Narrative:

After completing the run-up of my plane in the run-up area for runway 5 at the buffalo international airport, I called the tower and indicated I was ready for takeoff. The tower told me to pull up to the and hold short. I replied that I would 'hold short.' after my transmission, an air carrier plane coming down the taxiway was told by the tower to give way to me. While I had been to the buffalo airport several times, I never took off from runway 5 and was unfamiliar with where the hold short line was. In addition, I was also a little intimidated by having a large jet following me. I started to taxi towards the runway and never realized that I had crossed the hold short line. When I came to within approximately 75 ft of the runway edge I stopped immediately and did not enter the runway. The tower inquired whether I had crossed the hold short line and I indicated that I did not know because I did not see the line. The tower then asked a landing jet whether he saw me and could land safely, and the jet indicated that I posed no problem (because I was far enough off the runway) and landed without incident. The air carrier pilot (who was behind me) hearing my conversation told the tower that she could barely see the hold short line and it was not an approved marking. The tower then said that the lines were worn because of the constant snow removal in buffalo and they were in need of painting. I do not know how far over the hold short line I had traveled, but my actions showed that I was aware of the need to hold short because I actually did hold short of the runway, but just never saw the lie. What I learned from this experience is that I need to proceed very slowly towards all active runways and do not move anywhere close to the threshold until I actually see a hold short line. I also learned that hold short lines are not always clearly visible and a pilot needs to really focus on finding the line before moving. Lastly, I should also not be intimidated or feel rushed by other airplanes operating near me. Callback conversation with buf tower specialist revealed the following information: a buf tower specialist would not comment as to whether the hold short lines at buffalo were in need of paint or not. However, he did mention that there are 'red signs' depicting hold line location, suggesting observance of the hold short sign should reveal the hold line. Callback conversation with a buf field operations officer revealed the following information: repainting of all runway/taxiway markings, including hold short lines, is in progress.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE60 CREW, TAXIING FOR TKOF AT BUF, TAXIED PAST THE HOLD SHORT LINE.

Narrative: AFTER COMPLETING THE RUN-UP OF MY PLANE IN THE RUN-UP AREA FOR RWY 5 AT THE BUFFALO INTL ARPT, I CALLED THE TWR AND INDICATED I WAS READY FOR TKOF. THE TWR TOLD ME TO PULL UP TO THE AND HOLD SHORT. I REPLIED THAT I WOULD 'HOLD SHORT.' AFTER MY XMISSION, AN ACR PLANE COMING DOWN THE TXWY WAS TOLD BY THE TWR TO GIVE WAY TO ME. WHILE I HAD BEEN TO THE BUFFALO ARPT SEVERAL TIMES, I NEVER TOOK OFF FROM RWY 5 AND WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH WHERE THE HOLD SHORT LINE WAS. IN ADDITION, I WAS ALSO A LITTLE INTIMIDATED BY HAVING A LARGE JET FOLLOWING ME. I STARTED TO TAXI TOWARDS THE RWY AND NEVER REALIZED THAT I HAD CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE. WHEN I CAME TO WITHIN APPROX 75 FT OF THE RWY EDGE I STOPPED IMMEDIATELY AND DID NOT ENTER THE RWY. THE TWR INQUIRED WHETHER I HAD CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND I INDICATED THAT I DID NOT KNOW BECAUSE I DID NOT SEE THE LINE. THE TWR THEN ASKED A LNDG JET WHETHER HE SAW ME AND COULD LAND SAFELY, AND THE JET INDICATED THAT I POSED NO PROB (BECAUSE I WAS FAR ENOUGH OFF THE RWY) AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE ACR PLT (WHO WAS BEHIND ME) HEARING MY CONVERSATION TOLD THE TWR THAT SHE COULD BARELY SEE THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND IT WAS NOT AN APPROVED MARKING. THE TWR THEN SAID THAT THE LINES WERE WORN BECAUSE OF THE CONSTANT SNOW REMOVAL IN BUFFALO AND THEY WERE IN NEED OF PAINTING. I DO NOT KNOW HOW FAR OVER THE HOLD SHORT LINE I HAD TRAVELED, BUT MY ACTIONS SHOWED THAT I WAS AWARE OF THE NEED TO HOLD SHORT BECAUSE I ACTUALLY DID HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY, BUT JUST NEVER SAW THE LIE. WHAT I LEARNED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE IS THAT I NEED TO PROCEED VERY SLOWLY TOWARDS ALL ACTIVE RWYS AND DO NOT MOVE ANYWHERE CLOSE TO THE THRESHOLD UNTIL I ACTUALLY SEE A HOLD SHORT LINE. I ALSO LEARNED THAT HOLD SHORT LINES ARE NOT ALWAYS CLRLY VISIBLE AND A PLT NEEDS TO REALLY FOCUS ON FINDING THE LINE BEFORE MOVING. LASTLY, I SHOULD ALSO NOT BE INTIMIDATED OR FEEL RUSHED BY OTHER AIRPLANES OPERATING NEAR ME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH BUF TWR SPECIALIST REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: A BUF TWR SPECIALIST WOULD NOT COMMENT AS TO WHETHER THE HOLD SHORT LINES AT BUFFALO WERE IN NEED OF PAINT OR NOT. HOWEVER, HE DID MENTION THAT THERE ARE 'RED SIGNS' DEPICTING HOLD LINE LOCATION, SUGGESTING OBSERVANCE OF THE HOLD SHORT SIGN SHOULD REVEAL THE HOLD LINE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH A BUF FIELD OPS OFFICER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPAINTING OF ALL RWY/TXWY MARKINGS, INCLUDING HOLD SHORT LINES, IS IN PROGRESS.

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.