Narrative:

Air carrier X cleared to taxi to runway 12R via G. During taxiout experienced load closeout problems. Advised ground. Ground requested we taxi to #1 at 12R. During the next 17 mins ground asked 3-4 times if we were ready for departure. Our delay continued as ground advised us to contact tower while holding short of 12R. 20 mins later tower, learning we were still not ready, advised traffic was blocked behind us. We asked if we should move up to the hold line around the corner. First officer heard response: 'back-taxi down the runway and get back in line.' at that moment I was talking on #1 VHF with our company and monitoring #2 VHF. I did hear the first officer's reply, 'roger, cleared to back-taxi and get in line.' it was approximately 30-45 seconds until we reached the entry point for 12R. Prior to entering saw traffic about 3 mi on final. I question the first officer: 'is this guy going to be ok? Are we cleared on the runway?' he said, 'yes, cleared to back-taxi...get in line.' took the runway slowly at first in the turn and as we lined up heard the tower tell aircraft on final: 'slow now to your approach speed.' controller's speech showed concern. We interpreted this to mean that we needed to expedite off, but at same time noticed taxiway J was occupied by a light aircraft. I expedited taxi. At approximately south heard controller tell landing aircraft to go around. Again controller's voice was tense. Realizing there was a problem, we asked which taxiway to exit. Another controller said to exit at B and switch back to ground. Ground advised to return to 12R on G. We returned to line and held at J so that if our load problems continued, other aircraft would have access to 12R. Ground advised to taxi up with other aircraft awaiting takeoff. We resolved our load problem and awaited clearance. Remained with ground and tower for another 10 mins, finally departing. There was no mention of any problem with the operation of our aircraft. Next day we were advised by the company that sat tower was planning administrative action against us for taxiing onto runway 12R west/O proper clearance. Conclusion: crew is certain that in response to tower instructions, we read back 'roger, cleared to back-taxi and get in line.' we are also certain that if this was in fact not what we were instructed to do, someone in sat tower or ground operations would have mentioned it to us during the next 10 mins. Comments: at time of alleged incident WX was VFR. It was early sun evening, and there were at least 3-4 light aircraft in the touch and go pattern, 4-5 awaiting departure. The first tower controller appeared to be working both 12L and 12R. We believe, because of the voice inflections of this tower operator, that she was becoming overloaded and either did not hear our response or DOD not have time to correct what she heard. There were many xmissions occurring during this entire 25 min period. Some we heard were blocked, others required several attempts to be received properly. Supplemental information from acn 143457: captain began working with company to resolve load problem on radio #1. The copilot continued to monitor radio #2. Tower asked several times if air carrier X was 'ready to go,' and 'do you have your #'south yet?' each inquiry sounded more stressful and finally the copilot asked, 'do you want us to pull up further to give more room behind us?' the controller asked, 'are you ready to go?' again the copilot said, 'negative, we don't have our #'south yet.' tower advised, 'pull up to and back-taxi down to get in line again.' copilot acknowledged this clearance saying, 'roger, pull up and back-taxi down to get in line again.' copilot then advised the captain that tower instructed them to back-taxi. It took a few extra seconds to taxi the aircraft from nearly parallel to the 90% point at which time both the captain and copilot looked to confirm a clear approach way. Upon seeing traffic approximately 3 mi out, captain asked, 'are you sure we're supposed to back-taxi? Are we cleared' copilot was and is certain we received this clearance, and advised captain 'yes, tower said back-taxi down and get in line again.' copilot saw traffic and estimated approximately 3 mi out and that light aircraft was no conflict. Upon pulling onto the runway, both crew members saw taxiway J blocked. Captain pushed up throttles to expedite the back-taxi. As we approached the turnoff tower told the small aircraft to 'go around.' copilot immediately asked tower 'which taxiway do you want air carrier X to turn off on?' new tower controller advised, 'turn off on taxiway bravo and contact ground.' tower and ground controller never advised air carrier X of any possible conflict or violation, nor did they comment on any of the previous events for another 10 mins while air carrier X was still at sat. Captain and copilot were informed the following day that tower had filed a possible deviation, and that prompted this NASA report. Note: we were well clear of the runway before the light aircraft could have passed our position.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X TAXIED ONTOH RWY WITHOUT CLRNC. PLT DEVIATION.

