Narrative:

While taxiing outbound on taxiway B, we were told that we had an edct time of XA29, and to continue our taxi on B, cross runway 23, turn right on J to hold short of runway 23 on J and shut engines down for delay. We crossed runway 23 and turned right on J. While taxiing on J, ground control told us stop immediately as we were making a 90 degree turn on the far northeast end of taxiway J to hold short of runway 23. Ground control advised us that we had crossed the hold short line for runway 23 about 400 ft behind us. We did not recall seeing the line. We did not incur onto runway 23. Ground told us to taxi onto runway 23, taxi down runway, then to turn right on B then left on J to hold short again... This time we taxied very slow so we could see the line. The 2ND time around we found the hold line. It was very hard to see in the dark. The sign denoting the hold point was partially burned out on the left side of the taxiway. All you could see is the letter 'J.' the sign on the right of the taxiway was visible. It was marked '23J.' I did not know that this was a sign to denote a hold short line. We actually had to ask controller to give us progressive taxi to find the line. I apologized for the mistake, and the controller did not seem to be too worried about it (ie no action would be taken) this hold line is in an unusual spot relative to the runway. Recommend they make it more pronounced. Don't know if this protects me since it happened in canada. Correction to previous report: after taxiing via runway 23 to hold short again, it was a right on taxiway B followed by another right on J to hold short. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter acknowledged that he infrequently flies into this airport. He was back for the first time very recently, was issued the same clearance to runway 23, but this time was looking for the signage. This time, the sign on his side was fully lighted. The captain also ensured the first officer was well briefed what to look for and expect. The reporter would like all foreign airport hold short lines depicted on their company commercial charts.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLC OVERSHOOT CYYZ RWY 23 HOLD SHORT LINE AND ARE REDIRECTED BACK AROUND TO THE HOLD POINT.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING OUTBOUND ON TXWY B, WE WERE TOLD THAT WE HAD AN EDCT TIME OF XA29, AND TO CONTINUE OUR TAXI ON B, CROSS RWY 23, TURN R ON J TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 23 ON J AND SHUT ENGS DOWN FOR DELAY. WE CROSSED RWY 23 AND TURNED R ON J. WHILE TAXIING ON J, GND CTL TOLD US STOP IMMEDIATELY AS WE WERE MAKING A 90 DEG TURN ON THE FAR NE END OF TXWY J TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 23. GND CTL ADVISED US THAT WE HAD CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 23 ABOUT 400 FT BEHIND US. WE DID NOT RECALL SEEING THE LINE. WE DID NOT INCUR ONTO RWY 23. GND TOLD US TO TAXI ONTO RWY 23, TAXI DOWN RWY, THEN TO TURN R ON B THEN L ON J TO HOLD SHORT AGAIN... THIS TIME WE TAXIED VERY SLOW SO WE COULD SEE THE LINE. THE 2ND TIME AROUND WE FOUND THE HOLD LINE. IT WAS VERY HARD TO SEE IN THE DARK. THE SIGN DENOTING THE HOLD POINT WAS PARTIALLY BURNED OUT ON THE L SIDE OF THE TXWY. ALL YOU COULD SEE IS THE LETTER 'J.' THE SIGN ON THE R OF THE TXWY WAS VISIBLE. IT WAS MARKED '23J.' I DID NOT KNOW THAT THIS WAS A SIGN TO DENOTE A HOLD SHORT LINE. WE ACTUALLY HAD TO ASK CTLR TO GIVE US PROGRESSIVE TAXI TO FIND THE LINE. I APOLOGIZED FOR THE MISTAKE, AND THE CTLR DID NOT SEEM TO BE TOO WORRIED ABOUT IT (IE NO ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN) THIS HOLD LINE IS IN AN UNUSUAL SPOT RELATIVE TO THE RWY. RECOMMEND THEY MAKE IT MORE PRONOUNCED. DON'T KNOW IF THIS PROTECTS ME SINCE IT HAPPENED IN CANADA. CORRECTION TO PREVIOUS RPT: AFTER TAXIING VIA RWY 23 TO HOLD SHORT AGAIN, IT WAS A RIGHT ON TXWY B FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER RIGHT ON J TO HOLD SHORT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE INFREQUENTLY FLIES INTO THIS ARPT. HE WAS BACK FOR THE FIRST TIME VERY RECENTLY, WAS ISSUED THE SAME CLRNC TO RWY 23, BUT THIS TIME WAS LOOKING FOR THE SIGNAGE. THIS TIME, THE SIGN ON HIS SIDE WAS FULLY LIGHTED. THE CAPT ALSO ENSURED THE FO WAS WELL BRIEFED WHAT TO LOOK FOR AND EXPECT. THE RPTR WOULD LIKE ALL FOREIGN ARPT HOLD SHORT LINES DEPICTED ON THEIR COMPANY COMMERCIAL CHARTS.

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.