Flight crew of air carrier aircraft refuses to enter runway by crossing illuminated red stop bars; a...

Attributes
ACN	745682
Time
Date	200706
Place
Locale Reference	airport : wmkk.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	745682
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Airport Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Airport
Situations
Airport	lighting : wmkk.airport markings : wmkk.airport

Narrative:

Following pushback gate; we were instructed to taxi via txwys K; B14; a; A11; hold short of runway 32R. As we approached A11 at taxiway a; the preceding aircraft was cleared for takeoff and we were then told to disregard the illuminated red stop bars; as they were malfunctioning. Since taxiing across illuminated red stop bars is in violation of company; FAA and ICAO procedures; I held short of A11 and informed the tower that we could not proceed onto the runway with illuminated red stop bars. He asked my intentions and I inquired if the red stop bars were illuminated at A10. He replied they were not; so I requested an intersection departure from A10; which was granted. Though no aam data for A10 was available; the cutback runway-takeoff corrections in the aom were easily complied with and we departed with no delay. A problem could have arisen if we had made the turn onto A11 and were confronted with nonfunctional red stop bars. As I understand it; crossing illuminated red stop bars is prohibited under any circumstances. Even though conditions were daylight and cavok; using common sense and great care to take off would still have been a violation if illuminated red stop bars were crossed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF ACR ACFT REFUSES TO ENTER RWY BY CROSSING ILLUMINATED RED STOP BARS; ALTHOUGH ADVISED BY ATC THEY WERE MALFUNCTIONING. MAKE INTERSECTION TKOF FOR WHICH NO DATA WAS AVAILABLE INSTEAD.

Narrative: FOLLOWING PUSHBACK GATE; WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI VIA TXWYS K; B14; A; A11; HOLD SHORT OF RWY 32R. AS WE APCHED A11 AT TXWY A; THE PRECEDING ACFT WAS CLRED FOR TKOF AND WE WERE THEN TOLD TO DISREGARD THE ILLUMINATED RED STOP BARS; AS THEY WERE MALFUNCTIONING. SINCE TAXIING ACROSS ILLUMINATED RED STOP BARS IS IN VIOLATION OF COMPANY; FAA AND ICAO PROCS; I HELD SHORT OF A11 AND INFORMED THE TWR THAT WE COULD NOT PROCEED ONTO THE RWY WITH ILLUMINATED RED STOP BARS. HE ASKED MY INTENTIONS AND I INQUIRED IF THE RED STOP BARS WERE ILLUMINATED AT A10. HE REPLIED THEY WERE NOT; SO I REQUESTED AN INTXN DEP FROM A10; WHICH WAS GRANTED. THOUGH NO AAM DATA FOR A10 WAS AVAILABLE; THE CUTBACK RWY-TKOF CORRECTIONS IN THE AOM WERE EASILY COMPLIED WITH AND WE DEPARTED WITH NO DELAY. A PROB COULD HAVE ARISEN IF WE HAD MADE THE TURN ONTO A11 AND WERE CONFRONTED WITH NONFUNCTIONAL RED STOP BARS. AS I UNDERSTAND IT; XING ILLUMINATED RED STOP BARS IS PROHIBITED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. EVEN THOUGH CONDITIONS WERE DAYLIGHT AND CAVOK; USING COMMON SENSE AND GREAT CARE TO TAKE OFF WOULD STILL HAVE BEEN A VIOLATION IF ILLUMINATED RED STOP BARS WERE CROSSED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.

Flight crew of air carrier aircraft refuses to enter runway by crossing illuminated red stop bars; although advised by ATC they were malfunctioning. Make intersection takeoff for which no data was available instead.