A lear captain taxied past the runway hold line in hou; at least in part because of faded paint.

Attributes
ACN	760977
Time
Date	200711
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hou.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Gates Learjet Corp Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	760977
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Situations
Airport	markings : hou.airport

Narrative:

I was the PIC of our lear. We were taxiing to runway 4 from the FBO at hou. We were cleared to taxi to runway 4; which was a right turn on taxiway G southbound. We did observe a sterile cockpit and were looking for the runway/taxi signs as well as the runway hold lines. When I did not see any hold lines between us and the runway; I immediately stopped. Shortly after that the tower told us to turn around and taxi back across the hold line and hold. The tower asked us to call them and we were asked if we saw the hold short line; which we did not; and then told us we were not the only ones to do that at that particular intersection. The major contributing factors are the runway hold lines being faded. The distance from the hold short line to the runway is inordinately long; and the distance to taxi from the FBO to the hold short line is relatively short. It was also our first time taxiing in daylight at that airport. The runway/taxiway sign is a long distance from the runway. It is also possible that looking at the airport diagram caused the runway/taxiway sign not to be seen.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LEAR CAPT TAXIED PAST THE RUNWAY HOLD LINE IN HOU; AT LEAST IN PART BECAUSE OF FADED PAINT.

Narrative: I WAS THE PIC OF OUR LEAR. WE WERE TAXIING TO RWY 4 FROM THE FBO AT HOU. WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 4; WHICH WAS A RIGHT TURN ON TXWY G SOUTHBOUND. WE DID OBSERVE A STERILE COCKPIT AND WERE LOOKING FOR THE RWY/TAXI SIGNS AS WELL AS THE RWY HOLD LINES. WHEN I DID NOT SEE ANY HOLD LINES BETWEEN US AND THE RWY; I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED. SHORTLY AFTER THAT THE TWR TOLD US TO TURN AROUND AND TAXI BACK ACROSS THE HOLD LINE AND HOLD. THE TWR ASKED US TO CALL THEM AND WE WERE ASKED IF WE SAW THE HOLD SHORT LINE; WHICH WE DID NOT; AND THEN TOLD US WE WERE NOT THE ONLY ONES TO DO THAT AT THAT PARTICULAR INTERSECTION. THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ARE THE RWY HOLD LINES BEING FADED. THE DISTANCE FROM THE HOLD SHORT LINE TO THE RWY IS INORDINATELY LONG; AND THE DISTANCE TO TAXI FROM THE FBO TO THE HOLD SHORT LINE IS RELATIVELY SHORT. IT WAS ALSO OUR FIRST TIME TAXIING IN DAYLIGHT AT THAT ARPT. THE RWY/TXWY SIGN IS A LONG DISTANCE FROM THE RWY. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT LOOKING AT THE ARPT DIAGRAM CAUSED THE RWY/TXWY SIGN NOT TO BE SEEN.

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.