On approach, the preceding widebody transport was invisible because of new paint scheme.

Attributes
ACN	245327
Time
Date	199306
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 400 agl bound upper : 400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ewr
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	245327
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

First officer was PF on approach to runway 22L at ewr. We were behind an air carrier heavy jet that we could not see on the approach. As we got closer and were cleared to land, I tried to see if the preceding jet had cleared the runway. I could not see it until we were on a 1 mi final and he had turned 90 degrees to us onto a taxiway. The reported visibility was 4 mi with haze. The reason we could not see the widebody transport until only about 1 1/2 - 2 mi in front of us was that it was painted in the new gray air carrier paint scheme! Apparently, this paint job was designed by marketing types with no consideration for the safety issue. This paint scheme is much harder to see than air carrier's older while paint job because it is such a dark gray on top and lacks contrast with a hazy or low light/low visibility backgnd. Even the foreign air carrier paint scheme, which is similar, is much easier to see because it uses some lighter color. We must not wait until people die because of this 'stealth' paint scheme before it is changed! The air force should consider this color gray for their combat aircraft!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON APCH, THE PRECEDING WDB WAS INVISIBLE BECAUSE OF NEW PAINT SCHEME.

Narrative: FO WAS PF ON APCH TO RWY 22L AT EWR. WE WERE BEHIND AN ACR HVY JET THAT WE COULD NOT SEE ON THE APCH. AS WE GOT CLOSER AND WERE CLRED TO LAND, I TRIED TO SEE IF THE PRECEDING JET HAD CLRED THE RWY. I COULD NOT SEE IT UNTIL WE WERE ON A 1 MI FINAL AND HE HAD TURNED 90 DEGS TO US ONTO A TXWY. THE RPTED VISIBILITY WAS 4 MI WITH HAZE. THE REASON WE COULD NOT SEE THE WDB UNTIL ONLY ABOUT 1 1/2 - 2 MI IN FRONT OF US WAS THAT IT WAS PAINTED IN THE NEW GRAY ACR PAINT SCHEME! APPARENTLY, THIS PAINT JOB WAS DESIGNED BY MARKETING TYPES WITH NO CONSIDERATION FOR THE SAFETY ISSUE. THIS PAINT SCHEME IS MUCH HARDER TO SEE THAN ACR'S OLDER WHILE PAINT JOB BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A DARK GRAY ON TOP AND LACKS CONTRAST WITH A HAZY OR LOW LIGHT/LOW VISIBILITY BACKGND. EVEN THE FOREIGN ACR PAINT SCHEME, WHICH IS SIMILAR, IS MUCH EASIER TO SEE BECAUSE IT USES SOME LIGHTER COLOR. WE MUST NOT WAIT UNTIL PEOPLE DIE BECAUSE OF THIS 'STEALTH' PAINT SCHEME BEFORE IT IS CHANGED! THE AIR FORCE SHOULD CONSIDER THIS COLOR GRAY FOR THEIR COMBAT ACFT!

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.