Narrative:

While taxiing for takeoff on yyz runway 23, we encountered a hold short line on taxiway H as it transitioned to taxiway Q. The line was not a boundary between a taxiway and runway, but rather a line across the continuation of the taxiway as it became taxiway Q. Having been instructed to taxi to runway 23, and as I could not see if there was a hold short line at the end of taxiway Q and the entry to runway 23, I continued taxiing on the taxiway Q towards the end of runway 23. Shortly after crossing the hold short line on taxiway H, the tower instructed us to hold our position on the taxiway. From there we were cleared for takeoff, after which we continued our taxi down taxiway Q, made the left turn at the end onto runway 23, and departed normally. There was no hold short line at the end of taxiway Q and runway 23, and there is no notation of this nonstandard hold short line on taxiway H/Q in any of the airport notes for yyz. This should be noted, as the normal confign would have a hold short at the boundary of taxiway Q and runway 23. It is not there, and it is impossible to determine this visually from the hold short line at taxiway intersection. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised that neither pilot were familiar with yyz airport, and that they waited just a little too long to question ATC about the hold short line when ATC notified them. Company advised that they were looking into the signage concern, but had not yet responded back to the flight crew.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLC INCORRECTLY INTERPED HOLD SHORT LINE WHILE TAXIING VIA TXWY H AND TXWY A AND TRANSGRESSED RWY CLEAR AREA.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING FOR TKOF ON YYZ RWY 23, WE ENCOUNTERED A HOLD SHORT LINE ON TXWY H AS IT TRANSITIONED TO TXWY Q. THE LINE WAS NOT A BOUNDARY BTWN A TXWY AND RWY, BUT RATHER A LINE ACROSS THE CONTINUATION OF THE TXWY AS IT BECAME TXWY Q. HAVING BEEN INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO RWY 23, AND AS I COULD NOT SEE IF THERE WAS A HOLD SHORT LINE AT THE END OF TXWY Q AND THE ENTRY TO RWY 23, I CONTINUED TAXIING ON THE TXWY Q TOWARDS THE END OF RWY 23. SHORTLY AFTER XING THE HOLD SHORT LINE ON TXWY H, THE TWR INSTRUCTED US TO HOLD OUR POS ON THE TXWY. FROM THERE WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF, AFTER WHICH WE CONTINUED OUR TAXI DOWN TXWY Q, MADE THE L TURN AT THE END ONTO RWY 23, AND DEPARTED NORMALLY. THERE WAS NO HOLD SHORT LINE AT THE END OF TXWY Q AND RWY 23, AND THERE IS NO NOTATION OF THIS NONSTANDARD HOLD SHORT LINE ON TXWY H/Q IN ANY OF THE ARPT NOTES FOR YYZ. THIS SHOULD BE NOTED, AS THE NORMAL CONFIGN WOULD HAVE A HOLD SHORT AT THE BOUNDARY OF TXWY Q AND RWY 23. IT IS NOT THERE, AND IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE THIS VISUALLY FROM THE HOLD SHORT LINE AT TXWY INTXN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT NEITHER PLT WERE FAMILIAR WITH YYZ ARPT, AND THAT THEY WAITED JUST A LITTLE TOO LONG TO QUESTION ATC ABOUT THE HOLD SHORT LINE WHEN ATC NOTIFIED THEM. COMPANY ADVISED THAT THEY WERE LOOKING INTO THE SIGNAGE CONCERN, BUT HAD NOT YET RESPONDED BACK TO THE FLC.

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.