A GA TRAINING FLT IS ACCUSED OF A RWY INCURSION AFTER THE COMBINED LOCAL CTLR HAD GIVEN THE FLT A CLRNC TO '...TAXI ON RWY...' WHEN THE CREW HAD RPTED READY FOR TKOF RWY 5 AT BCT; FL.

Date: 2001-05 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; High Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear · Phase: taxi

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|ground-incursion-runway|other-atc-handling

Synopsis

A GA TRAINING FLT IS ACCUSED OF A RWY INCURSION AFTER THE COMBINED LOCAL CTLR HAD GIVEN THE FLT A CLRNC TO '...TAXI ON RWY...' WHEN THE CREW HAD RPTED READY FOR TKOF RWY 5 AT BCT; FL.

Narrative

I AM A FLT INSTRUCTOR FOR A UNIVERSITY IN FL. MY STUDENT AND I WERE PARKED ON THE FLT SCHOOL RAMP WAITING TO CALL GND CTL FOR CLRNC TO TAXI. MY STUDENT CONTACTED GND CTL AND WAS TOLD TO TAXI TO RWY 5; ONE OF OUR TWO RWYS AT BOCA ARPT. THE STUDENT REPEATED THE CLRNC BACK TO THE CTLR AND WE TAXIED TO THE RUN-UP AREA FOR RWY 5. WHILE TAXIING; I NOTICED THE SAME CTLR WHO ISSUED THE TAXI CLRNC TO US WAS ALSO OP THE TWR FREQ; A COMMON PRACTICE AT THE BOCA RATON ARPT. I ALSO NOTICED THAT THIS CTLR IS THE SAME ON THAT DOES NOT USE THE PHONETIC ALPHABET WHEN REFERRING TO OUR ACFT OR OTHERS IN THE AREA. FOLLOWING RUN-UP; MY STUDENT REMAINED ON THE GND CTL FREQ; TAXIED TO THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 5; AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. WHILE WAITING AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE; ANOTHER AIRPLANE LANDED AND TAXIED CLR OF THE RWY. WE OBSERVED NO OTHER TFC IN THE AREA AND HEARD NO XMISSION ON THE RADIO. MY STUDENT CLOSED HIS WINDOW AND ADJUSTED HIS AIR VENTS; THE SWITCHED TO THE TWR FREQ AND TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE WERE AT RWY 5; READY FOR TAKEOFF WITH A N DEP. BOTH THE STUDENT AND I HEARD THE CTLR SAY; 'TAXI ON RWY 5.' MY STUDENT REPEATED 'TAXI ON RWY 5;' THEN PROCEEDED TO TAXI ONTO RWY 5. AS WE TAXIED; MY STUDENT AND I OVERHEARD THE CTLR GIVING AN IFR CLRNC TO A JET PARKED ON THE RAMP. A FEW SECONDS LATER; THE CTLR SCREAMED AT US TO EXIT THE RUNWAY AND ASKED IF AN INSTRUCTOR WAS ON BOARD THE AIRPLANE. I ANSWERED AFFIRMATIVE AND WAS TOLD BY THE CTLR TO TAXI BACK TO OUR RAMP AND HAVE MY SUPVR CALL HIM IMMEDIATELY. I TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE UNDERSTOOD THE WORDS; 'TAXI ON RWY 5;' AND AS A RESULT; DID SO. THE CTLR ANSWERED IN A VERY HARSH TONE THAT HE NEVER ISSUED SUCH A CLRNC AND THAT I SHOULD KNOW BETTER. UPON ARRIVAL AT THE FLT SCHOOL; I INFORMED MY SUPVR OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED; AND HE IMMEDIATELY TELEPHONED THE CTLR. THE CTLR STATED TO HIM THAT WE WERE ISSUED A CLRNC TO TAXI TO THE RWY; NOT ON THE RWY. THE CTLR ALSO STATED THAT HE MIGHT VIOLATE ME FOR TAXIING ONTO AN ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT PERMISSION. THE CTLR INSTRUCTED MY SUPVR TO CALL HIM THE NEXT DAY WHEN HE HAD MADE A DECISION AS TO WHETHER TO VIOLATE ME. THE FOLLOWING DAY MY SUPVR CALLED THE CTLR; WHO STATED THAT HE WOULD NOT VIOLATE ME FOR THE INCIDENT. I BELIEVE THE SIT OCCURRED DUE TO A BREAKDOWN IN COMS; AND THE FACT THAT THE CTLR HAD BEEN HANDLING TWO FREQUENCIES AT THE SAME TIME. THE CTLR CLEARLY DID NOT KNOW OUR POSITION AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE OR HE WOULD HAVE NEVER ISSUED A CLRNC TO TAXI TO THE RWY; IF THAT WAS IN FACT WHAT HE HAD SAID. THE CTLR WAS ALSO NOT LISTENING WHEN MY STUDENT THAT HE WAS TAXING ON RWY 5. AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE; THERE WAS NO OTHER AIR OR GND TFC IN THE VICINITY OF THE ARPT.

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