Narrative:

After being advised to taxi and hold short of runway 28R at sfo, I proceeded to taxi as instructed. Of particular interest is the lighting and signage at sfo. With major airport construction taking place it is not unusual for airport services (maintenance/construction personnel) and the tower to not be in effective contact. In the past 3 months of schedule operations out of sfo I have found repeated instances of sign/lighting outages which seem to go unrpted to the local or ground controllers. Often the controllers are not aware of current taxiway/runway/lighting conditions. This seems to be aggravated at night when visibility from the tower is additionally restr. However while en route to runway 28R from pad xx my crew/aircraft encountered a runway sign outage at the intersection which we were told to hold short at. At this time a B737 was finishing his post-landing rollout. Just prior to reaching the intersection hold lines. I detected the approaching B737 with the aid of his landing lights, based on the sign/lighting confign at this intersection the only indication of the approaching runway was the fact that it is unusual for an air carrier aircraft to taxi with his landing lights on. I immediately brought my aircraft to a stop and closely inspected my surroundings, comparing the current commercial airport diagram. As a result of my approach to the runway and subsequent rapid stop, I alarmed the B737 crew rolling out. From their vantage point I am sure it looked as if I was about to encroach on the protected area surrounding an active runway.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9 CREW AT SFO TAXIING TO HOLD SHORT RWY 28R FOUND SIGN LIGHTING OUTAGE MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE THE HOLDING POS.

Narrative: AFTER BEING ADVISED TO TAXI AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 28R AT SFO, I PROCEEDED TO TAXI AS INSTRUCTED. OF PARTICULAR INTEREST IS THE LIGHTING AND SIGNAGE AT SFO. WITH MAJOR ARPT CONSTRUCTION TAKING PLACE IT IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR ARPT SVCS (MAINT/CONSTRUCTION PERSONNEL) AND THE TWR TO NOT BE IN EFFECTIVE CONTACT. IN THE PAST 3 MONTHS OF SCHEDULE OPS OUT OF SFO I HAVE FOUND REPEATED INSTANCES OF SIGN/LIGHTING OUTAGES WHICH SEEM TO GO UNRPTED TO THE LCL OR GND CTLRS. OFTEN THE CTLRS ARE NOT AWARE OF CURRENT TXWY/RWY/LIGHTING CONDITIONS. THIS SEEMS TO BE AGGRAVATED AT NIGHT WHEN VISIBILITY FROM THE TWR IS ADDITIONALLY RESTR. HOWEVER WHILE ENRTE TO RWY 28R FROM PAD XX MY CREW/ACFT ENCOUNTERED A RWY SIGN OUTAGE AT THE INTXN WHICH WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD SHORT AT. AT THIS TIME A B737 WAS FINISHING HIS POST-LNDG ROLLOUT. JUST PRIOR TO REACHING THE INTXN HOLD LINES. I DETECTED THE APCHING B737 WITH THE AID OF HIS LNDG LIGHTS, BASED ON THE SIGN/LIGHTING CONFIGN AT THIS INTXN THE ONLY INDICATION OF THE APCHING RWY WAS THE FACT THAT IT IS UNUSUAL FOR AN ACR ACFT TO TAXI WITH HIS LNDG LIGHTS ON. I IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT MY ACFT TO A STOP AND CLOSELY INSPECTED MY SURROUNDINGS, COMPARING THE CURRENT COMMERCIAL ARPT DIAGRAM. AS A RESULT OF MY APCH TO THE RWY AND SUBSEQUENT RAPID STOP, I ALARMED THE B737 CREW ROLLING OUT. FROM THEIR VANTAGE POINT I AM SURE IT LOOKED AS IF I WAS ABOUT TO ENCROACH ON THE PROTECTED AREA SURROUNDING AN ACTIVE RWY.

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.