Narrative:

Ground control handed us off to tower with 'a-H, tower on 118.7.' continued up taxiway 'H' towards end of runway 23. Approaching end of taxiway, and before turning perpendicular on hold short area, noticed some hold short lines in the taxi lights. They were old and had been removed, but I stopped anyway. At that time, tower inquired as to location and whether stopped. Informed them we were on 'H' short of 23, but they informed us we were now on 'Q', a short extension of 'H' which puts us in a terps sensitive zone for landing aircraft. Tower asked landing aircraft if he was going to continue, and he replied in the affirmative and landed without incident. Upon arrival at ord, I called the yyz tower to discuss the matter as I had received no instructions to hold short of any taxiway on my way to the runway. Also, I had seen no notation or taxi markings to inform me of this encroachment area. The tower personnel noted that I was the third aircraft in the last 30 mins (2 other U south carriers and myself) to make this 'mistake' and that it happens frequently. He said he had asked the air carrier aircraft behind me if the lights were illuminated to show taxiway 'Q' and he had said they were. I did not see any indications that I should not continue taxiing up to and hold short of the active. 4TH leg of five, expeditious taxi to make our wheels up time, night time lighting conditions, non familiar airport and requirement for asd radar in this corner of the field. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the tower can not see aircraft once they proceed onto taxiway Q. The tower specialist advised that they were verbally confirming the flight crew's position from what was observed on asde (airport surface detection equipment). The two previous departures which transgressed into taxiway Q were U south carriers. The reporter advised that the crew were looking for the runway end identifier lights when they realized that there might be something wrong. They stopped at previously removed hold short lines to resolve the captain's concern when questioned about their location by the tower. The reporter suggests that low visibility taxiway lighting be added to taxiway Q to alert pilots to an area requiring an additional clearance, as well as amending the commercial chart airport diagram alerting flight crew's to a visibility restr area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNFAMILIAR WITH CYYZ ARPT, B737 FLC TAXI INTO RESTRICTED AREA WITH ACFT ON FINAL.

Narrative: GND CTL HANDED US OFF TO TWR WITH 'A-H, TWR ON 118.7.' CONTINUED UP TXWY 'H' TOWARDS END OF RWY 23. APCHING END OF TXWY, AND BEFORE TURNING PERPENDICULAR ON HOLD SHORT AREA, NOTICED SOME HOLD SHORT LINES IN THE TAXI LIGHTS. THEY WERE OLD AND HAD BEEN REMOVED, BUT I STOPPED ANYWAY. AT THAT TIME, TWR INQUIRED AS TO LOCATION AND WHETHER STOPPED. INFORMED THEM WE WERE ON 'H' SHORT OF 23, BUT THEY INFORMED US WE WERE NOW ON 'Q', A SHORT EXTENSION OF 'H' WHICH PUTS US IN A TERPS SENSITIVE ZONE FOR LNDG ACFT. TWR ASKED LNDG ACFT IF HE WAS GOING TO CONTINUE, AND HE REPLIED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. UPON ARR AT ORD, I CALLED THE YYZ TWR TO DISCUSS THE MATTER AS I HAD RECEIVED NO INSTRUCTIONS TO HOLD SHORT OF ANY TXWY ON MY WAY TO THE RWY. ALSO, I HAD SEEN NO NOTATION OR TAXI MARKINGS TO INFORM ME OF THIS ENCROACHMENT AREA. THE TWR PERSONNEL NOTED THAT I WAS THE THIRD ACFT IN THE LAST 30 MINS (2 OTHER U S CARRIERS AND MYSELF) TO MAKE THIS 'MISTAKE' AND THAT IT HAPPENS FREQUENTLY. HE SAID HE HAD ASKED THE ACR ACFT BEHIND ME IF THE LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED TO SHOW TXWY 'Q' AND HE HAD SAID THEY WERE. I DID NOT SEE ANY INDICATIONS THAT I SHOULD NOT CONTINUE TAXIING UP TO AND HOLD SHORT OF THE ACTIVE. 4TH LEG OF FIVE, EXPEDITIOUS TAXI TO MAKE OUR WHEELS UP TIME, NIGHT TIME LIGHTING CONDITIONS, NON FAMILIAR ARPT AND REQUIREMENT FOR ASD RADAR IN THIS CORNER OF THE FIELD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE TWR CAN NOT SEE ACFT ONCE THEY PROCEED ONTO TXWY Q. THE TWR SPECIALIST ADVISED THAT THEY WERE VERBALLY CONFIRMING THE FLT CREW'S POSITION FROM WHAT WAS OBSERVED ON ASDE (ARPT SURFACE DETECTION EQUIP). THE TWO PREVIOUS DEPS WHICH TRANSGRESSED INTO TXWY Q WERE U S CARRIERS. THE RPTR ADVISED THAT THE CREW WERE LOOKING FOR THE RWY END IDENTIFIER LIGHTS WHEN THEY REALIZED THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING WRONG. THEY STOPPED AT PREVIOUSLY REMOVED HOLD SHORT LINES TO RESOLVE THE CAPT'S CONCERN WHEN QUESTIONED ABOUT THEIR LOCATION BY THE TWR. THE RPTR SUGGESTS THAT LOW VISIBILITY TXWY LIGHTING BE ADDED TO TXWY Q TO ALERT PLTS TO AN AREA REQUIRING AN ADDITIONAL CLRNC, AS WELL AS AMENDING THE COMMERCIAL CHART ARPT DIAGRAM ALERTING FLT CREW'S TO A VISIBILITY RESTR AREA.

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.