Narrative:

We worked our way up slowly for departure runway 18L at mco. We were initially #11 for north departure with in-trail restrs for thunderstorms. Holding short #1, I noticed the stop bar was lit. We received clearance from tower to taxi into position and hold. WX was cavu. I responded 'unable, stop bar is lit.' his response was 'I don't have control of the wig-wags, they're always on -- anyway, I'm telling you -- taxi into position and hold.' as we applied power to taxi across, I said 'I'm not talking about the wig-wags, I'm talking about the stop bar -- runway 18L position and hold.' his response 'I don't control that either.' our fom specifically states that we are not to cross a lit stop bar, even with ATC permission. It was only because of his insistence that we reluctantly did so. (We also had 20 aircraft waiting behind us.) callback conversation with mco facility personnel revealed the following information: attempted to call secondary reporter without success. Facility personnel at mco said the hold line lighting equipment in use at the airport is called the wig-wag system. It consists of a box on each side of the taxiway at the runway hold line location. There is a yellow flashing light in each box and a row of steady yellow lights between the boxes. It was also said that the yellow lights between the boxes are a slightly different shade of yellow than the yellow painted hold bar lines. Because of this, it's believed the lines may look slightly orange to some people. The system is controled and maintained by a very pro- active airport authority/authorized, and is operated 24 hours a day. Controllers at the facility are very satisfied with the wig-wag system. Except for 1 complaint from an airline crew, they have not had any problems with the equipment. Primary reporter called and added information concerning the incident at mco. The wig-wag runway guard system at mco apparently is nonstandard. In addition to the boxes with the flashing amber/yellow located on each side of the taxiway alongside the painted hold bar lines, mco has added lights across the taxiway. The reporter claims the lights are not yellow but an orange/red color and have the appearance of 'stop bar lights.' he said at all other locations where he has flown, only the 2 boxes with yellow flashing lights are installed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON REACHING THE RWY AT MCO FOR DEP, FLC OBSERVED AMBER FLASHING LIGHTS AND WHAT THEY THOUGHT WERE RED STOP BAR LIGHTS ACROSS THE HOLD BAR LINES AND REFUSED TO TAXI ACROSS THEM.

Narrative: WE WORKED OUR WAY UP SLOWLY FOR DEP RWY 18L AT MCO. WE WERE INITIALLY #11 FOR N DEP WITH IN-TRAIL RESTRS FOR TSTMS. HOLDING SHORT #1, I NOTICED THE STOP BAR WAS LIT. WE RECEIVED CLRNC FROM TWR TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD. WX WAS CAVU. I RESPONDED 'UNABLE, STOP BAR IS LIT.' HIS RESPONSE WAS 'I DON'T HAVE CTL OF THE WIG-WAGS, THEY'RE ALWAYS ON -- ANYWAY, I'M TELLING YOU -- TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD.' AS WE APPLIED PWR TO TAXI ACROSS, I SAID 'I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE WIG-WAGS, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE STOP BAR -- RWY 18L POS AND HOLD.' HIS RESPONSE 'I DON'T CTL THAT EITHER.' OUR FOM SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT WE ARE NOT TO CROSS A LIT STOP BAR, EVEN WITH ATC PERMISSION. IT WAS ONLY BECAUSE OF HIS INSISTENCE THAT WE RELUCTANTLY DID SO. (WE ALSO HAD 20 ACFT WAITING BEHIND US.) CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH MCO FACILITY PERSONNEL REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ATTEMPTED TO CALL SECONDARY RPTR WITHOUT SUCCESS. FACILITY PERSONNEL AT MCO SAID THE HOLD LINE LIGHTING EQUIP IN USE AT THE ARPT IS CALLED THE WIG-WAG SYS. IT CONSISTS OF A BOX ON EACH SIDE OF THE TXWY AT THE RWY HOLD LINE LOCATION. THERE IS A YELLOW FLASHING LIGHT IN EACH BOX AND A ROW OF STEADY YELLOW LIGHTS BTWN THE BOXES. IT WAS ALSO SAID THAT THE YELLOW LIGHTS BTWN THE BOXES ARE A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT SHADE OF YELLOW THAN THE YELLOW PAINTED HOLD BAR LINES. BECAUSE OF THIS, IT'S BELIEVED THE LINES MAY LOOK SLIGHTLY ORANGE TO SOME PEOPLE. THE SYS IS CTLED AND MAINTAINED BY A VERY PRO- ACTIVE ARPT AUTH, AND IS OPERATED 24 HRS A DAY. CTLRS AT THE FACILITY ARE VERY SATISFIED WITH THE WIG-WAG SYS. EXCEPT FOR 1 COMPLAINT FROM AN AIRLINE CREW, THEY HAVE NOT HAD ANY PROBS WITH THE EQUIP. PRIMARY RPTR CALLED AND ADDED INFO CONCERNING THE INCIDENT AT MCO. THE WIG-WAG RWY GUARD SYS AT MCO APPARENTLY IS NONSTANDARD. IN ADDITION TO THE BOXES WITH THE FLASHING AMBER/YELLOW LOCATED ON EACH SIDE OF THE TXWY ALONGSIDE THE PAINTED HOLD BAR LINES, MCO HAS ADDED LIGHTS ACROSS THE TXWY. THE RPTR CLAIMS THE LIGHTS ARE NOT YELLOW BUT AN ORANGE/RED COLOR AND HAVE THE APPEARANCE OF 'STOP BAR LIGHTS.' HE SAID AT ALL OTHER LOCATIONS WHERE HE HAS FLOWN, ONLY THE 2 BOXES WITH YELLOW FLASHING LIGHTS ARE INSTALLED.

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.