SMA TAXIES TO WRONG RWY FOR DEP. TWR CLRS TO BACK TAXI FOR TKOF.

Date: 1993-02 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 2 Eng; Retractable Gear

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|ground-incursion-runway

Synopsis

SMA TAXIES TO WRONG RWY FOR DEP. TWR CLRS TO BACK TAXI FOR TKOF.

Narrative

CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 14 FOR IFR DEP (CLRED TO TAXI VIA RWY 18). THE ACFT OWNER; NON INST RATED; PROCEEDED TO TAXI. I WAS CHKING THE ROUTING; FREQS. THE DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE WAS SET INCORRECTLY. THE OWNER WAS TAXIING RAPIDLY. I LOOKED UP ONLY TO REALIZE THAT WE WENT IN THE WRONG DIRECTION WHICH BROUGHT US TO THE DEP END OF RWY 14. GND CLRED US TO BACK TAXI 'QUICKLY' ON RWY 14 SO AS TO PREVENT US FROM RETAXIING AROUND THE ARPT. WE COMPLIED. THE DEP END OF RWY 18 AND 14 ARE TOGETHER WITH A SMALL AREA BTWN THEM. GND CTL BECAME SOMEWHAT FRANTIC; 'ARE YOU OFF THE RWY YET?' MY RESPONSE; 'YES.' THEN I REQUESTED RWY 18 FOR OUR IFR DEP. THE POINT HERE IS THE DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE MUST BE SET PRIOR TO TAXI AND I DEMAND THIS WHEN TEACHING. SOMETIMES THESE ACFT OWNERS; WHO NEED A BABYSITTER; CAN BE VERY DIFFICULT; DEMANDING AND INTIMIDATING TO THOSE OF US STRUGGLING TO MAKE A LIVING. THIS GUY HAS ALWAYS PRESENTED ME WITH PROBS -- 'EVERY FLT!' MY LAST EPISODE LED ME TO THINK NEVER AGAIN WOULD I FLY WITH HIM. BUT I SUCCUMBED DUE TO FINANCES AND THE BELIEF I WOULD KEEP AHEAD OF HIM THIS FLT. I DID KEEP AHEAD OF HIM THIS FLT BUT NOT ON THE TAXI. THE LESSON I LEARNED: NEVER; NEVER; NEVER GET IN A POS WHERE AN ACFT OWNER/PLT CAN GO UNMONITORED. IN THE FUTURE I WILL HAVE TO MONITOR THIS PERSON ON THE GND AS WELL AS IN THE AIR. LET'S NOT LET ACFT OWNERS WITH LOTS OF MONEY; NO EXPERIENCE OR LITTLE EXPERIENCE; LOW FLT TIME AND NOT FULLY RATED; TELL US WHO HAVE THE FLT TIME AND EXPERIENCE HOW TO CONDUCT OPS.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.