Narrative: ACR X CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 12R VIA G. DURING TAXIOUT EXPERIENCED LOAD CLOSEOUT PROBS. ADVISED GND. GND REQUESTED WE TAXI TO #1 AT 12R. DURING THE NEXT 17 MINS GND ASKED 3-4 TIMES IF WE WERE READY FOR DEP. OUR DELAY CONTINUED AS GND ADVISED US TO CONTACT TWR WHILE HOLDING SHORT OF 12R. 20 MINS LATER TWR, LEARNING WE WERE STILL NOT READY, ADVISED TFC WAS BLOCKED BEHIND US. WE ASKED IF WE SHOULD MOVE UP TO THE HOLD LINE AROUND THE CORNER. F/O HEARD RESPONSE: 'BACK-TAXI DOWN THE RWY AND GET BACK IN LINE.' AT THAT MOMENT I WAS TALKING ON #1 VHF WITH OUR COMPANY AND MONITORING #2 VHF. I DID HEAR THE F/O'S REPLY, 'ROGER, CLRED TO BACK-TAXI AND GET IN LINE.' IT WAS APPROX 30-45 SECS UNTIL WE REACHED THE ENTRY POINT FOR 12R. PRIOR TO ENTERING SAW TFC ABOUT 3 MI ON FINAL. I QUESTION THE F/O: 'IS THIS GUY GOING TO BE OK? ARE WE CLRED ON THE RWY?' HE SAID, 'YES, CLRED TO BACK-TAXI...GET IN LINE.' TOOK THE RWY SLOWLY AT FIRST IN THE TURN AND AS WE LINED UP HEARD THE TWR TELL ACFT ON FINAL: 'SLOW NOW TO YOUR APCH SPD.' CTLR'S SPEECH SHOWED CONCERN. WE INTERPRETED THIS TO MEAN THAT WE NEEDED TO EXPEDITE OFF, BUT AT SAME TIME NOTICED TXWY J WAS OCCUPIED BY A LIGHT ACFT. I EXPEDITED TAXI. AT APPROX S HEARD CTLR TELL LNDG ACFT TO GO AROUND. AGAIN CTLR'S VOICE WAS TENSE. REALIZING THERE WAS A PROB, WE ASKED WHICH TXWY TO EXIT. ANOTHER CTLR SAID TO EXIT AT B AND SWITCH BACK TO GND. GND ADVISED TO RETURN TO 12R ON G. WE RETURNED TO LINE AND HELD AT J SO THAT IF OUR LOAD PROBS CONTINUED, OTHER ACFT WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO 12R. GND ADVISED TO TAXI UP WITH OTHER ACFT AWAITING TKOF. WE RESOLVED OUR LOAD PROB AND AWAITED CLRNC. REMAINED WITH GND AND TWR FOR ANOTHER 10 MINS, FINALLY DEPARTING. THERE WAS NO MENTION OF ANY PROB WITH THE OPERATION OF OUR ACFT. NEXT DAY WE WERE ADVISED BY THE COMPANY THAT SAT TWR WAS PLANNING ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION AGAINST US FOR TAXIING ONTO RWY 12R W/O PROPER CLRNC. CONCLUSION: CREW IS CERTAIN THAT IN RESPONSE TO TWR INSTRUCTIONS, WE READ BACK 'ROGER, CLRED TO BACK-TAXI AND GET IN LINE.' WE ARE ALSO CERTAIN THAT IF THIS WAS IN FACT NOT WHAT WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO DO, SOMEONE IN SAT TWR OR GND OPS WOULD HAVE MENTIONED IT TO US DURING THE NEXT 10 MINS. COMMENTS: AT TIME OF ALLEGED INCIDENT WX WAS VFR. IT WAS EARLY SUN EVENING, AND THERE WERE AT LEAST 3-4 