Narrative:

During a course of training for banner towing, after I responded to a radio call from the tower, my instructor told me to just acknowledge calls with the tail #. Also, the training I had been performing was very repetitive. Every day for almost a week, it had been the same thing -- taxi to runway 9R for takeoff, left turn to the northwest corner of the airport, followed by clearance for a 9L approach to pick up the practice rope or banner. These factors, combined with nervousness from having the chief pilot from the school in the back seat for the school chkout, set the stage for this event. Basically, I'm not even sure a violation occurred. Neither ground nor tower ever gave me any indication that I screwed up. I called ground for taxi for banner pickup practice, acknowledging only with the tail #, taxied to 9R and was given clearance to takeoff, right traffic. I thought it odd to get right traffic, but figured they had conflicting traffic. On downwind, I asked if we could cross over to the practice area and was cleared to do so. The tower said they thought we wanted crosswind takeoff and landing practice, and I told them we wanted to do banner pickup practice. I proceeded to the practice area and entered into the pickup pattern for an eastbound pickup. At some point, tower cleared me for a low approach, which I acknowledged with the aircraft #. I made an approach to the east, picked up a rope, made another approach to the east and dropped the rope, and asked for landing clearance. I don't remember the tower handling any other traffic during this time. When the tower responded, they gave me winds of 200 at 10. It was at this time that I realized that with those winds, the takeoff, and approachs I should have been cleared for 18's. At this point I realized that most of my communications with ground and the tower did not even register with me. I had acted automatically and been doing the same thing I had on every other flight at this airport, and by not responding to radio calls in the manner I was used to, there was no chance for ground or the tower to correct what I was doing before I had a chance to screw up. If they had told me to taxi to 18R and I repeated back to them 'taxi 9R', they could have corrected me immediately. I landed and taxied back to the ramp. As soon as I got back, I decided that I would not make any changes in my radio technique for anyone, no matter how busy the facility I'm communicating with. I changed back to my own radio technique for all flts after this one and had no further problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR SUSPECTS HE WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 18 BUT FROM FORCE OF HABIT TAXIED TO AND TKOF FROM RWY 9R.

Narrative: DURING A COURSE OF TRAINING FOR BANNER TOWING, AFTER I RESPONDED TO A RADIO CALL FROM THE TWR, MY INSTRUCTOR TOLD ME TO JUST ACKNOWLEDGE CALLS WITH THE TAIL #. ALSO, THE TRAINING I HAD BEEN PERFORMING WAS VERY REPETITIVE. EVERY DAY FOR ALMOST A WK, IT HAD BEEN THE SAME THING -- TAXI TO RWY 9R FOR TKOF, L TURN TO THE NW CORNER OF THE ARPT, FOLLOWED BY CLRNC FOR A 9L APCH TO PICK UP THE PRACTICE ROPE OR BANNER. THESE FACTORS, COMBINED WITH NERVOUSNESS FROM HAVING THE CHIEF PLT FROM THE SCHOOL IN THE BACK SEAT FOR THE SCHOOL CHKOUT, SET THE STAGE FOR THIS EVENT. BASICALLY, I'M NOT EVEN SURE A VIOLATION OCCURRED. NEITHER GND NOR TWR EVER GAVE ME ANY INDICATION THAT I SCREWED UP. I CALLED GND FOR TAXI FOR BANNER PICKUP PRACTICE, ACKNOWLEDGING ONLY WITH THE TAIL #, TAXIED TO 9R AND WAS GIVEN CLRNC TO TKOF, R TFC. I THOUGHT IT ODD TO GET R TFC, BUT FIGURED THEY HAD CONFLICTING TFC. ON DOWNWIND, I ASKED IF WE COULD CROSS OVER TO THE PRACTICE AREA AND WAS CLRED TO DO SO. THE TWR SAID THEY THOUGHT WE WANTED XWIND TKOF AND LNDG PRACTICE, AND I TOLD THEM WE WANTED TO DO BANNER PICKUP PRACTICE. I PROCEEDED TO THE PRACTICE AREA AND ENTERED INTO THE PICKUP PATTERN FOR AN EBOUND PICKUP. AT SOME POINT, TWR CLRED ME FOR A LOW APCH, WHICH I ACKNOWLEDGED WITH THE ACFT #. I MADE AN APCH TO THE E, PICKED UP A ROPE, MADE ANOTHER APCH TO THE E AND DROPPED THE ROPE, AND ASKED FOR LNDG CLRNC. I DON'T REMEMBER THE TWR HANDLING ANY OTHER TFC DURING THIS TIME. WHEN THE TWR RESPONDED, THEY GAVE ME WINDS OF 200 AT 10. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT I REALIZED THAT WITH THOSE WINDS, THE TKOF, AND APCHS I SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLRED FOR 18'S. AT THIS POINT I REALIZED THAT MOST OF MY COMS WITH GND AND THE TWR DID NOT EVEN REGISTER WITH ME. I HAD ACTED AUTOMATICALLY AND BEEN DOING THE SAME THING I HAD ON EVERY OTHER FLT AT THIS ARPT, AND BY NOT RESPONDING TO RADIO CALLS IN THE MANNER I WAS USED TO, THERE WAS NO CHANCE FOR GND OR THE TWR TO CORRECT WHAT I WAS DOING BEFORE I HAD A CHANCE TO SCREW UP. IF THEY HAD TOLD ME TO TAXI TO 18R AND I REPEATED BACK TO THEM 'TAXI 9R', THEY COULD HAVE CORRECTED ME IMMEDIATELY. I LANDED AND TAXIED BACK TO THE RAMP. AS SOON AS I GOT BACK, I DECIDED THAT I WOULD NOT MAKE ANY CHANGES IN MY RADIO TECHNIQUE FOR ANYONE, NO MATTER HOW BUSY THE FACILITY I'M COMMUNICATING WITH. I CHANGED BACK TO MY OWN RADIO TECHNIQUE FOR ALL FLTS AFTER THIS ONE AND HAD NO FURTHER PROBLEM.

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.