Narrative:

Taxied out of gate on charlie sierra to 6W and contacted ground control. After a couple of mins was told to taxi to runway 25 via taxiway G. Numerous aircraft were in the area taxiing to runway 34R. After crossing taxiway G and beginning the turn onto taxiway G; the first officer announced he was going heads down and I acknowledged him. A second later I noticed another carrier stationary in the intersection of taxiway G and charlie sierra. I abruptly stopped the aircraft and announced that was an aircraft right there to the first officer. A second later; ground control told us to pass behind another aircraft to our left. We acknowledged this and asked about the aircraft in front of us. The ground controller asked why we stopped and we said another carrier was in the intersection. The ground controller tried to contact them with no response and then they moved forward to taxiway F. Said aircraft did not have their taxi; beacon; or any tail flood lights on. The only lights I saw were 2 white navigation lights on the rear of the aircraft; not on the wingtips like our aircraft. In the past I have noted to myself that this confign of navigation lights are very difficult to see. A contributing factor was that one of our aircraft taxiing north on taxiway F had his wing illumination lights on and made it very difficult to see the crj. We continued to taxi on taxiway G sbound and departed runway 25. The first officer said before he went heads down; he had cleared the area ahead of us and to our left and had not seen any aircraft except those northbound on taxiway F. Aircraft that have their position lights on the tail; crj; airbus and others instead of the wingtips; boeing; are very difficult to see as they blend in with other lights and when they move the lights tend to be stationary. Navigation lights on the wingtips move during turns and are easier for me to see. Use of the crj's beacon and any tail flood would have greatly helped. In the past we left the wing illumination light on while at the gate. I still see this and see them on during taxi also. It is very distracting as these lights are very bright. Turn them off on the ground. Also; a delay of the first officer going heads down maybe would have helped; even though he did check the area and did not see the aircraft; and even noted the lack of lights on the crj. He did not know why I had stopped the aircraft until I said something. He then noticed the crj in front of us.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLIGHT CREW REPORTS GROUND CONFLICT WITH STATIONARY CRJ WHICH IS NEARLY INVISIBLE DUE TO NIGHT CONDITIONS AND LACK OF PROPER EXTERIOR LIGHTS.

Narrative: TAXIED OUT OF GATE ON CHARLIE SIERRA TO 6W AND CONTACTED GND CTL. AFTER A COUPLE OF MINS WAS TOLD TO TAXI TO RWY 25 VIA TXWY G. NUMEROUS ACFT WERE IN THE AREA TAXIING TO RWY 34R. AFTER XING TXWY G AND BEGINNING THE TURN ONTO TXWY G; THE FO ANNOUNCED HE WAS GOING HEADS DOWN AND I ACKNOWLEDGED HIM. A SECOND LATER I NOTICED ANOTHER CARRIER STATIONARY IN THE INTXN OF TXWY G AND CHARLIE SIERRA. I ABRUPTLY STOPPED THE ACFT AND ANNOUNCED THAT WAS AN ACFT RIGHT THERE TO THE FO. A SECOND LATER; GND CTL TOLD US TO PASS BEHIND ANOTHER ACFT TO OUR L. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THIS AND ASKED ABOUT THE ACFT IN FRONT OF US. THE GND CTLR ASKED WHY WE STOPPED AND WE SAID ANOTHER CARRIER WAS IN THE INTXN. THE GND CTLR TRIED TO CONTACT THEM WITH NO RESPONSE AND THEN THEY MOVED FORWARD TO TXWY F. SAID ACFT DID NOT HAVE THEIR TAXI; BEACON; OR ANY TAIL FLOOD LIGHTS ON. THE ONLY LIGHTS I SAW WERE 2 WHITE NAV LIGHTS ON THE REAR OF THE ACFT; NOT ON THE WINGTIPS LIKE OUR ACFT. IN THE PAST I HAVE NOTED TO MYSELF THAT THIS CONFIGN OF NAV LIGHTS ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THAT ONE OF OUR ACFT TAXIING N ON TXWY F HAD HIS WING ILLUMINATION LIGHTS ON AND MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE THE CRJ. WE CONTINUED TO TAXI ON TXWY G SBOUND AND DEPARTED RWY 25. THE FO SAID BEFORE HE WENT HEADS DOWN; HE HAD CLRED THE AREA AHEAD OF US AND TO OUR L AND HAD NOT SEEN ANY ACFT EXCEPT THOSE NBOUND ON TXWY F. ACFT THAT HAVE THEIR POS LIGHTS ON THE TAIL; CRJ; AIRBUS AND OTHERS INSTEAD OF THE WINGTIPS; BOEING; ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE AS THEY BLEND IN WITH OTHER LIGHTS AND WHEN THEY MOVE THE LIGHTS TEND TO BE STATIONARY. NAV LIGHTS ON THE WINGTIPS MOVE DURING TURNS AND ARE EASIER FOR ME TO SEE. USE OF THE CRJ'S BEACON AND ANY TAIL FLOOD WOULD HAVE GREATLY HELPED. IN THE PAST WE LEFT THE WING ILLUMINATION LIGHT ON WHILE AT THE GATE. I STILL SEE THIS AND SEE THEM ON DURING TAXI ALSO. IT IS VERY DISTRACTING AS THESE LIGHTS ARE VERY BRIGHT. TURN THEM OFF ON THE GND. ALSO; A DELAY OF THE FO GOING HEADS DOWN MAYBE WOULD HAVE HELPED; EVEN THOUGH HE DID CHK THE AREA AND DID NOT SEE THE ACFT; AND EVEN NOTED THE LACK OF LIGHTS ON THE CRJ. HE DID NOT KNOW WHY I HAD STOPPED THE ACFT UNTIL I SAID SOMETHING. HE THEN NOTICED THE CRJ IN FRONT OF US.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.