SMT TAXIING AT NIGHT BELIEVES HE WAS CROSSED HOLD LINE. TURNS BACK TO SEARCH FOR SAME.

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DCA GND CTLR ISSUED TAXI CLRNC FROM FBO: TAXI TO RWY 18 VIA JULIETTE; HOLD SHORT OF RWY 15. SUBJECT ACFT TAXIES TO AND HOLDS SHORT OF RWY 15 ON JULIETTE. GND: CROSS 15; TAXI TO RWY 18. PLT READS BACK CLRNC AND CROSSES RWY 15; BEGINS WATCHING FOR HOLD LINE WHILE TAXIING SLOWLY. NIGHT VERY DARK. NO OTHER ACFT AROUND. PLT BECOMES UNEASY ABOUT LOCATION AND CALLS GND CTLR: GND THIS IS (IDENT). ARE WE NEAR WHERE WE OUGHT TO BE? GND: AFFIRMATIVE. PLT CONTINUES SLOW FORWARD MOVEMENT LOOKING FOR HOLD LINE. PLT BECOMES CONCERNED THAT HOLD LINE WAS MISSED AND INITIATES LEFT 180 DEG TURN IN ORDER TO BACK-TRACK AND SEARCH AREA FOR THE LINE. STILL NOT OTHER ACFT ANYWHERE AROUND.. GND CTLR: WHERE ARE YOU GOING? PLT: GOING TO 15. (WITH THE INTENTION OF BACK-TRACKING AND LOOKING FOR HOLD LINE.) GND CTLR REMINDS PLT THAT CLRNC WAS TO RWY 18 AND THAT THE CLRNC DOES NOT MEAN CLRED ONTO THE RWY. PLT: ROGER; SIR. TAXIES W 25-30 FT; SEES THE HOLD LINE AND INITIATES LEFT 180 DEG TURN W OF THE LINE. GND CTLR: HOLD SHORT OF RWY 18 AND ADVISE WHEN READY FOR TKOF. PLT: IS HOLDING SHORT. READY FOR TKOF ON RWY 18. CTLR: CLRED TO TKOF. AFTER LIFTOFF FLY HDG 185; CLB TO (BLANK) FT. PLT READS BACK TKOF CLRNC; TAKES OFF AND COMPLETES FLT WITHOUT PROB. PLT'S SUGGESTION: PLEASE REPAINT MORE OFTEN THE LINES AND HOLD LINE AT THE HOLD BOX END OF RWY 18. PAVEMENT SURFACE IN THIS AREA IS MARRED BY MANY CRACKS; JOINTS; PATCHES; TIRE MARKS; DISCOLORATIONS; ETC. HOLD LINE IS DIFFICULT TO DISTINGUISH AT NIGHT; ESPECIALLY SINCE YOU ARE APCHING THE LINE AT A SEVERE ANGLE.