Narrative:

Ground control gave us instructions to 'taxi to runway 7L, via taxiway south, hold short of runway 19L.' we exited the ramp at spot X to taxiway south, then proceeded inadvertently across runway 19L. Once across, ATC told us to hold our position. Luckily no one was using runway 19L. Taxiway south is essentially part of the ramp which feeds flts onto the runway. There did not appear to be the usual markings that would have idented it as a runway, ie, red runway identify or a bright yellow hold line. I believe taxiway south at las is not sufficiently marked to prevent future runway incursions. Yellow line is faded and the taxiway is too wide to funnel traffic across without a pilot believing he is continuing on the ramp. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter very concerned about the incident. Felt he was set up for the inadvertent runway incursion because of the way the ramp and taxiway appear to be all one area. He states that he does not recall seeing any of the regular runway signs or hold bars on taxiway south. He said the yellow lines may be faded to the point that they cannot be seen. Both crew members were using their airport charts. Reporter feels the overall condition of the airport makes pilots very vulnerable to runway incursions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC AT LAS ISSUED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO RWY 7L VIA TXWY S AND TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 19L. THE CREW INADVERTENTLY CROSSED RWY 19L AND CLAIM THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO IDENT WHERE THE RAMP AREA ENDS AND THE TXWY BEGINS. THE RPTR ALSO SAID THE TXWY LINES ARE FADED AND COULD NOT RECALL SEEING THE RWY HOLD MARKINGS.

Narrative: GND CTL GAVE US INSTRUCTIONS TO 'TAXI TO RWY 7L, VIA TXWY S, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 19L.' WE EXITED THE RAMP AT SPOT X TO TXWY S, THEN PROCEEDED INADVERTENTLY ACROSS RWY 19L. ONCE ACROSS, ATC TOLD US TO HOLD OUR POS. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS USING RWY 19L. TXWY S IS ESSENTIALLY PART OF THE RAMP WHICH FEEDS FLTS ONTO THE RWY. THERE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE THE USUAL MARKINGS THAT WOULD HAVE IDENTED IT AS A RWY, IE, RED RWY IDENT OR A BRIGHT YELLOW HOLD LINE. I BELIEVE TXWY S AT LAS IS NOT SUFFICIENTLY MARKED TO PREVENT FUTURE RWY INCURSIONS. YELLOW LINE IS FADED AND THE TXWY IS TOO WIDE TO FUNNEL TFC ACROSS WITHOUT A PLT BELIEVING HE IS CONTINUING ON THE RAMP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE INCIDENT. FELT HE WAS SET UP FOR THE INADVERTENT RWY INCURSION BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE RAMP AND TXWY APPEAR TO BE ALL ONE AREA. HE STATES THAT HE DOES NOT RECALL SEEING ANY OF THE REGULAR RWY SIGNS OR HOLD BARS ON TXWY S. HE SAID THE YELLOW LINES MAY BE FADED TO THE POINT THAT THEY CANNOT BE SEEN. BOTH CREW MEMBERS WERE USING THEIR ARPT CHARTS. RPTR FEELS THE OVERALL CONDITION OF THE ARPT MAKES PLTS VERY VULNERABLE TO RWY INCURSIONS.

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.