Narrative:

We started engines and were given instructions to 'taxi via taxiway F and taxiway H and hold short of runway 9L.' we proceeded after I took a 'glance' at the airport chart to taxi. As we crossed runway 19R the condition of the taxiway deteriorated and the taxiway narrowed. There was also construction in progress apparently to lengthen runway 25R. This area of taxiway F and taxiway H is apparently little used as there were no taxiway lights or centerline. As we crossed runway 19R I observed a sizeable pothole just left of centerline which I maneuvered around. As we turned south on taxiway H, I observed another pothole just left of centerline and instructed the first officer to hold on the checklist until we were clear of the 'obstacle course.' sbound on taxiway H the sun glare was limiting my visiting somewhat, but I could make out the citation, that had taxied out prior to us, was holding farther down the taxiway. As we passed taxiway J, ground told us to contact tower and he would have a back taxi for us and to hold short of runway 19L. The first officer switched to tower and we heard tower instruct the citation to taxi into position and hold on runway 31. At this point we were coming up on the citation's position and I stopped as the first officer called the tower. I remember looking to my left and seeing the numbers '19L' abeam our position on taxiway H and thinking we were awfully close to the runway and I had seen no hold lines or signs. Tower instructed us to 'taxi and hold short of runway 31 on runway 19L,' which the first officer acknowledged. I started to taxi 'thinking' we were following citation down runway 19L to runway 31. I realized my error as the citation turned left down what I now realized was runway 31 and heard the tower clear him for takeoff. Upon reaching the end, by this time we were already entering the intersection of runway 19L and runway 31 and the quickest route off the runway was to continue south on runway 19L. As we crossed the centerline of runway 31 and the citation was completing his 180 degree turn, the tower canceled his takeoff clearance before we could advise him of our situation. At which time the tower then instructed us to proceed down runway 19L and taxiway M and hold short of runway 31 on taxiway M. Contributing factors: 1) for most of my career I have used commercial charts and have the habit of putting the taxiway chart on my yoke so I can follow our progress. However, the company I am currently with uses government charts and my procedure has been to have the first officer follow the chart and give me 'progressive' after I take an initial look at the layout. In this instance, due to the absence of any markings or signage on the taxiway which I would normally use to supplement the first officer's advisories and other factors, the flaws in our procedure became apparent. 2) taxiway H merges into runway 19L and runway 31 virtually at the intersection of the runways. I do not understand why the tower felt it necessary to instruct us to taxi and hold short of runway 31 on runway 19L when we were already stopped on taxiway H in close proximity to runway 31. Corrections: 1) from now on, I am going to get a xerox copy of the airport chart to use as I have done all the yrs previous to this to reinforce amy situational awareness on the ground. 2) my suspicion is taxiway H is a seldom used taxiway and that is why there were no markings or signage. However, if construction or other circumstances dictated the use of this taxiway, how difficult would it be to paint a hold line with runway 19L/runway 31 on each side of the taxiway at the hold line so either crew member could see it? I am sure some type of markings on taxiway H along the lines of what I suggest would have prevented the uncertainty which led to this incident and may prevent an accident. I understand temporary or nonstandard signs may be a problem due to having to be secured to prevent movement. But painted information at the appropriate area would be vastly superior to nothing at all. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he did not follow up with ATC or company. They had a patient on board and needed to move promptly. His major concern was the lack of signage, lighting or markings to indicate a hold short position. One expects to see some signage when told tohold. As far as he could tell there was no hold short sign or marking at all. Since both runways come together at virtually the same spot there needs to be an indication for holding for both runways. His other concern was the taxiway condition regarding potholes. He was afraid of blowing a tire and had to maneuver the aircraft around the deep potholes. They had requested a departure on runway 19R but were told there was equipment in that area for the extension of runway 25R. Reporter has no idea of the time frame for the construction activity.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF LEAR 25 AIR AMBULANCE ACFT CLRED TO TAXI AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY CROSSES HOLD LINE.