LIGHT ACFT IN THE TOUCH AND GO PATTERN, 4-5 AWAITING DEP. THE FIRST TWR CTLR APPEARED TO BE WORKING BOTH 12L AND 12R. WE BELIEVE, BECAUSE OF THE VOICE INFLECTIONS OF THIS TWR OPERATOR, THAT SHE WAS BECOMING OVERLOADED AND EITHER DID NOT HEAR OUR RESPONSE OR DOD NOT HAVE TIME TO CORRECT WHAT SHE HEARD. THERE WERE MANY XMISSIONS OCCURRING DURING THIS ENTIRE 25 MIN PERIOD. SOME WE HEARD WERE BLOCKED, OTHERS REQUIRED SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO BE RECEIVED PROPERLY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 143457: CAPT BEGAN WORKING WITH COMPANY TO RESOLVE LOAD PROB ON RADIO #1. THE COPLT CONTINUED TO MONITOR RADIO #2. TWR ASKED SEVERAL TIMES IF ACR X WAS 'READY TO GO,' AND 'DO YOU HAVE YOUR #'S YET?' EACH INQUIRY SOUNDED MORE STRESSFUL AND FINALLY THE COPLT ASKED, 'DO YOU WANT US TO PULL UP FURTHER TO GIVE MORE ROOM BEHIND US?' THE CTLR ASKED, 'ARE YOU READY TO GO?' AGAIN THE COPLT SAID, 'NEGATIVE, WE DON'T HAVE OUR #'S YET.' TWR ADVISED, 'PULL UP TO AND BACK-TAXI DOWN TO GET IN LINE AGAIN.' COPLT ACKNOWLEDGED THIS CLRNC SAYING, 'ROGER, PULL UP AND BACK-TAXI DOWN TO GET IN LINE AGAIN.' COPLT THEN ADVISED THE CAPT THAT TWR INSTRUCTED THEM TO BACK-TAXI. IT TOOK A FEW EXTRA SECS TO TAXI THE ACFT FROM NEARLY PARALLEL TO THE 90% POINT AT WHICH TIME BOTH THE CAPT AND COPLT LOOKED TO CONFIRM A CLR APCH WAY. UPON SEEING TFC APPROX 3 MI OUT, CAPT ASKED, 'ARE YOU SURE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BACK-TAXI? ARE WE CLRED' COPLT WAS AND IS CERTAIN WE RECEIVED THIS CLRNC, AND ADVISED CAPT 'YES, TWR SAID BACK-TAXI DOWN AND GET IN LINE AGAIN.' COPLT SAW TFC AND ESTIMATED APPROX 3 MI OUT AND THAT LIGHT ACFT WAS NO CONFLICT. UPON PULLING ONTO THE RWY, BOTH CREW MEMBERS SAW TXWY J BLOCKED. CAPT PUSHED UP THROTTLES TO EXPEDITE THE BACK-TAXI. AS WE APCHED THE TURNOFF TWR TOLD THE SMA TO 'GO AROUND.' COPLT IMMEDIATELY ASKED TWR 'WHICH TXWY DO YOU WANT ACR X TO TURN OFF ON?' NEW TWR CTLR ADVISED, 'TURN OFF ON TXWY BRAVO AND CONTACT GND.' TWR AND GND CTLR NEVER ADVISED ACR X OF ANY POSSIBLE CONFLICT OR VIOLATION, NOR DID THEY COMMENT ON ANY OF THE PREVIOUS EVENTS FOR ANOTHER 10 MINS WHILE ACR X WAS STILL AT SAT. CAPT AND COPLT WERE INFORMED THE FOLLOWING DAY THAT TWR HAD FILED A POSSIBLE DEVIATION, AND THAT PROMPTED THIS NASA RPT. NOTE: WE WERE WELL CLR OF THE RWY BEFORE THE LIGHT ACFT COULD HAVE PASSED OUR POS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.