A PVT MLG FLC CLRS RWY 19R AT SNA AND TURNS OFF ONTO TXWY D THEN; WITHOUT TALKING TO GND CTL; CONTINUES ONTO TXWY A; WHERE THEY BLOCK ANOTHER ACFT TEMPORARILY. THE RPTR ADMITS TO BEING ON THE WRONG FREQ; BUT ALSO COMPLAINS ABOUT THE DIFFICULTY OF CLRING THE RWY WITHOUT PROCEEDING ONTO TXWY A DUE TO THE LENGTH OF HIS ACFT VERSUS THE SHORTNESS OF TXWY D.
Synopsis
A PVT MLG FLC CLRS RWY 19R AT SNA AND TURNS OFF ONTO TXWY D THEN; WITHOUT TALKING TO GND CTL; CONTINUES ONTO TXWY A; WHERE THEY BLOCK ANOTHER ACFT TEMPORARILY. THE RPTR ADMITS TO BEING ON THE WRONG FREQ; BUT ALSO COMPLAINS ABOUT THE DIFFICULTY OF CLRING THE RWY WITHOUT PROCEEDING ONTO TXWY A DUE TO THE LENGTH OF HIS ACFT VERSUS THE SHORTNESS OF TXWY D.
Narrative
AFTER A NORMAL LNDG AT SNA; I CLRED THE RWY AS SOON AS PRACTICAL BECAUSE AN AIRLINE ACFT WAS ON A 2-3 MI FINAL BEHIND ME. IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEPARTING THE RWY; THE COPLT ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT GND CTL 3 TIMES WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE DISTANCE BTWN THE ACTIVE RWY AND TXWY IS VERY SHORT. IT IS ALSO THE LAST TXWY ON A SHORT RWY -- BY LARGE ACFT STANDARDS. BY THIS TIME I TURNED ON THE TXWY AND STOPPED IMMEDIATELY WHEN I SAW A SMALL PLANE APPROX 1200-1500 FT AWAY TAXIING TOWARD ME. THEN THE SMALL PLANE STOPPED. THE COPLT CHKED THE GND FREQ AND HAD INADVERTENTLY INSERTED THE WRONG FREQ (121.8 VERSUS 120.8). AFTER SELECTING THE CORRECT FREQ; GND CTL WAS CONTACTED AND I REMAINED STOPPED UNTIL THE SMALL ACFT WAS CLRED TO TAXI AND TAXIED AROUND ME. THERE WAS NO DANGER TO EITHER ACFT AT ANY TIME IN AS MUCH AS BOTH ACFT STOPPED (WITH OVER 1000 FT OF CLRNC) UNTIL GND CTL HAD CTL OF THE SIT. THE GND CTLR WAS CORRECT THAT I DID NOT HAVE CLRNC ONTO THE TXWY; HOWEVER; IF I HAD STOPPED BEFORE ENTERING THE TXWY THE AIRLINER WOULD HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO CLR THE RWY. SNA HAS ONLY A SINGLE RWY FOR LARGE ACFT AND IS ONE OF THE MOST HIGHLY CONGESTED ARPTS IN THE WORLD. MY ATTEMPT TO CLR THE RWY AND ONTO THE TXWY WAS AN HONEST ATTEMPT TO KEEP TFC MOVING. WITH THE GND CTL FREQ; AT TIMES; BEING CONGESTED; OFTEN THERE IS A DELAY IN CONTACTING THE GND CTLR. ON THIS OCCASION IT WAS COMPOUNDED BY INADVERTENTLY SELECTING THE WRONG GND CTL FREQ. BECAUSE OF THE HVY TFC AND LIMITED TXWYS OFTEN ACFT ARE FACING EACH OTHER ON THE SAME TXWY. THE SIT BASICALLY RESULTS IN MAKING THE DECISION: 1) CLRING THE RWY; STOPPING IMMEDIATELY (UNTIL GND CTL IS CONTACTED) WITH NO SPACE FOR AN ACFT BEHIND TO EXIT RESULTING IN POSSIBLE DELAYS AND EVEN MISSED APCHS. 2) IF UNABLE TO IMMEDIATELY CONTACT GND CTL (FOR WHATEVER REASON) TAXI ONTO THE TXWY AND STOP UNTIL CONTACT WITH GND CTL IS ESTABLISHED.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.