SMA STUDENT PLT ALL BUT FORCES TRUCK OFF THE RWY WHEN TAKING POS FOR TKOF. UNABLE TO ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT WITH VEHICLE DRIVER.

Date: 1997-03 · Aircraft: PA-28 Cherokee/Archer/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior

Anomalies: conflict-ground-conflict|less-severe|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|ground-incursion-runway|other-unspecified

Synopsis

SMA STUDENT PLT ALL BUT FORCES TRUCK OFF THE RWY WHEN TAKING POS FOR TKOF. UNABLE TO ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT WITH VEHICLE DRIVER.

Narrative

ON MAR/SAT/97 AT APPROX XA10; I ARRIVED AT EL MONTE ARPT IN PREPARATION FOR A FLT TO ONT ARPT TO MEET MY FLT INSTRUCTOR. THE PREVAILING CONDITIONS WERE VFR AND WIND CALM. AFTER MY PREFLT INSPECTION; AND HAVING ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS ON THE RADIO; I STARTED TO TAXI TO THE RUN-UP AREA FOR RWY 1. I OBSERVED A TRUCK ON THE RWY WITH HIS LIGHTS ON. AS I PASSED THE TRUCK; I ATTEMPTED; OVER THE CTAF FREQ; TO CONTACT THE VEHICLE 3 TIMES WITH NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. I THEN TRIED THE GND FREQ 2 TIMES; AGAIN WITH NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. I THEN STARTED MY RUN-UP AND UPON COMPLETION; I ATTEMPTED 2 MORE TIMES TO REACH THE TRUCK WITH NO ANSWER. THE TRUCK WAS APPROX ABEAM THE TWR. I NEXT ANNOUNCED THAT I WAS HOLDING FOR A DEP OFF RWY 1; AND AT THIS TIME THE TRUCK MADE A L-HAND TURN OFF THE RWY ONTO THE GRASS AREA; ON THE RIVER SIDE. AT THIS POINT I ANNOUNCED THAT I WAS DEPARTING RWY 1; AND BEGAN MY TKOF. MY ACFT LEFT THE RWY PRIOR TO THE FUEL PIT; AND AT THE POINT THAT I WAS OPPOSITE THE LOCATION OF THE TRUCK; I WAS APPROX 100 FT ABOVE THE RWY AND AT LEAST 70 FT HORIZ FROM THE LOCATION OF THE PARKED TRUCK. AT NO TIME WAS THERE EVEN ANY SUGGESTION OF A NEAR MISS; AND I COMPLIED FULLY WITH MY RESPONSIBILITY AS PIC OF THE ACFT. I FOLLOWED ALL NORMAL PROCS AND WOULD NOT HAVE COMMENCED THE TKOF IF THE TRUCK WAS ANYWHERE NEAR THE RWY. ARPT PERSONNEL ENGAGED IN DRIVING VEHICLES ON THE RWY OUTSIDE OF TWR HRS SHOULD ADHERE TO PROPER RADIO PROCS. TO WIT: MONITORING RADIO CALLS FROM ACFT USING THE ARPT AND RESPONDING TO SAME. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 362698: THE TWR AT EMT WAS CLOSED AT THE TIME AND IT WAS ALLEGED BY AN EMPLOYEE OF THE ARPT MGMNT THAT THE ACFT NEARLY STRUCK THE EMPLOYEE WHO WAS 'SWEEPING' THE RWY AT THE TIME. THIS CLAIM IS STRONGLY DISPUTED BY THE STUDENT PLT WHO CLAIMED THE TRUCK WAS WELL CLR OF THE RWY AT THE TIME. INCIDENT WAS RPTED TO LAX FSDO AND INVESTIGATION INITIATED BY FAA INSPECTOR.

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