Narrative:

I was in the GA parking area at ontario international airport. I had received my instrument clearance and was instructed by ground control to taxi to runway 26L via taxiway P. I taxied onto taxiway P and crossed taxiway X, looking for a 'hold short' line, which I did not see. What I did see ahead of me and to my right was a runway light. I immediately turned 180 degrees and taxied back to where I was almost on to taxiway south, did another 180 degree turn, stopped and looked for the 'hold short' line, which I still did not see. Ground control then called and asked if I was on ground control frequency. I answered 'affirmative,' and they advised me I was beyond the 'hold short' line. I made another 180 degree turn, taxied across taxiway south, turned again, stopped and looked for the line. Finally, I saw it. The yellow taxi lines and the taxiway signs stood out very clear but the hold line was so faded, it blended into the background, making it very difficult to see. When I arrived at my destination, I called the ontario tower supervisor as requested. He advised me that my entry into a runway environment caused the tower to request an air carrier flight to go around. When I explained to him how difficult it was to find the hold line, he commented that I was not the first one to taxi past that hold line and that it probably should be repainted. This was an intersection departure, so the usual landmark (run-up area) was non existent. With all other signs and taxi guides so well marked, the hold line was almost invisible. I think that in this kind of environment, the hold line should be very obvious and repainting this particular line, in my opinion, would do a lot to prevent a repeat of my experience. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he has received a certified letter from the local FSDO. When discussing the situation with the FAA inspector, reporter was told he did not even have a valid medical. Reporter admitted this was true, but he did not know it until after he returned home and the letter from okc was waiting. When making the callback, he was in the hospital recovering from by-pass surgery. He had entered the hospital for an angiogram and was taken to surgery afterward. He plans to go to the airport and try to determine how and why he missed the hold line. It is right at the intersection of taxiway south and P. When stopped one is virtually blocking taxiway south. So positioning of the hold line is poor. Reporter does not have any suggestion of how to solve this problem but does believe that another problem will result if the line is not painted.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT TAXIES BEYOND HOLD LINE, CIRCLES BACK WHEN AWARE OF PROX TO RWY. STILL CAN'T LOCATE THE HOLD LINE IT IS SO POORLY PAINTED AS TO BE VIRTUALLY INVISIBLE.

Narrative: I WAS IN THE GA PARKING AREA AT ONTARIO INTL ARPT. I HAD RECEIVED MY INST CLRNC AND WAS INSTRUCTED BY GND CTL TO TAXI TO RWY 26L VIA TXWY P. I TAXIED ONTO TXWY P AND CROSSED TXWY X, LOOKING FOR A 'HOLD SHORT' LINE, WHICH I DID NOT SEE. WHAT I DID SEE AHEAD OF ME AND TO MY R WAS A RWY LIGHT. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED 180 DEGS AND TAXIED BACK TO WHERE I WAS ALMOST ON TO TXWY S, DID ANOTHER 180 DEG TURN, STOPPED AND LOOKED FOR THE 'HOLD SHORT' LINE, WHICH I STILL DID NOT SEE. GND CTL THEN CALLED AND ASKED IF I WAS ON GND CTL FREQ. I ANSWERED 'AFFIRMATIVE,' AND THEY ADVISED ME I WAS BEYOND THE 'HOLD SHORT' LINE. I MADE ANOTHER 180 DEG TURN, TAXIED ACROSS TXWY S, TURNED AGAIN, STOPPED AND LOOKED FOR THE LINE. FINALLY, I SAW IT. THE YELLOW TAXI LINES AND THE TXWY SIGNS STOOD OUT VERY CLR BUT THE HOLD LINE WAS SO FADED, IT BLENDED INTO THE BACKGROUND, MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE. WHEN I ARRIVED AT MY DEST, I CALLED THE ONTARIO TWR SUPVR AS REQUESTED. HE ADVISED ME THAT MY ENTRY INTO A RWY ENVIRONMENT CAUSED THE TWR TO REQUEST AN ACR FLT TO GAR. WHEN I EXPLAINED TO HIM HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS TO FIND THE HOLD LINE, HE COMMENTED THAT I WAS NOT THE FIRST ONE TO TAXI PAST THAT HOLD LINE AND THAT IT PROBABLY SHOULD BE REPAINTED. THIS WAS AN INTXN DEP, SO THE USUAL LANDMARK (RUN-UP AREA) WAS NON EXISTENT. WITH ALL OTHER SIGNS AND TAXI GUIDES SO WELL MARKED, THE HOLD LINE WAS ALMOST INVISIBLE. I THINK THAT IN THIS KIND OF ENVIRONMENT, THE HOLD LINE SHOULD BE VERY OBVIOUS AND REPAINTING THIS PARTICULAR LINE, IN MY OPINION, WOULD DO A LOT TO PREVENT A REPEAT OF MY EXPERIENCE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE HAS RECEIVED A CERTIFIED LETTER FROM THE LCL FSDO. WHEN DISCUSSING THE SIT WITH THE FAA INSPECTOR, RPTR WAS TOLD HE DID NOT EVEN HAVE A VALID MEDICAL. RPTR ADMITTED THIS WAS TRUE, BUT HE DID NOT KNOW IT UNTIL AFTER HE RETURNED HOME AND THE LETTER FROM OKC WAS WAITING. WHEN MAKING THE CALLBACK, HE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL RECOVERING FROM BY-PASS SURGERY. HE HAD ENTERED THE HOSPITAL FOR AN ANGIOGRAM AND WAS TAKEN TO SURGERY AFTERWARD. HE PLANS TO GO TO THE ARPT AND TRY TO DETERMINE HOW AND WHY HE MISSED THE HOLD LINE. IT IS RIGHT AT THE INTXN OF TXWY S AND P. WHEN STOPPED ONE IS VIRTUALLY BLOCKING TXWY S. SO POSITIONING OF THE HOLD LINE IS POOR. RPTR DOES NOT HAVE ANY SUGGESTION OF HOW TO SOLVE THIS PROB BUT DOES BELIEVE THAT ANOTHER PROB WILL RESULT IF THE LINE IS NOT PAINTED.

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.