Narrative:

I was the first officer on flight abcd, pvd-bwi on jan/xa/00. After pushback I called ground for taxi. We received taxi instructions we read back and understood. The captain reviewed his taxi chart and we proceeded to the active runway. During the taxi the captain stopped the airplane short of and well clear of runway 34 when it became apparent to us we had missed our turn. Tower called us and asked if we were past the hold line. We did see the runway lights which is why we stopped but could not see the hold line. I replied 'we must be on top of it.' tower issued a go around to company traffic on a distant final. He then cleared us onto the runway and back to our taxiway. We apologized and he commented it happens all the time right there. We departed without further incident. After reviewing our taxi, we could have been helped immensely by either lighted taxiway signs, lighted hold short lines, wig-wag lights, or taxiway centerline lights. Any or all of these, I believe, would contribute greatly to safety of all who use pvd. Supplemental information from acn 460524: the taxi instructions were to taxi to runway 34 via taxiway tango, taxiway tango 1, taxiway charlie, taxiway kilo, taxiway kilo 1 for back taxi on runway 34. I had my taxi chart in front of me as I was taxiing out. It was dark and the taxi light was on as I taxied. I inadvertently passed taxiway K because I didn't see it on my right. When I did see it I saw that I had passed it so I immediately stopped short of runway 34. At this point ground control told us we had gone the wrong way and asked us if we had passed the hold line for runway 34. The nose was well short of the runway edge but I couldn't see the hold line so we told ground we must be right on top of it because we didn't want to jeopardize another aircraft. We were then instructed to taxi onto runway 34 , turn right on runway 23L and taxi via taxiway K to runway 34. The ground controller told us on the radio that we were not the first ones that this had happened to and that they had a serious sign problem and taxiway layout problem at the pvd airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 CREW RPTED THAT THE INADEQUATE SIGNAGE AND TXWY PAINTING AT PVD CONTRIBUTED TO A POSSIBLE RWY INCURSION ON RWY 34.

Narrative: I WAS THE FO ON FLT ABCD, PVD-BWI ON JAN/XA/00. AFTER PUSHBACK I CALLED GND FOR TAXI. WE RECEIVED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WE READ BACK AND UNDERSTOOD. THE CAPT REVIEWED HIS TAXI CHART AND WE PROCEEDED TO THE ACTIVE RWY. DURING THE TAXI THE CAPT STOPPED THE AIRPLANE SHORT OF AND WELL CLR OF RWY 34 WHEN IT BECAME APPARENT TO US WE HAD MISSED OUR TURN. TWR CALLED US AND ASKED IF WE WERE PAST THE HOLD LINE. WE DID SEE THE RWY LIGHTS WHICH IS WHY WE STOPPED BUT COULD NOT SEE THE HOLD LINE. I REPLIED 'WE MUST BE ON TOP OF IT.' TWR ISSUED A GO AROUND TO COMPANY TFC ON A DISTANT FINAL. HE THEN CLRED US ONTO THE RWY AND BACK TO OUR TXWY. WE APOLOGIZED AND HE COMMENTED IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME RIGHT THERE. WE DEPARTED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AFTER REVIEWING OUR TAXI, WE COULD HAVE BEEN HELPED IMMENSELY BY EITHER LIGHTED TXWY SIGNS, LIGHTED HOLD SHORT LINES, WIG-WAG LIGHTS, OR TXWY CTRLINE LIGHTS. ANY OR ALL OF THESE, I BELIEVE, WOULD CONTRIBUTE GREATLY TO SAFETY OF ALL WHO USE PVD. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 460524: THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO TAXI TO RWY 34 VIA TXWY TANGO, TXWY TANGO 1, TXWY CHARLIE, TXWY KILO, TXWY KILO 1 FOR BACK TAXI ON RWY 34. I HAD MY TAXI CHART IN FRONT OF ME AS I WAS TAXIING OUT. IT WAS DARK AND THE TAXI LIGHT WAS ON AS I TAXIED. I INADVERTENTLY PASSED TXWY K BECAUSE I DIDN'T SEE IT ON MY R. WHEN I DID SEE IT I SAW THAT I HAD PASSED IT SO I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED SHORT OF RWY 34. AT THIS POINT GND CTL TOLD US WE HAD GONE THE WRONG WAY AND ASKED US IF WE HAD PASSED THE HOLD LINE FOR RWY 34. THE NOSE WAS WELL SHORT OF THE RWY EDGE BUT I COULDN'T SEE THE HOLD LINE SO WE TOLD GND WE MUST BE RIGHT ON TOP OF IT BECAUSE WE DIDN'T WANT TO JEOPARDIZE ANOTHER ACFT. WE WERE THEN INSTRUCTED TO TAXI ONTO RWY 34 , TURN R ON RWY 23L AND TAXI VIA TXWY K TO RWY 34. THE GND CTLR TOLD US ON THE RADIO THAT WE WERE NOT THE FIRST ONES THAT THIS HAD HAPPENED TO AND THAT THEY HAD A SERIOUS SIGN PROB AND TXWY LAYOUT PROB AT THE PVD ARPT.

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.