PA32 TAXIING FOR DEP AT ROC ENTERS RWY WITHOUT ATC CLRNC.
Synopsis
PA32 TAXIING FOR DEP AT ROC ENTERS RWY WITHOUT ATC CLRNC.
Narrative
WHILE OPERATING A PIPER LANCE (P32R); AT ROC ARPT; I TAXIED ONTO AN ACTIVE RWY. AT THE TIME; I BELIEVED I WAS CLRED ONTO THE RWY; BUT THE TWR DID NOT SHARE THAT VIEW. CLRLY; THIS COULD HAVE HAD SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. FORTUNATELY; A QUICK EXIT FROM THE RWY WAS ALL THAT WAS NECESSARY. AT THE TIME; RWYS 7/25 WAS NOTAM CLOSED. INITIAL TAXI BEGAN ON THE GA RAMP; APPROX AT THE END OF TXWY E; WITH A CLRNC TO TAXI TO RWY 10; HOLD ON TXWY D SHORT OF TXWY H. I READ BACK AND THEN EXECUTED THESE INSTRUCTIONS. (NOTE: THIS REPRESENTS AN INTXN DEP ON RWY 10.) ON REACHING TXWY D SHORT OF TXWY H; I PERFORMED A RUN-UP. SUBSEQUENTLY; GND CTL ISSUED ADDITIONAL TAXI INSTRUCTIONS; TO TAXI TO 'RWY 10; CONTACT TWR.' I READ BACK; 'CLRED ONTO RWY 10; OVER TO TWR.' THE GND CTLR DID NOT RESPOND TO MY READBACK (NOR DID I EXPECT A RESPONSE ABSENT A READBACK NOT CONSISTENT WITH HIS INSTRUCTIONS). THEN I BEGAN A TAXI ONTO RWY 10 WHILE SWITCHING TO TWR AND STATING I WAS READY FOR DEP ON RWY 10. I WAS ISSUED IMMEDIATE INSTRUCTIONS TO DO A 180 DEGS AND EXIT THE RWY AS THERE WAS AN AIRPLANE CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 10. I DID SO; WAS REQUESTED TO CONTACT THE TWR ON A LAND LINE. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS; TWR CLRED ME ONTO RWY 10 AND ISSUED A TKOF CLRNC. THE TRIP COMPLETED NORMALLY. AT THE END OF THE TRIP (APPROX 2-3 HRS LATER); I CALLED THE TWR. THE PERSON WHO ANSWERED THE PHONE SAID SHE WAS PRESENT AT THE TIME AND THAT I HAD ENTERED THE RWY WITHOUT A CLRNC. I EXPLAINED THAT CLRLY; I BELIEVED I HAD BEEN ISSUED A CLRNC BY THE GND CTLR. SHE EXPLAINED THE GND CTLR COULD NOT ISSUE A CLRNC TO ENTER AN ACTIVE RWY; AND WANTED TO BE SURE WE WERE 'ON THE SAME PAGE FOR THE FUTURE.' I EXPLAINED I UNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT ENTERING A RWY WITHOUT A CLRNC AND THANKED HER FOR HER EXPLANATION. HER CONDUCT DURING THE BRIEF PHONE CONVERSATION WAS PROFESSIONAL. ON REFLECTION; I BELIEVE THERE WERE SEVERAL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THE INITIAL TAXI INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDED THE PHRASE; 'TAXI TO RWY 10; HOLD ON TXWY D SHORT OF TXWY H.' THE SUBSEQUENT INSTRUCTION; 'TAXI TO RWY 10; CONTACT TWR' DID NOT INCLUDE THE PHRASE; 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 10.' THIS LACK OF A 'HOLD SHORT' INSTRUCTION; COUPLED WITH THE VERY SHORT DISTANCE ON TXWY D BTWN TXWY H AND RWY 10; AND THE FACT I KNEW GND CTL AND TWR CTL COORDINATE THEIR ACTIVITIES; LED ME TO BELIEVE I WAS CLRED ONTO RWY 10. I REALIZE A TAXI INSTRUCTION TO A RWY DOES NOT CONSTITUTE PERMISSION TO ENTER THE RWY. INSTEAD OF SIMPLY READING BACK; 'CLRED ONTO RWY 10;' I SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THE CLRNC AND ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION. THE 'HOLD SHORT' PHRASE MAY NOT BE TECHNICALLY REQUIRED AS PART OF THIS CLRNC; YET IT IS SO CONSISTENTLY USED ITS ABSENCE MAY HAVE SUBCONSCIOUSLY CUED ME I WAS CLRED ONTO THE RWY. A POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE FACT THAT I HAVE NOT FLOWN MUCH THIS WINTER AS I NORMALLY DO. I ACTED BELIEVING I WAS CLRED ONTO THE RWY. THE SHORT DISTANCE INVOLVED IN THE SECOND TAXI INSTRUCTION; THE FACT THAT RUN-UP WAS ALREADY COMPLETED; AND AN 'EXPECTATION' THE NEXT INSTRUCTION WOULD BE THE ONE TO ENTER THE RWY; AND THE LACK OF THE PHRASE; 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 10;' ALL CONTRIBUTED TO AN ERRONEOUS CONCLUSION I WAS CLRED ON THE RWY WHEN I WAS NOT.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.