Narrative:

After leaving the maintenance facility to the north of the vny tower, ground directed me to taxi to intersection 10 (meaning 10G). This was only a few yards to my left and traffic was using runways 16L/right. As I taxied to 10 (10G), I started my turn onto 10G and noted a near hold short line, and a blacked out second hold short strip another 40 ft (estimated) beyond the first visible one. I was intent on moving to the left (landing) side of 10G to leave room for any landing planes to pass if using 10G. I stopped just over the hold short line and before (well before) the blacked out hold short line. My confusion was the blacked out hold short lines. I was thinking they were in the process of being repainted and I was supposed to stop between the two sets (such as between 16L and 16R). Apparently the hold short line had been recently been relocated the estimated 40 ft west to where I crossed it. However, the solid line was on my side and that should have overruled my confusion on the blacked out lines, and I should have taxied 10 ft farther north, made a sharp right to stay on the left side of 10G. Note: the controller said quite a few have been confused by this. I suggest a much wider sealcoat to obliterate the old marking. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated as he had in his report that simply blackening the original hold short lines with pavement sealant did not obliterate the fact that lines were present. There were still two lines, black not yellow, but still two lines. The reporter stated that after crossing the new lines, ground control notified him about his incursion. He taxied back off beyond the new lines and was subsequently cleared for takeoff. When notified at the time of the incursion, the reporter stated to ground, 'oh, I thought the next line was the hold short.' by this he meant the second set of black lines. The ground controller then stated something to the effect, 'lots of people get confused.' apparently all of the G hold short lines are being moved back because of increased jet traffic wing clearance requirements on that runway. The reporter had difficulty distinguishing that the lines were black versus yellow from his position. His feeling was that the entire area from the new yellow hold short lines to the runway should be painted over to remove the two black lines against a lighter background illusion. After arrival at his destination, that tower told him to call the departure tower. They discussed the incident, and in the reporter's mind resolved the issue.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN M20H CROSSED BEYOND NEWLY PAINTED HOLD SHORT LINES, MISTAKING A BLACKENED PAIR OF HOLD SHORT LINES FOR THE NEW RWY HOLD SHORT LINES.

Narrative: AFTER LEAVING THE MAINT FACILITY TO THE NORTH OF THE VNY TWR, GND DIRECTED ME TO TAXI TO INTERSECTION 10 (MEANING 10G). THIS WAS ONLY A FEW YARDS TO MY LEFT AND TFC WAS USING RWYS 16L/R. AS I TAXIED TO 10 (10G), I STARTED MY TURN ONTO 10G AND NOTED A NEAR HOLD SHORT LINE, AND A BLACKED OUT SECOND HOLD SHORT STRIP ANOTHER 40 FT (ESTIMATED) BEYOND THE FIRST VISIBLE ONE. I WAS INTENT ON MOVING TO THE LEFT (LANDING) SIDE OF 10G TO LEAVE ROOM FOR ANY LNDG PLANES TO PASS IF USING 10G. I STOPPED JUST OVER THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND BEFORE (WELL BEFORE) THE BLACKED OUT HOLD SHORT LINE. MY CONFUSION WAS THE BLACKED OUT HOLD SHORT LINES. I WAS THINKING THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REPAINTED AND I WAS SUPPOSED TO STOP BETWEEN THE TWO SETS (SUCH AS BETWEEN 16L AND 16R). APPARENTLY THE HOLD SHORT LINE HAD BEEN RECENTLY BEEN RELOCATED THE ESTIMATED 40 FT WEST TO WHERE I CROSSED IT. HOWEVER, THE SOLID LINE WAS ON MY SIDE AND THAT SHOULD HAVE OVERRULED MY CONFUSION ON THE BLACKED OUT LINES, AND I SHOULD HAVE TAXIED 10 FT FARTHER NORTH, MADE A SHARP RIGHT TO STAY ON THE LEFT SIDE OF 10G. NOTE: THE CTLR SAID QUITE A FEW HAVE BEEN CONFUSED BY THIS. I SUGGEST A MUCH WIDER SEALCOAT TO OBLITERATE THE OLD MARKING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED AS HE HAD IN HIS RPT THAT SIMPLY BLACKENING THE ORIGINAL HOLD SHORT LINES WITH PAVEMENT SEALANT DID NOT OBLITERATE THE FACT THAT LINES WERE PRESENT. THERE WERE STILL TWO LINES, BLACK NOT YELLOW, BUT STILL TWO LINES. THE RPTR STATED THAT AFTER CROSSING THE NEW LINES, GND CTL NOTIFIED HIM ABOUT HIS INCURSION. HE TAXIED BACK OFF BEYOND THE NEW LINES AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED FOR TKOF. WHEN NOTIFIED AT THE TIME OF THE INCURSION, THE RPTR STATED TO GND, 'OH, I THOUGHT THE NEXT LINE WAS THE HOLD SHORT.' BY THIS HE MEANT THE SECOND SET OF BLACK LINES. THE GND CTLR THEN STATED SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT, 'LOTS OF PEOPLE GET CONFUSED.' APPARENTLY ALL OF THE G HOLD SHORT LINES ARE BEING MOVED BACK BECAUSE OF INCREASED JET TFC WING CLRNC REQUIREMENTS ON THAT RWY. THE RPTR HAD DIFFICULTY DISTINGUISHING THAT THE LINES WERE BLACK VERSUS YELLOW FROM HIS POSITION. HIS FEELING WAS THAT THE ENTIRE AREA FROM THE NEW YELLOW HOLD SHORT LINES TO THE RWY SHOULD BE PAINTED OVER TO REMOVE THE TWO BLACK LINES AGAINST A LIGHTER BACKGROUND ILLUSION. AFTER ARR AT HIS DEST, THAT TWR TOLD HIM TO CALL THE DEP TWR. THEY DISCUSSED THE INCIDENT, AND IN THE RPTR'S MIND RESOLVED THE ISSUE.

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.