Narrative:

Working ground control. Primary runway 16L. Small aircraft X was taxied out to runway 9. Runway 9 intersects 16L midfield. Called to taxi out for departure with a very bad radio. It was unclr as to his position on the field. I asked the aircraft 3 times if he was at the terminal or an FBO. To taxi from the terminal the aircraft would not interfere with aircraft at runway 9, but from FBO he would have to cross the departure end of runway 9 to taxi to 16L. I tried to pin him down to one or the other. It finally sounded like he was at the terminal (no holding instruction needed). So, I said, 'wrong type (I couldn't' even understand his type aircraft and he made no attempt to correct me), understand you're at the terminal, from the terminal, taxi to runway 16L. His terrible radio, and the fact that we have a locally based wrong type who has a bad radio and parks at the terminal ramp were contributing factors. Tower had runway 9 small aircraft X position and hold waiting for traffic departing 16L to clear the centerline. The tower controller cleared small aircraft X for takeoff, the supervisor in the tower shouted that an small aircraft was crossing the departure end. I was preoccupied on ground control working 2 other aircraft. Small aircraft X clearance was cancelled until the runway was clear. My judgement that I had 'covered' myself by saying the 'understand you're at the terminal, from the terminal, taxi...' was poor. I also should have told him to hold short of runway 9 just as insurance. It always surprises me how often GA pilots will acknowledge instructions that they know are based on a misunderstanding, and yet will not attempt to correct the controller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA X UNCOORD UNAUTH RWY XING HAD LTSS FROM SMA Y. RWY INCURSION. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: WORKING GND CTL. PRIMARY RWY 16L. SMA X WAS TAXIED OUT TO RWY 9. RWY 9 INTERSECTS 16L MIDFIELD. CALLED TO TAXI OUT FOR DEP WITH A VERY BAD RADIO. IT WAS UNCLR AS TO HIS POS ON THE FIELD. I ASKED THE ACFT 3 TIMES IF HE WAS AT THE TERMINAL OR AN FBO. TO TAXI FROM THE TERMINAL THE ACFT WOULD NOT INTERFERE WITH ACFT AT RWY 9, BUT FROM FBO HE WOULD HAVE TO CROSS THE DEP END OF RWY 9 TO TAXI TO 16L. I TRIED TO PIN HIM DOWN TO ONE OR THE OTHER. IT FINALLY SOUNDED LIKE HE WAS AT THE TERMINAL (NO HOLDING INSTRUCTION NEEDED). SO, I SAID, 'WRONG TYPE (I COULDN'T' EVEN UNDERSTAND HIS TYPE ACFT AND HE MADE NO ATTEMPT TO CORRECT ME), UNDERSTAND YOU'RE AT THE TERMINAL, FROM THE TERMINAL, TAXI TO RWY 16L. HIS TERRIBLE RADIO, AND THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A LOCALLY BASED WRONG TYPE WHO HAS A BAD RADIO AND PARKS AT THE TERMINAL RAMP WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. TWR HAD RWY 9 SMA X POS AND HOLD WAITING FOR TFC DEPARTING 16L TO CLR THE CTRLINE. THE TWR CTLR CLRED SMA X FOR TKOF, THE SUPVR IN THE TWR SHOUTED THAT AN SMA WAS XING THE DEP END. I WAS PREOCCUPIED ON GND CTL WORKING 2 OTHER ACFT. SMA X CLRNC WAS CANCELLED UNTIL THE RWY WAS CLR. MY JUDGEMENT THAT I HAD 'COVERED' MYSELF BY SAYING THE 'UNDERSTAND YOU'RE AT THE TERMINAL, FROM THE TERMINAL, TAXI...' WAS POOR. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE TOLD HIM TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 9 JUST AS INSURANCE. IT ALWAYS SURPRISES ME HOW OFTEN GA PLTS WILL ACKNOWLEDGE INSTRUCTIONS THAT THEY KNOW ARE BASED ON A MISUNDERSTANDING, AND YET WILL NOT ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE CTLR.

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.