Narrative:

I received clearance to taxi to runup area for runway 29 on ground frequency. I taxied to runup area, accomplished my runup. San jose requires you to call ground when your runup is completed and notify them you are ready to takeoff. I then received instructions to call tower and taxi up to the holding area of runway 29. I have radios which have FLIP- flop frequency selection. I hit the button to switch to tower, however, it did not switch over and I did not catch it. I then called what I thought was the tower, but was still on ground frequency, and told them I was #1 for runway 29. This is where the problem arose. There were 3 or 4 airliners waiting for takeoff and several others called for pushback. The ground frequency was very busy. The basic problem was that I heard a reply on ground frequency which was partially stepped on by the other aircraft that sounded to me like 'taxi in position on runway 29.' I only caught 'runway 29.' since I was #1 and after checking for landing traffic I taxied onto runway 29 and held. I was still on ground frequency and after about 10 seconds, ground control told me I was still on ground and to go to tower frequency. It was then that I realized I was still on ground frequency. I had erred in switching over and taxiing onto the runway without being on tower frequency. San jose is a hub for an airline and is very congested on ground frequency. They could use another ground frequency -- 1 for each side of the airport. True, I erred in not doublechking my radio frequency, however, it was compounded by the congested ground frequency. It could be just as easy for an airliner to do the same thing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA STILL ON GND FREQ BUT BELIEVES ON TWR. THINKS HE HAS CLRNC TAXI POS AND HOLD.

Narrative: I RECEIVED CLRNC TO TAXI TO RUNUP AREA FOR RWY 29 ON GND FREQ. I TAXIED TO RUNUP AREA, ACCOMPLISHED MY RUNUP. SAN JOSE REQUIRES YOU TO CALL GND WHEN YOUR RUNUP IS COMPLETED AND NOTIFY THEM YOU ARE READY TO TKOF. I THEN RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS TO CALL TWR AND TAXI UP TO THE HOLDING AREA OF RWY 29. I HAVE RADIOS WHICH HAVE FLIP- FLOP FREQ SELECTION. I HIT THE BUTTON TO SWITCH TO TWR, HOWEVER, IT DID NOT SWITCH OVER AND I DID NOT CATCH IT. I THEN CALLED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE TWR, BUT WAS STILL ON GND FREQ, AND TOLD THEM I WAS #1 FOR RWY 29. THIS IS WHERE THE PROBLEM AROSE. THERE WERE 3 OR 4 AIRLINERS WAITING FOR TKOF AND SEVERAL OTHERS CALLED FOR PUSHBACK. THE GND FREQ WAS VERY BUSY. THE BASIC PROBLEM WAS THAT I HEARD A REPLY ON GND FREQ WHICH WAS PARTIALLY STEPPED ON BY THE OTHER ACFT THAT SOUNDED TO ME LIKE 'TAXI IN POS ON RWY 29.' I ONLY CAUGHT 'RWY 29.' SINCE I WAS #1 AND AFTER CHKING FOR LNDG TFC I TAXIED ONTO RWY 29 AND HELD. I WAS STILL ON GND FREQ AND AFTER ABOUT 10 SECONDS, GND CTL TOLD ME I WAS STILL ON GND AND TO GO TO TWR FREQ. IT WAS THEN THAT I REALIZED I WAS STILL ON GND FREQ. I HAD ERRED IN SWITCHING OVER AND TAXIING ONTO THE RWY WITHOUT BEING ON TWR FREQ. SAN JOSE IS A HUB FOR AN AIRLINE AND IS VERY CONGESTED ON GND FREQ. THEY COULD USE ANOTHER GND FREQ -- 1 FOR EACH SIDE OF THE ARPT. TRUE, I ERRED IN NOT DOUBLECHKING MY RADIO FREQ, HOWEVER, IT WAS COMPOUNDED BY THE CONGESTED GND FREQ. IT COULD BE JUST AS EASY FOR AN AIRLINER TO DO THE SAME THING.

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.