Narrative:

Please refer to st louis/lambert field, airport depiction chart, commercial publication. Departed gate for ord, in dark, on air carrier flight #xx. Lambert ground control issued taxi instructions to go to runway 12L via taxiway D and runway 6, hold short of runway 12R. After stopping at runway 12R we were then cleared to cross it and cleared to runway 12L. Entering runway 12R confines, I turned on all exterior lights (I thought) half of lights were inoperative -- unknown to us until then. After crossing runway 12R and still on runway 6 we noticed other aircraft lights approaching us from right side at relatively high closure rate. Due to darkness and their lights we were trying to determine where they were going and collision potential. Determined it was air carrier Y B737 coming down taxiway east and going to runway 12L also. Runway 6 was completely dark -- no lights and no hold short lines visible. Additionally, there was all kinds of dirt, dust, and grass debris covering its surface from aircraft turning onto runway 12L from taxiway C. In addition, the runway approach lights for runway 12L were not illuminated. So, with all this going on, and with no indication we were even approaching the runway 12L edge, I overshot the edge by 20-25 ft, on runway 6. First and only indication I had of this was when I noted runway 12L, right runway edge lights out first officer's window in the distance and on the other side of taxiway C. Ground control told us to hold our position and contact tower. Don't know if this qualifies as runway incursion or not, due to our being on runway 6 and well past the end of runway 12L. However, it does have terrific collision potential due to dark conditions and glare from lights of other aircraft on ground approaching. I would suggest/recommend that aircraft not be cleared to taxi on darkened runways or txwys, particularly if there are no clear indications that you are approaching an active runway. Also feel that aircraft should not be legal for dispatch with so many exterior lights inoperative and that crews should be allowed to check lights before departing at night. Air carrier X procedures do not allow this at present.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A B737-300 STOPPED JUST PAST THE EXTENDED LINE OF THE ACTIVE TKOF RWY AT NIGHT SINCE THERE WERE NO RWY SIGNS OR MARKINGS FOR HOLDING SHORT OF THE RWY ON WHICH HE WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO THE TKOF RWY. HE DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE ACTIVE RWY UNTIL OBSERVING THE RWY EDGE LIGHTING AND THE TWR ADVISING TO HOLD HIS POS.

Narrative: PLEASE REFER TO ST LOUIS/LAMBERT FIELD, ARPT DEPICTION CHART, COMMERCIAL PUB. DEPARTED GATE FOR ORD, IN DARK, ON ACR FLT #XX. LAMBERT GND CTL ISSUED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO GO TO RWY 12L VIA TXWY D AND RWY 6, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 12R. AFTER STOPPING AT RWY 12R WE WERE THEN CLRED TO CROSS IT AND CLRED TO RWY 12L. ENTERING RWY 12R CONFINES, I TURNED ON ALL EXTERIOR LIGHTS (I THOUGHT) HALF OF LIGHTS WERE INOP -- UNKNOWN TO US UNTIL THEN. AFTER XING RWY 12R AND STILL ON RWY 6 WE NOTICED OTHER ACFT LIGHTS APCHING US FROM R SIDE AT RELATIVELY HIGH CLOSURE RATE. DUE TO DARKNESS AND THEIR LIGHTS WE WERE TRYING TO DETERMINE WHERE THEY WERE GOING AND COLLISION POTENTIAL. DETERMINED IT WAS ACR Y B737 COMING DOWN TXWY E AND GOING TO RWY 12L ALSO. RWY 6 WAS COMPLETELY DARK -- NO LIGHTS AND NO HOLD SHORT LINES VISIBLE. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS ALL KINDS OF DIRT, DUST, AND GRASS DEBRIS COVERING ITS SURFACE FROM ACFT TURNING ONTO RWY 12L FROM TXWY C. IN ADDITION, THE RWY APCH LIGHTS FOR RWY 12L WERE NOT ILLUMINATED. SO, WITH ALL THIS GOING ON, AND WITH NO INDICATION WE WERE EVEN APCHING THE RWY 12L EDGE, I OVERSHOT THE EDGE BY 20-25 FT, ON RWY 6. FIRST AND ONLY INDICATION I HAD OF THIS WAS WHEN I NOTED RWY 12L, R RWY EDGE LIGHTS OUT FO'S WINDOW IN THE DISTANCE AND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TXWY C. GND CTL TOLD US TO HOLD OUR POS AND CONTACT TWR. DON'T KNOW IF THIS QUALIFIES AS RWY INCURSION OR NOT, DUE TO OUR BEING ON RWY 6 AND WELL PAST THE END OF RWY 12L. HOWEVER, IT DOES HAVE TERRIFIC COLLISION POTENTIAL DUE TO DARK CONDITIONS AND GLARE FROM LIGHTS OF OTHER ACFT ON GND APCHING. I WOULD SUGGEST/RECOMMEND THAT ACFT NOT BE CLRED TO TAXI ON DARKENED RWYS OR TXWYS, PARTICULARLY IF THERE ARE NO CLR INDICATIONS THAT YOU ARE APCHING AN ACTIVE RWY. ALSO FEEL THAT ACFT SHOULD NOT BE LEGAL FOR DISPATCH WITH SO MANY EXTERIOR LIGHTS INOP AND THAT CREWS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO CHK LIGHTS BEFORE DEPARTING AT NIGHT. ACR X PROCS DO NOT ALLOW THIS AT PRESENT.

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.