Narrative: WE STARTED ENGS AND WERE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO 'TAXI VIA TXWY F AND TXWY H AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 9L.' WE PROCEEDED AFTER I TOOK A 'GLANCE' AT THE ARPT CHART TO TAXI. AS WE CROSSED RWY 19R THE CONDITION OF THE TXWY DETERIORATED AND THE TXWY NARROWED. THERE WAS ALSO CONSTRUCTION IN PROGRESS APPARENTLY TO LENGTHEN RWY 25R. THIS AREA OF TXWY F AND TXWY H IS APPARENTLY LITTLE USED AS THERE WERE NO TXWY LIGHTS OR CTRLINE. AS WE CROSSED RWY 19R I OBSERVED A SIZEABLE POTHOLE JUST L OF CTRLINE WHICH I MANEUVERED AROUND. AS WE TURNED S ON TXWY H, I OBSERVED ANOTHER POTHOLE JUST L OF CTRLINE AND INSTRUCTED THE FO TO HOLD ON THE CHKLIST UNTIL WE WERE CLR OF THE 'OBSTACLE COURSE.' SBOUND ON TXWY H THE SUN GLARE WAS LIMITING MY VISITING SOMEWHAT, BUT I COULD MAKE OUT THE CITATION, THAT HAD TAXIED OUT PRIOR TO US, WAS HOLDING FARTHER DOWN THE TXWY. AS WE PASSED TXWY J, GND TOLD US TO CONTACT TWR AND HE WOULD HAVE A BACK TAXI FOR US AND TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 19L. THE FO SWITCHED TO TWR AND WE HEARD TWR INSTRUCT THE CITATION TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 31. AT THIS POINT WE WERE COMING UP ON THE CITATION'S POS AND I STOPPED AS THE FO CALLED THE TWR. I REMEMBER LOOKING TO MY L AND SEEING THE NUMBERS '19L' ABEAM OUR POS ON TXWY H AND THINKING WE WERE AWFULLY CLOSE TO THE RWY AND I HAD SEEN NO HOLD LINES OR SIGNS. TWR INSTRUCTED US TO 'TAXI AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 31 ON RWY 19L,' WHICH THE FO ACKNOWLEDGED. I STARTED TO TAXI 'THINKING' WE WERE FOLLOWING CITATION DOWN RWY 19L TO RWY 31. I REALIZED MY ERROR AS THE CITATION TURNED L DOWN WHAT I NOW REALIZED WAS RWY 31 AND HEARD THE TWR CLR HIM FOR TKOF. UPON REACHING THE END, BY THIS TIME WE WERE ALREADY ENTERING THE INTXN OF RWY 19L AND RWY 31 AND THE QUICKEST RTE OFF THE RWY WAS TO CONTINUE S ON RWY 19L. AS WE CROSSED THE CTRLINE OF RWY 31 AND THE CITATION WAS COMPLETING HIS 180 DEG TURN, THE TWR CANCELED HIS TKOF CLRNC BEFORE WE COULD ADVISE HIM OF OUR SIT. AT WHICH TIME THE TWR THEN INSTRUCTED US TO PROCEED DOWN RWY 19L AND TXWY M AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 31 ON TXWY M. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) FOR MOST OF MY CAREER I HAVE USED COMMERCIAL CHARTS AND HAVE THE HABIT OF PUTTING THE TXWY CHART ON MY YOKE SO I CAN FOLLOW OUR PROGRESS. HOWEVER, THE COMPANY I AM CURRENTLY WITH USES GOV CHARTS AND MY PROC HAS BEEN TO HAVE THE FO FOLLOW THE CHART AND GIVE ME 'PROGRESSIVE' AFTER I TAKE AN INITIAL LOOK AT THE LAYOUT. IN THIS INSTANCE, DUE TO THE ABSENCE OF ANY MARKINGS OR SIGNAGE ON THE TXWY WHICH I WOULD NORMALLY USE TO SUPPLEMENT THE FO'S ADVISORIES AND OTHER FACTORS, THE FLAWS IN OUR PROC BECAME APPARENT. 2) TXWY H MERGES INTO RWY 19L AND RWY 31 VIRTUALLY AT THE INTXN OF THE RWYS. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE TWR FELT IT NECESSARY TO INSTRUCT US TO TAXI AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 31 ON RWY 19L WHEN WE WERE ALREADY STOPPED ON TXWY H IN CLOSE PROX TO RWY 31. CORRECTIONS: 1) FROM NOW ON, I AM GOING TO GET A XEROX COPY OF THE ARPT CHART TO USE AS I HAVE DONE ALL THE YRS PREVIOUS TO THIS TO REINFORCE AMY SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ON THE GND. 2) MY SUSPICION IS TXWY H IS A SELDOM USED TXWY AND THAT IS WHY THERE WERE NO MARKINGS OR SIGNAGE. HOWEVER, IF CONSTRUCTION OR OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES DICTATED THE USE OF THIS TXWY, HOW DIFFICULT WOULD IT BE TO PAINT A HOLD LINE WITH RWY 19L/RWY 31 ON EACH SIDE OF THE TXWY AT THE HOLD LINE SO EITHER CREW MEMBER COULD SEE IT? I AM SURE SOME TYPE OF MARKINGS ON TXWY H ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT I SUGGEST WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE UNCERTAINTY WHICH LED TO THIS INCIDENT AND MAY PREVENT AN ACCIDENT. I UNDERSTAND TEMPORARY OR NONSTANDARD SIGNS MAY BE A PROB DUE TO HAVING TO BE SECURED TO PREVENT MOVEMENT. BUT PAINTED INFO AT THE APPROPRIATE AREA WOULD BE VASTLY SUPERIOR TO NOTHING AT ALL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE DID NOT FOLLOW UP WITH ATC OR COMPANY. THEY HAD A PATIENT ON BOARD AND NEEDED TO MOVE PROMPTLY. HIS MAJOR CONCERN WAS THE LACK OF SIGNAGE, LIGHTING OR MARKINGS TO INDICATE A HOLD SHORT POS. ONE EXPECTS TO SEE SOME SIGNAGE WHEN TOLD TOHOLD. AS FAR AS HE COULD TELL THERE WAS NO HOLD SHORT SIGN OR MARKING AT ALL. SINCE BOTH RWYS COME TOGETHER AT VIRTUALLY THE SAME SPOT THERE NEEDS TO BE AN INDICATION FOR HOLDING FOR BOTH RWYS. HIS OTHER CONCERN WAS THE TXWY CONDITION REGARDING POTHOLES. HE WAS AFRAID OF BLOWING A TIRE AND HAD TO MANEUVER THE ACFT AROUND THE DEEP POTHOLES. THEY HAD REQUESTED A DEP ON RWY 19R BUT WERE TOLD THERE WAS EQUIP IN THAT AREA FOR THE EXTENSION OF RWY 25R. RPTR HAS NO IDEA OF THE TIME FRAME FOR THE CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY.

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.