Air carrier B737 flight crew issued departure taxi instruction. Taxiing to runway, they become distr...

Attributes
ACN	409651
Time
Date	199807
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : stl
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	409651
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Aircraft departed gate for ord, in dark. 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 (Y) 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 a B737, aircraft Y, coming down taxiway east and going to runway 12R 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. Company procedures do not allow this at present.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR B737 FLC ISSUED DEP TAXI INSTRUCTION. TAXIING TO RWY, THEY BECOME DISTRACTED BY ANOTHER B737 TAXIING TO SAME DEP RWY AND INADVERTENTLY CROSS RWY HOLD SHORT LINE. TWR GND CTLR CLR ACFT INTO POS FOR TKOF AND DEP. FO CONCERNED WITH POSSIBLE RWY INCURSION. ALLEGED POOR TXWY LIGHTING AND SIGNAGE. ALSO, CONCERNED THAT ACFT WAS DISPATCHED WITH MULTIPLE TAXI LNDG LIGHTS MEL'ED.

Narrative: ACFT DEPARTED GATE FOR ORD, IN DARK. 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 (Y) 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 A B737, ACFT Y, COMING DOWN TXWY E AND GOING TO RWY 12R 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. COMPANY 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.