Narrative:

When taxiing to runway 32 at buf I stopped 300-500 ft from the runway 32 edge because I did not see a hold short sign or mark where I expected them to be. The first officer contacted tower saying we were ready for takeoff and the controller informed us that the hold line was 500-1000 ft behind us; just hold our position; no one was on approach and we were next. The first officer and I never saw the hold short markings or signs. We were following an airbus who in turn was following an erj. Thunderstorms had recently passed over the airport and it was now raining with thunderstorms and a microburst in the vicinity. Taxiway D was covered with deep standing water and the jetblast from the preceding airbus created ripples and waves which made the pavement look white and difficult to identify any surface markings. The jetblast also blew up a mist which reduced visibility along the edge of the taxiway. These factors combined with the unusual location of the runway hold short line make it easy to miss the hold point. The hold short line did not have any lighted in-ground caution lights; above ground flashing lights and we never saw the above ground red boxed hold short sign or the painted hold short marks. The hold line is also not depicted on the airport diagram; 10-9 page. Hot spot signs are also not on the 10-9 page.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLT CREW HAS A RWY INCURSION AT BUF.

Narrative: WHEN TAXIING TO RWY 32 AT BUF I STOPPED 300-500 FT FROM THE RWY 32 EDGE BECAUSE I DID NOT SEE A HOLD SHORT SIGN OR MARK WHERE I EXPECTED THEM TO BE. THE FO CONTACTED TWR SAYING WE WERE READY FOR TKOF AND THE CTLR INFORMED US THAT THE HOLD LINE WAS 500-1000 FT BEHIND US; JUST HOLD OUR POS; NO ONE WAS ON APCH AND WE WERE NEXT. THE FO AND I NEVER SAW THE HOLD SHORT MARKINGS OR SIGNS. WE WERE FOLLOWING AN AIRBUS WHO IN TURN WAS FOLLOWING AN ERJ. TSTMS HAD RECENTLY PASSED OVER THE ARPT AND IT WAS NOW RAINING WITH TSTMS AND A MICROBURST IN THE VICINITY. TXWY D WAS COVERED WITH DEEP STANDING WATER AND THE JETBLAST FROM THE PRECEDING AIRBUS CREATED RIPPLES AND WAVES WHICH MADE THE PAVEMENT LOOK WHITE AND DIFFICULT TO IDENT ANY SURFACE MARKINGS. THE JETBLAST ALSO BLEW UP A MIST WHICH REDUCED VISIBILITY ALONG THE EDGE OF THE TXWY. THESE FACTORS COMBINED WITH THE UNUSUAL LOCATION OF THE RWY HOLD SHORT LINE MAKE IT EASY TO MISS THE HOLD POINT. THE HOLD SHORT LINE DID NOT HAVE ANY LIGHTED IN-GND CAUTION LIGHTS; ABOVE GND FLASHING LIGHTS AND WE NEVER SAW THE ABOVE GND RED BOXED HOLD SHORT SIGN OR THE PAINTED HOLD SHORT MARKS. THE HOLD LINE IS ALSO NOT DEPICTED ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM; 10-9 PAGE. HOT SPOT SIGNS ARE ALSO NOT ON THE 10-9 PAGE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.