS WERE DIFFICULT TO SEE. FLC STOPPED WHEN SEEING RWY EDGE LIGHTS AND BEYOND HOLD SHORT LINE. GND CTLR WAS ADVISED AND A CLRNC WAS ISSUED.

Narrative: ON TAXI CLRNC AT DCA WAS CLRED EBOUND ON A TXWY WHOSE ONLY VISUAL IDENT WAS COLOCATED WITH THE N/S RWY MARKERS. WE WERE TOLD TO TAXI ON THAT TXWY UNTIL REACHING THE SBOUND TXWY THAT HAD NO MARKERS, ONLY GND MARKINGS THAT WE NEVER DID SEE ON THE GLISTENING WET ASPHALT. WE WERE PROCEEDING SLOWLY IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION KNOWING FULLY WE HAD A 90 DEG R TURN COMING UP. THE FIRST REAL INDICATORS OF OUR TRUE LOCATION WAS STARTING TO SEE RWY EDGE LIGHTS. WE STOPPED IMMEDIATELY WITH NO PART OF THE ACFT ON THE RWY BUT DEFINITELY BEYOND WHERE WE COULD MAKE OUR 90 DEG R TURN. WE TOLD GND AND WE CLRED TO MAKE A L 270 DEG TURN AND PROCEED AS CLRED. AT NO POINT DID WE SEE THE EBOUND TAXI MARKINGS, THE SBOUND MARKINGS, OR THE RWY HOLD SHORT LINE. ON A RAINY EVENING, THE BENEFITS OF THE YELLOW HOLD SHORT LIGHTS ARE IMMEDIATELY APPARENT AS NO OTHER MARKINGS ARE (WERE) VISIBLE.

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.