Narrative:

Ground cleared me to runway 17 via left on 'O', right on 'C,' left on carrier ramp to 'east.' while on carrier ramp I was advised by ground to monitor tower. I switched to tower and taxied to 'east' and got into line behind air carrier's. While in line just before runway 12L, I started having reception problems with #1 radio. Receptions were garbled and broken. I tried to switch to #2 radio, but it would not change frequency. Repeatedly I tried tower on #1 but could not get response. I turned airplane toward tower and flashed landing lights trying to get attention for light signals but got no reply. With aircraft behind there was not enough room to do a 180 degree turn on 'east' and get out of line. Transmission to me was something about runway 17 but was unreadable. At present position we had taxiway 'east' blocked to runway 17, runway 12L, and runway 12R. Air carrier's were using runway 12R and GA runway 17. Air carrier had crossed runway 17 and was taxiing to runway 12R. There was no traffic on final approach to runway 12L or runway 17, so I decided to cross runway 12L and runway 17 and stay on 'east' to 'west' ramp until radios checked out. I did not want to take runway 17 without proper clearance. Tower issued heading clearance. While on 'east' just west of runway 17, radio seemed to work ok. Tower cleared me to position and hold runway 17 north of runway 12R. Advised tower I would do 180 degree turn on 'east.' I did 180 degree turn and taxied to runway 17 position and hold. Tower cleared takeoff, turn left to 360 degrees, maintain 3000 ft. Radios worked for rest of flight without any problems. The main contributing factor in this situation is construction at the airport with various runways and txwys closed, which forced all aircraft to use one taxiway to access the active runways. There was not any place to go to get out of way of aircraft behind. Pilot should have tried ground frequency for instructions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT MAY HAVE CROSSED AN ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: GND CLRED ME TO RWY 17 VIA L ON 'O', R ON 'C,' L ON CARRIER RAMP TO 'E.' WHILE ON CARRIER RAMP I WAS ADVISED BY GND TO MONITOR TWR. I SWITCHED TO TWR AND TAXIED TO 'E' AND GOT INTO LINE BEHIND ACR'S. WHILE IN LINE JUST BEFORE RWY 12L, I STARTED HAVING RECEPTION PROBS WITH #1 RADIO. RECEPTIONS WERE GARBLED AND BROKEN. I TRIED TO SWITCH TO #2 RADIO, BUT IT WOULD NOT CHANGE FREQ. REPEATEDLY I TRIED TWR ON #1 BUT COULD NOT GET RESPONSE. I TURNED AIRPLANE TOWARD TWR AND FLASHED LNDG LIGHTS TRYING TO GET ATTN FOR LIGHT SIGNALS BUT GOT NO REPLY. WITH ACFT BEHIND THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH ROOM TO DO A 180 DEG TURN ON 'E' AND GET OUT OF LINE. XMISSION TO ME WAS SOMETHING ABOUT RWY 17 BUT WAS UNREADABLE. AT PRESENT POS WE HAD TXWY 'E' BLOCKED TO RWY 17, RWY 12L, AND RWY 12R. ACR'S WERE USING RWY 12R AND GA RWY 17. ACR HAD CROSSED RWY 17 AND WAS TAXIING TO RWY 12R. THERE WAS NO TFC ON FINAL APCH TO RWY 12L OR RWY 17, SO I DECIDED TO CROSS RWY 12L AND RWY 17 AND STAY ON 'E' TO 'W' RAMP UNTIL RADIOS CHKED OUT. I DID NOT WANT TO TAKE RWY 17 WITHOUT PROPER CLRNC. TWR ISSUED HDG CLRNC. WHILE ON 'E' JUST W OF RWY 17, RADIO SEEMED TO WORK OK. TWR CLRED ME TO POS AND HOLD RWY 17 N OF RWY 12R. ADVISED TWR I WOULD DO 180 DEG TURN ON 'E.' I DID 180 DEG TURN AND TAXIED TO RWY 17 POS AND HOLD. TWR CLRED TKOF, TURN L TO 360 DEGS, MAINTAIN 3000 FT. RADIOS WORKED FOR REST OF FLT WITHOUT ANY PROBS. THE MAIN CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THIS SIT IS CONSTRUCTION AT THE ARPT WITH VARIOUS RWYS AND TXWYS CLOSED, WHICH FORCED ALL ACFT TO USE ONE TXWY TO ACCESS THE ACTIVE RWYS. THERE WAS NOT ANY PLACE TO GO TO GET OUT OF WAY OF ACFT BEHIND. PLT SHOULD HAVE TRIED GND FREQ FOR INSTRUCTIONS.

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.