Narrative:

Unfamiliar airport. Runway 26 was active. Taxi instructions from FBO were left turn, then right onto taxiway C. On taxiway C, while looking for run-up area at end of taxiway, tower called to say that I was 50 ft beyond hold line and to do a 180 degree turn back. I did, and then another 180 degree turn to become realigned with the taxiway at the hold line. Before starting my run-up, I realized that I missed the hold line because the way the sun reflected on what appeared to be a recently painted hold line made the lines look dark and almost blend with the pavement. In addition, while completing my second 180 degree turn to realign, I found that the hold line sign was parallel to the taxiway and not perpendicular, making it difficult to see while taxiing toward the hold line. Apparently, the hold line sign was positioned that way because it faced toward an FBO that was on the other side of the taxiway, allowing aircraft to see it as they taxied out from the FBO's ramp. Unfortunately, I had a bad magneto on runup and had to return to the FBO I had just come from. As I taxied back, the tower rapidly gave me taxi instructions which were confusing -- I was still frazzled from missing the hold lines. I asked the tower if I was supposed to go around the approach end of runway 35 to proceed back to the FBO. Tower said, 'no' and then rattled off another clearance. Since tower didn't want me to go around the end of runway 35, I assumed I was to return along the same route which cuts across runway 35, which was inactive. On the other side, tower called to say I went the wrong way and I replied that when I asked about going around the approach end of runway 35, I was told an emphatic no. Tower said I was wrong and repeated the route I was to take, but now at a normal rate. That route was left from taxiway C to taxiway B around the approach end of runway 35 then to taxiway D to the FBO. That was the route that prompted my question to the tower for confirmation when the tower came back with a quick, emphatic no. Contributing to the whole situation was the increased emotional state of both the pilot and the tower.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA32 PLT HAD A RWY INCURSION AT DXR.

Narrative: UNFAMILIAR ARPT. RWY 26 WAS ACTIVE. TAXI INSTRUCTIONS FROM FBO WERE L TURN, THEN R ONTO TXWY C. ON TXWY C, WHILE LOOKING FOR RUN-UP AREA AT END OF TXWY, TWR CALLED TO SAY THAT I WAS 50 FT BEYOND HOLD LINE AND TO DO A 180 DEG TURN BACK. I DID, AND THEN ANOTHER 180 DEG TURN TO BECOME REALIGNED WITH THE TXWY AT THE HOLD LINE. BEFORE STARTING MY RUN-UP, I REALIZED THAT I MISSED THE HOLD LINE BECAUSE THE WAY THE SUN REFLECTED ON WHAT APPEARED TO BE A RECENTLY PAINTED HOLD LINE MADE THE LINES LOOK DARK AND ALMOST BLEND WITH THE PAVEMENT. IN ADDITION, WHILE COMPLETING MY SECOND 180 DEG TURN TO REALIGN, I FOUND THAT THE HOLD LINE SIGN WAS PARALLEL TO THE TXWY AND NOT PERPENDICULAR, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE WHILE TAXIING TOWARD THE HOLD LINE. APPARENTLY, THE HOLD LINE SIGN WAS POSITIONED THAT WAY BECAUSE IT FACED TOWARD AN FBO THAT WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TXWY, ALLOWING ACFT TO SEE IT AS THEY TAXIED OUT FROM THE FBO'S RAMP. UNFORTUNATELY, I HAD A BAD MAGNETO ON RUNUP AND HAD TO RETURN TO THE FBO I HAD JUST COME FROM. AS I TAXIED BACK, THE TWR RAPIDLY GAVE ME TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WHICH WERE CONFUSING -- I WAS STILL FRAZZLED FROM MISSING THE HOLD LINES. I ASKED THE TWR IF I WAS SUPPOSED TO GO AROUND THE APCH END OF RWY 35 TO PROCEED BACK TO THE FBO. TWR SAID, 'NO' AND THEN RATTLED OFF ANOTHER CLRNC. SINCE TWR DIDN'T WANT ME TO GO AROUND THE END OF RWY 35, I ASSUMED I WAS TO RETURN ALONG THE SAME RTE WHICH CUTS ACROSS RWY 35, WHICH WAS INACTIVE. ON THE OTHER SIDE, TWR CALLED TO SAY I WENT THE WRONG WAY AND I REPLIED THAT WHEN I ASKED ABOUT GOING AROUND THE APCH END OF RWY 35, I WAS TOLD AN EMPHATIC NO. TWR SAID I WAS WRONG AND REPEATED THE RTE I WAS TO TAKE, BUT NOW AT A NORMAL RATE. THAT RTE WAS LEFT FROM TXWY C TO TXWY B AROUND THE APCH END OF RWY 35 THEN TO TXWY D TO THE FBO. THAT WAS THE RTE THAT PROMPTED MY QUESTION TO THE TWR FOR CONFIRMATION WHEN THE TWR CAME BACK WITH A QUICK, EMPHATIC NO. CONTRIBUTING TO THE WHOLE SIT WAS THE INCREASED EMOTIONAL STATE OF BOTH THE PLT AND THE TWR.

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.