Narrative:

Cleared to taxi to runway 9L to follow an air carrier aircraft who was taxiing to runway 12. The sun was setting in the northwest and it was hazy due to a recent thunderstorm. The parallel txwys converge into one large expanse of concrete at the approach end of these 2 runways. The runway hold short lines are a greater distance from the actual end of the runway than is usual. These particular markings are faded and there was no other easily visual signage to mark the hold short lines. Bright, low angle sun also made it difficult to pick up the lines. Just as we crossed the combined runways 12/9L hold short line (semi-following air carrier, who had gone left to his assigned runway), ground control ordered us to stop. Even though we were technically across the line, I feel we were still well clear of the aircraft landing on runway 9L (especially considering other hold short lines at other airports). Cockpit duties were high. Taxi instructions were somewhat vague (follow another aircraft, going to a different runway), and poor surface markings while looking into a setting sun, contributed to this incident. Suggest wig- wag lights or improved markings on the taxiway plus more specific guidance from ground control.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG FLC TAXIES BEYOND HOLD LINE DUE TO POORLY VISIBLE SIGNAGE AND WIDE RAMP AREA MAKING HOLD LINES CONFUSING. ASSIGNED TO FOLLOW ACR GOING TO A DIFFERENT RWY.

Narrative: CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 9L TO FOLLOW AN ACR ACFT WHO WAS TAXIING TO RWY 12. THE SUN WAS SETTING IN THE NW AND IT WAS HAZY DUE TO A RECENT TSTM. THE PARALLEL TXWYS CONVERGE INTO ONE LARGE EXPANSE OF CONCRETE AT THE APCH END OF THESE 2 RWYS. THE RWY HOLD SHORT LINES ARE A GREATER DISTANCE FROM THE ACTUAL END OF THE RWY THAN IS USUAL. THESE PARTICULAR MARKINGS ARE FADED AND THERE WAS NO OTHER EASILY VISUAL SIGNAGE TO MARK THE HOLD SHORT LINES. BRIGHT, LOW ANGLE SUN ALSO MADE IT DIFFICULT TO PICK UP THE LINES. JUST AS WE CROSSED THE COMBINED RWYS 12/9L HOLD SHORT LINE (SEMI-FOLLOWING ACR, WHO HAD GONE L TO HIS ASSIGNED RWY), GND CTL ORDERED US TO STOP. EVEN THOUGH WE WERE TECHNICALLY ACROSS THE LINE, I FEEL WE WERE STILL WELL CLR OF THE ACFT LNDG ON RWY 9L (ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING OTHER HOLD SHORT LINES AT OTHER ARPTS). COCKPIT DUTIES WERE HIGH. TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WERE SOMEWHAT VAGUE (FOLLOW ANOTHER ACFT, GOING TO A DIFFERENT RWY), AND POOR SURFACE MARKINGS WHILE LOOKING INTO A SETTING SUN, CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT. SUGGEST WIG- WAG LIGHTS OR IMPROVED MARKINGS ON THE TXWY PLUS MORE SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FROM GND CTL.

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.