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An air carrier B737 flight crew crossed the hold line for runway 9L on taxiway H. The captain complains that the hold lines were thin and they tended to blend into the color of the taxiway.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 398001 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199803 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : pbi |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | ground : holding ground other : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach landing : go around landing other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 398001 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | incursion : runway non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
| Situations | |
| Airport | other physical facility |
Narrative:
Aircraft landed on runway 13, turned left on taxiway H, and was instructed to hold short of runway 9L. I conferred with first officer and checked ACARS for gate message (the ACARS was showing no-communication during the flight), and stopped well short of runway 9L (approximately 80-100 ft short of runway boundary). Tower asked us if we were on opposite side of hold short line. We looked abeam and forward of aircraft and saw no line and told the tower so. Due to tower position to our aircraft (directly behind us) the controller could not verify a safe distance from us to runway and told a commuter aircraft on final to go around. Then we were cleared to cross runway 9L and taxied to gate. Although I stopped well short of the runway, I must have had my eyes in the cockpit as we were slowing to stop. Had I saw the line, the taxi speed would not have precluded a normal comfortable stop of the aircraft. On taxi out for the next flight, I noticed that the hold short lines are thin, and do not contrast greatly with taxiway surface. At 60-80 ft away they are difficult to see with sunlight brightening the txwys. I should have been looking for the line, and not have assumed it would be where I normally might hold short.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR B737 FLC CROSSED THE HOLD LINE FOR RWY 9L ON TXWY H. THE CAPT COMPLAINS THAT THE HOLD LINES WERE THIN AND THEY TENDED TO BLEND INTO THE COLOR OF THE TXWY.
Narrative: ACFT LANDED ON RWY 13, TURNED L ON TXWY H, AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 9L. I CONFERRED WITH FO AND CHKED ACARS FOR GATE MESSAGE (THE ACARS WAS SHOWING NO-COM DURING THE FLT), AND STOPPED WELL SHORT OF RWY 9L (APPROX 80-100 FT SHORT OF RWY BOUNDARY). TWR ASKED US IF WE WERE ON OPPOSITE SIDE OF HOLD SHORT LINE. WE LOOKED ABEAM AND FORWARD OF ACFT AND SAW NO LINE AND TOLD THE TWR SO. DUE TO TWR POS TO OUR ACFT (DIRECTLY BEHIND US) THE CTLR COULD NOT VERIFY A SAFE DISTANCE FROM US TO RWY AND TOLD A COMMUTER ACFT ON FINAL TO GAR. THEN WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS RWY 9L AND TAXIED TO GATE. ALTHOUGH I STOPPED WELL SHORT OF THE RWY, I MUST HAVE HAD MY EYES IN THE COCKPIT AS WE WERE SLOWING TO STOP. HAD I SAW THE LINE, THE TAXI SPD WOULD NOT HAVE PRECLUDED A NORMAL COMFORTABLE STOP OF THE ACFT. ON TAXI OUT FOR THE NEXT FLT, I NOTICED THAT THE HOLD SHORT LINES ARE THIN, AND DO NOT CONTRAST GREATLY WITH TXWY SURFACE. AT 60-80 FT AWAY THEY ARE DIFFICULT TO SEE WITH SUNLIGHT BRIGHTENING THE TXWYS. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THE LINE, AND NOT HAVE ASSUMED IT WOULD BE WHERE I NORMALLY MIGHT HOLD SHORT.
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.