An air carrier large transport taxied across the hold short line approaching a runway.

Attributes
ACN	237222
Time
Date	199303
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phl
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	237222
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

After landing in phl on runway 9R and clearing, we were told to taxi via taxiway west and to hold short of runway 9L which was read back (by the first officer) and acknowledged by the captain. At this time I was finishing the after landing checklist and notifying the company that we were on the ground and receiving gate clearance. Then I looked at my airport diagram chart. When I looked up, we were approaching the runway and the first officer and the tower almost simultaneously reminded the captain to hold short of runway 9L which the captain had just started doing. The hold line is faded yellow which is extremely hard to see at night and there are no lighted signs that you are approaching the runway (no runway signs that are lighted). Braking was slightly harder than normal so when a departing widebody transport rotated 100 yards or so before us, some passenger had thought we had a near miss and expressed concern when they deplaned. Although we knew to hold short of runway 9L, we may have crossed the hold short line a little since it was almost impossible to see. Being a little closer to the runway than normal, and the positioning of the taxiway, led to the passenger concern. Ground taxiway and runway lighting signs definitely need improvement in phl as well as elsewhere in the country.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LGT TAXIED ACROSS THE HOLD SHORT LINE APCHING A RWY.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG IN PHL ON RWY 9R AND CLRING, WE WERE TOLD TO TAXI VIA TXWY W AND TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 9L WHICH WAS READ BACK (BY THE FO) AND ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE CAPT. AT THIS TIME I WAS FINISHING THE AFTER LNDG CHKLIST AND NOTIFYING THE COMPANY THAT WE WERE ON THE GND AND RECEIVING GATE CLRNC. THEN I LOOKED AT MY ARPT DIAGRAM CHART. WHEN I LOOKED UP, WE WERE APCHING THE RWY AND THE FO AND THE TWR ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY REMINDED THE CAPT TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 9L WHICH THE CAPT HAD JUST STARTED DOING. THE HOLD LINE IS FADED YELLOW WHICH IS EXTREMELY HARD TO SEE AT NIGHT AND THERE ARE NO LIGHTED SIGNS THAT YOU ARE APCHING THE RWY (NO RWY SIGNS THAT ARE LIGHTED). BRAKING WAS SLIGHTLY HARDER THAN NORMAL SO WHEN A DEPARTING WDB ROTATED 100 YARDS OR SO BEFORE US, SOME PAX HAD THOUGHT WE HAD A NEAR MISS AND EXPRESSED CONCERN WHEN THEY DEPLANED. ALTHOUGH WE KNEW TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 9L, WE MAY HAVE CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE A LITTLE SINCE IT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE. BEING A LITTLE CLOSER TO THE RWY THAN NORMAL, AND THE POSITIONING OF THE TXWY, LED TO THE PAX CONCERN. GND TXWY AND RWY LIGHTING SIGNS DEFINITELY NEED IMPROVEMENT IN PHL AS WELL AS ELSEWHERE IN THE COUNTRY.

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.