Narrative:

On 6/X/91, after listening to the ATIS bet, I requested taxi for takeoff on runway 29 since the wind favored that runway and I was heading in a west direction. A female controller (ground) cleared me to runway 29 via taxiway echo. Being new to the bet area--this was my second unsupervised takeoff from bet--I proceeded to runway 29 in the takeoff position. Most of my other takeoffs from bet since arriving here on 6/X-5/91 were on runway 36. In those cases, I used runway 29 via taxiway echo as a taxiway to make an intersection takeoff on runway 36. I did visually check final approach for runway 29, and their was no conflicting traffic. Apparently there is a great deal of training done here at bet tower/ground control. The female voice definitely sounded like a trnee when she talked on the frequency. They make many mistakes themselves according to other pilots that have flown here for quite some time. I certainly know that I should not taxi onto an active runway west/O proper tower clearance, but I understood her clearance to mean that I should taxi to the takeoff position on runway 29. A male supervisor came on the frequency to remind me that a clearance to taxi to a runway is not a clearance on the runway and there may have been landing traffic for that runway. The biggest problem that I see here at bet is the fact that short/crosswind runway is often used as a taxiway for access to the main runway 36/18. ATC controllers should specifically say that a pilot should hold short of runway 29/11 if they don't want you on it. Another problem is the apparent lack of experience of ATC tower person at a very busy regional hub airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI ACFT TAXIS ONTO ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: ON 6/X/91, AFTER LISTENING TO THE ATIS BET, I REQUESTED TAXI FOR TKOF ON RWY 29 SINCE THE WIND FAVORED THAT RWY AND I WAS HDG IN A W DIRECTION. A FEMALE CTLR (GND) CLRED ME TO RWY 29 VIA TXWY ECHO. BEING NEW TO THE BET AREA--THIS WAS MY SECOND UNSUPERVISED TKOF FROM BET--I PROCEEDED TO RWY 29 IN THE TKOF POS. MOST OF MY OTHER TKOFS FROM BET SINCE ARRIVING HERE ON 6/X-5/91 WERE ON RWY 36. IN THOSE CASES, I USED RWY 29 VIA TXWY ECHO AS A TXWY TO MAKE AN INTXN TKOF ON RWY 36. I DID VISUALLY CHK FINAL APCH FOR RWY 29, AND THEIR WAS NO CONFLICTING TFC. APPARENTLY THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF TRNING DONE HERE AT BET TWR/GND CTL. THE FEMALE VOICE DEFINITELY SOUNDED LIKE A TRNEE WHEN SHE TALKED ON THE FREQ. THEY MAKE MANY MISTAKES THEMSELVES ACCORDING TO OTHER PLTS THAT HAVE FLOWN HERE FOR QUITE SOME TIME. I CERTAINLY KNOW THAT I SHOULD NOT TAXI ONTO AN ACTIVE RWY W/O PROPER TWR CLRNC, BUT I UNDERSTOOD HER CLRNC TO MEAN THAT I SHOULD TAXI TO THE TKOF POS ON RWY 29. A MALE SUPVR CAME ON THE FREQ TO REMIND ME THAT A CLRNC TO TAXI TO A RWY IS NOT A CLRNC ON THE RWY AND THERE MAY HAVE BEEN LNDG TFC FOR THAT RWY. THE BIGGEST PROB THAT I SEE HERE AT BET IS THE FACT THAT SHORT/XWIND RWY IS OFTEN USED AS A TXWY FOR ACCESS TO THE MAIN RWY 36/18. ATC CTLRS SHOULD SPECIFICALLY SAY THAT A PLT SHOULD HOLD SHORT OF RWY 29/11 IF THEY DON'T WANT YOU ON IT. ANOTHER PROB IS THE APPARENT LACK OF EXPERIENCE OF ATC TWR PERSON AT A VERY BUSY REGIONAL HUB ARPT.

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.