Narrative:

Small aircraft X had completed the runup at the departure end of the runway, which was crowded with 6 other light aircraft preparing to departure. Local tower procedure are to wait until your aircraft is #1 for takeoff before advising the local controller. I was second in line to depart, when a student solo at the 'pad' advised ATC that the was next. There was 40 ft of clear taxiway between my aircraft and the hold short bars for the student pilot to pass and take the active, so I elected to allow him to take my sequence. When the local controller heard his radio call, he authorized the student into position and hold. The student pilot then transmitted that 'there was an aerobatics plane in front if him'. The controller asked if there was enough room to pass, and the student replied with a repeat of his previous radio call. At this point, I decided to take my sequence, and transmitted my 'north' number, that I was the real #1 aircraft in line, and that I would take the position and hold, and motioned for my student to taxi forward. I assumed that the amount of time that it took to taxi to the runway would be enough for the controller to reply or to cancel the clearance. To my surprise, the controller replied to an aircraft in the busy pattern, and I had already allowed my student on to the active runway. The controller then noticed my aircraft on the active and advised me that I did not have clearance to be there. I was not about to argue on a busy frequency, so I gave our 'north' number and requested a takeoff clearance. All operations from this point on were normal. After the flight, I visited the tower, and was advised that my initial transmission was not received. I requested that the tapes be pulled and reviewed, and in listening to these tapes discovered that my radio call was completely blocked by another aircraft transmission. I believe that there were several causes for this incident. The first being my state of fatigue and irritation caused by working 8-14 hours a day for the previous 14 days. The second being the ATC's habit of not observing the aircraft at the pad with spy glasses. The pad is visible from the tower cabin attendant, but I have personally observed that the local controllers clear aircraft onto the active by radio call alone, and do not actively engage in challenge/response operational environment. The last factor involved was the radio equipment involved. The aerobatics aircraft I fly are equipped with the lightest (and in my opinion the cheapest/weakest) radio set, although we do use headsets. I say this because the other aircraft on the pad at the time of the incident did hear my radio call, but I believe it was due to their close proximity. There is no denying that there is no evidence of it on the tower tapes. Controller workload, and the limited taxiway space at the airport might also be considered contributing factors. Most importantly, however, I can't deny that my fatigue prevented me from using proper judgement. I should have allowed the local controller and student pilot to 'iron out' the situation, and remained patiently out of the way. I also should have been monitoring my students actions more closely.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA X UNAUTHORIZED RWY ENTRY. PLTDEV.

Narrative: SMA X HAD COMPLETED THE RUNUP AT THE DEP END OF THE RWY, WHICH WAS CROWDED WITH 6 OTHER LIGHT ACFT PREPARING TO DEP. LCL TWR PROC ARE TO WAIT UNTIL YOUR ACFT IS #1 FOR TKOF BEFORE ADVISING THE LCL CTLR. I WAS SECOND IN LINE TO DEPART, WHEN A STUDENT SOLO AT THE 'PAD' ADVISED ATC THAT THE WAS NEXT. THERE WAS 40 FT OF CLR TAXIWAY BTWN MY ACFT AND THE HOLD SHORT BARS FOR THE STUDENT PLT TO PASS AND TAKE THE ACTIVE, SO I ELECTED TO ALLOW HIM TO TAKE MY SEQUENCE. WHEN THE LCL CTLR HEARD HIS RADIO CALL, HE AUTHORIZED THE STUDENT INTO POS AND HOLD. THE STUDENT PLT THEN TRANSMITTED THAT 'THERE WAS AN AEROBATICS PLANE IN FRONT IF HIM'. THE CTLR ASKED IF THERE WAS ENOUGH ROOM TO PASS, AND THE STUDENT REPLIED WITH A REPEAT OF HIS PREVIOUS RADIO CALL. AT THIS POINT, I DECIDED TO TAKE MY SEQUENCE, AND TRANSMITTED MY 'N' NUMBER, THAT I WAS THE REAL #1 ACFT IN LINE, AND THAT I WOULD TAKE THE POS AND HOLD, AND MOTIONED FOR MY STUDENT TO TAXI FORWARD. I ASSUMED THAT THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT IT TOOK TO TAXI TO THE RWY WOULD BE ENOUGH FOR THE CTLR TO REPLY OR TO CANCEL THE CLRNC. TO MY SURPRISE, THE CTLR REPLIED TO AN ACFT IN THE BUSY PATTERN, AND I HAD ALREADY ALLOWED MY STUDENT ON TO THE ACTIVE RWY. THE CTLR THEN NOTICED MY ACFT ON THE ACTIVE AND ADVISED ME THAT I DID NOT HAVE CLRNC TO BE THERE. I WAS NOT ABOUT TO ARGUE ON A BUSY FREQ, SO I GAVE OUR 'N' NUMBER AND REQUESTED A TKOF CLRNC. ALL OPS FROM THIS POINT ON WERE NORMAL. AFTER THE FLT, I VISITED THE TWR, AND WAS ADVISED THAT MY INITIAL XMISSION WAS NOT RECEIVED. I REQUESTED THAT THE TAPES BE PULLED AND REVIEWED, AND IN LISTENING TO THESE TAPES DISCOVERED THAT MY RADIO CALL WAS COMPLETELY BLOCKED BY ANOTHER ACFT XMISSION. I BELIEVE THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL CAUSES FOR THIS INCIDENT. THE FIRST BEING MY STATE OF FATIGUE AND IRRITATION CAUSED BY WORKING 8-14 HRS A DAY FOR THE PREVIOUS 14 DAYS. THE SECOND BEING THE ATC'S HABIT OF NOT OBSERVING THE ACFT AT THE PAD WITH SPY GLASSES. THE PAD IS VISIBLE FROM THE TWR CAB, BUT I HAVE PERSONALLY OBSERVED THAT THE LCL CTLRS CLR ACFT ONTO THE ACTIVE BY RADIO CALL ALONE, AND DO NOT ACTIVELY ENGAGE IN CHALLENGE/RESPONSE OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT. THE LAST FACTOR INVOLVED WAS THE RADIO EQUIP INVOLVED. THE AEROBATICS ACFT I FLY ARE EQUIPPED WITH THE LIGHTEST (AND IN MY OPINION THE CHEAPEST/WEAKEST) RADIO SET, ALTHOUGH WE DO USE HEADSETS. I SAY THIS BECAUSE THE OTHER ACFT ON THE PAD AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT DID HEAR MY RADIO CALL, BUT I BELIEVE IT WAS DUE TO THEIR CLOSE PROX. THERE IS NO DENYING THAT THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF IT ON THE TWR TAPES. CTLR WORKLOAD, AND THE LIMITED TAXIWAY SPACE AT THE ARPT MIGHT ALSO BE CONSIDERED CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. MOST IMPORTANTLY, HOWEVER, I CAN'T DENY THAT MY FATIGUE PREVENTED ME FROM USING PROPER JUDGEMENT. I SHOULD HAVE ALLOWED THE LCL CTLR AND STUDENT PLT TO 'IRON OUT' THE SITUATION, AND REMAINED PATIENTLY OUT OF THE WAY. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE BEEN MONITORING MY STUDENTS ACTIONS MORE CLOSELY.

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.