Narrative:

Cleared to taxi from gate to runway 07L at lax via tango-49-and K to hold short of 07L. Change frequency crossing '50 yd line.' made frequency change and was acknowledged by ground control, 'cleared to 07L via 49 and K txwys.' approaching K on 49 encountered another aircraft stopped on taxiway 49. Applied maximum braking to avoid collision. Stopped 10-12 short of the tail of an air carrier small transport Y. I was utilizing nose taxi lights on my medium large transport as is company policy. Only when I was very close to the small transport Y was there any thing I could distinguish. The small transport was not utilizing a rotating beacon which would have prevented this incident. An small transport type by its very design is extremely difficult to detect in the dark from the rear. The tower (ground control) apologized to us for having forgotten that he had left the small transport stopped there and had not notified us. Solution: all aircraft smaller than 40000 or 50000 pounds should utilize a red rotating beacon at all times, whether taxiing or flying. Note: we have already lost 1 medium large transport and small transport due to inconspicuity. Let's not lose any more. Lights are cheap. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter not sure if they were cleared all the way to the runway or instructed to hold short of taxiway K. Reporter didn't see the other aircraft until the last minute. Saw the aircraft's outline first, then slammed on the brakes. The senior F/a bumped her head, but nothing serious. The reporter things that the small transport type aircraft should have a strobe light on top for easier viewing. All there is now is a pin light on the tail, which is white, and a steady red rotating beacon. Both are difficult to see. Additionally, they cannot see the wings when approaching from the rear. Reporter does not blame the controller or the other aircraft for this incident. Tower cannot see this area from the cabin, and the other aircraft was doing what he was told. Thinks the strobe light is the only way to go. Reporter now uses his landing lights when taxiing out in non lighted areas. Supplemental information from acn 173309: just prior to the inner taxiway (parallel), the captain stomped on the brakes as a metroliner was parked on taxiway 49 holding short of the parallel taxiway. In the darkness he was not visible at all until the taxi lights on our aircraft lit up the small transport. Ground control apologized to us that he forgot about the small transport. I noticed the small transport had his red beacon on, but it was not flashing, but steady. His white tail light blended in perfectly with the runway lights in the background. I happened to have my head down at the moment. A bright flashing red rotating beacon would probably have given us the best chance of seeing him. He was all but invisible to us at a distance of more than 30' with just our taxi lights on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A TAXIING ACR MLG ALMOST HITS AN SMT AT NIGHT.

Narrative: CLRED TO TAXI FROM GATE TO RWY 07L AT LAX VIA TANGO-49-AND K TO HOLD SHORT OF 07L. CHANGE FREQ XING '50 YD LINE.' MADE FREQ CHANGE AND WAS ACKNOWLEDGED BY GND CTL, 'CLRED TO 07L VIA 49 AND K TXWYS.' APCHING K ON 49 ENCOUNTERED ANOTHER ACFT STOPPED ON TXWY 49. APPLIED MAX BRAKING TO AVOID COLLISION. STOPPED 10-12 SHORT OF THE TAIL OF AN ACR SMT Y. I WAS UTILIZING NOSE TAXI LIGHTS ON MY MLG AS IS COMPANY POLICY. ONLY WHEN I WAS VERY CLOSE TO THE SMT Y WAS THERE ANY THING I COULD DISTINGUISH. THE SMT WAS NOT UTILIZING A ROTATING BEACON WHICH WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS INCIDENT. AN SMT TYPE BY ITS VERY DESIGN IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO DETECT IN THE DARK FROM THE REAR. THE TWR (GND CTL) APOLOGIZED TO US FOR HAVING FORGOTTEN THAT HE HAD LEFT THE SMT STOPPED THERE AND HAD NOT NOTIFIED US. SOLUTION: ALL ACFT SMALLER THAN 40000 OR 50000 LBS SHOULD UTILIZE A RED ROTATING BEACON AT ALL TIMES, WHETHER TAXIING OR FLYING. NOTE: WE HAVE ALREADY LOST 1 MLG AND SMT DUE TO INCONSPICUITY. LET'S NOT LOSE ANY MORE. LIGHTS ARE CHEAP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR NOT SURE IF THEY WERE CLRED ALL THE WAY TO THE RWY OR INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY K. RPTR DIDN'T SEE THE OTHER ACFT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE. SAW THE ACFT'S OUTLINE FIRST, THEN SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES. THE SENIOR F/A BUMPED HER HEAD, BUT NOTHING SERIOUS. THE RPTR THINGS THAT THE SMT TYPE ACFT SHOULD HAVE A STROBE LIGHT ON TOP FOR EASIER VIEWING. ALL THERE IS NOW IS A PIN LIGHT ON THE TAIL, WHICH IS WHITE, AND A STEADY RED ROTATING BEACON. BOTH ARE DIFFICULT TO SEE. ADDITIONALLY, THEY CANNOT SEE THE WINGS WHEN APCHING FROM THE REAR. RPTR DOES NOT BLAME THE CTLR OR THE OTHER ACFT FOR THIS INCIDENT. TWR CANNOT SEE THIS AREA FROM THE CABIN, AND THE OTHER ACFT WAS DOING WHAT HE WAS TOLD. THINKS THE STROBE LIGHT IS THE ONLY WAY TO GO. RPTR NOW USES HIS LNDG LIGHTS WHEN TAXIING OUT IN NON LIGHTED AREAS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 173309: JUST PRIOR TO THE INNER TXWY (PARALLEL), THE CAPT STOMPED ON THE BRAKES AS A METROLINER WAS PARKED ON TXWY 49 HOLDING SHORT OF THE PARALLEL TXWY. IN THE DARKNESS HE WAS NOT VISIBLE AT ALL UNTIL THE TAXI LIGHTS ON OUR ACFT LIT UP THE SMT. GND CTL APOLOGIZED TO US THAT HE FORGOT ABOUT THE SMT. I NOTICED THE SMT HAD HIS RED BEACON ON, BUT IT WAS NOT FLASHING, BUT STEADY. HIS WHITE TAIL LIGHT BLENDED IN PERFECTLY WITH THE RWY LIGHTS IN THE BACKGROUND. I HAPPENED TO HAVE MY HEAD DOWN AT THE MOMENT. A BRIGHT FLASHING RED ROTATING BEACON WOULD PROBABLY HAVE GIVEN US THE BEST CHANCE OF SEEING HIM. HE WAS ALL BUT INVISIBLE TO US AT A DISTANCE OF MORE THAN 30' WITH JUST OUR TAXI LIGHTS ON.

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.