C172 PLT AT FTG FINDS GRIDLOCK WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DEPART BEFORE AN AIR SHOW CLOSES THE ARPT; TAXIING WITHOUT CLRNC.

Date: 2004-06 · Aircraft: Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 · Phase: taxi

Anomalies: conflict-ground-conflict|less-severe|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|ground-incursion-taxiway

Synopsis

C172 PLT AT FTG FINDS GRIDLOCK WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DEPART BEFORE AN AIR SHOW CLOSES THE ARPT; TAXIING WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative

EAA FLY-IN AT FRONT RANGE ARPT (FTG); TEMPORARY CTL TWR AND GND CTL IN EFFECT. FAA NOTAM FOR VFR ARR PROCS AND DEP PROCS WERE PUBLISHED. THIS PLT HAD A PRINTED COPY IN THE COCKPIT AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT. ARPT WAS DUE TO CLOSE FROM XA00-XC00 LCL FOR THE AIR SHOW SEGMENT OF THE FLY-IN. PLT WAS AMONG SEVERAL TRYING TO DEPART PRIOR TO CLOSURE. SOME ACFT WERE STILL ARRIVING. ACTIVE RWY WAS RWY 26. TEMPORARY TWR WAS SITUATED AT DEP END OF RWY 26. PLTS WERE PUSHING ACFT BY HAND FROM THE RAMP TO THE A5 INTXN OF TXWY A AND THE PARKING RAMP TO AVOID PROP HAZARD TO SPECTATORS. VOLUNTEERS WERE STAGING ACFT FOR ENG START AND TAXI TO RWY 26 DEP AT INTXN A9. PRIOR TO ENG START; THIS PLT WAS MONITORING TEMPORARY GND CTL ON A HANDHELD TRANSCEIVER. ONE ATTEMPT TO OBTAIN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE RAMP WENT UNANSWERED; AND SEVERAL MINS OF MONITORING GND CTL; PER THE NOTAM; DID NOT PROVIDE CLR DIRECTION FOR THIS ACFT; OR APPARENTLY; ANY OTHERS. VOLUNTEERS PUSHED THIS PLT'S ACFT UP THE QUEUE TO A POS JUST SHORT OF THE TXWY AND THE HANDLER IN APPARENT CHARGE SIGNALED FOR ME TO START THE ENG. THE HANDLERS (NOW 2) SIGNALED FOR ME TO TAXI OUT. I WAS RELUCTANT TO DO SO AT FIRST SINCE I HAD NO CLRNC TO TAXI FROM GND CTL. THE HANDLERS DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE ANY RADIOS; BUT I PROCEEDED TO TAXI AT THEIR DIRECTION. AT LEAST ONE OTHER ACFT FOLLOWED MY OWN. MEANWHILE; 4 OR 5 OTHER ACFT; SOME ARRIVING; SOME DEPARTING; CONVERGED AT THE NEXT INTXN; A6. BY THAT TIME; GND CTL WAS AWARE OF THE IMPENDING TFC JAM. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT OF A6; TO ALLOW ARRIVING TFC TO CLR THE ACTIVE RWY. HOWEVER; THE ARRIVING ACFT INTENDED TO TAXI W TO A5 AND MY ACFT (AND OTHERS) WERE BLOCKING THAT RTE. GND CTL COMPLAINED THAT ACFT WERE PROCEEDING E ON TXWY A WITHOUT CLRNC; AND SAID THAT 'YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN' TO ANOTHER ACFT STUCK AT THE A6 GRIDLOCK. I WAS WAITING FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS FROM GND CTL BEFORE MOVING. HOWEVER; IT WAS EVIDENT TO OTHER ACFT PRESENT; THAT I NEEDED TO CROSS THE INTXN TO HELP CLR THE JAM. EXASPERATED; 1 PLT CALLED OUT ON THE GND CTL FREQ 'MOVE IT; CESSNA!' I DIDNT NEED TO BE TOLD TWICE. EVIDENTLY; TFC MANAGED ITSELF AS AT A 4-WAY STOP AND THE SIT WAS RESOLVED. I FELT THAT GND CTL HAD FAILED TO EXERT AND MAINTAIN CTL OF THE SIT; THAT PUB; AND PERHAPS PLANNING; OF GND OPS WAS INADEQUATE; AND THAT THE VOLUNTEERS ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE CONFUSION.

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