Flight crew taxies onto runway without tower clearance.

Attributes
ACN	317150
Time
Date	199509
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iwa
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	landing other
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 6200 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	317150
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited adverse environment other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 500 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

ATIS stated runways 12 in use. It was my first officer's first medivac mission after completing his chkride. I mentioned to him as we blocked out that runway 12 was in use and the winds were favoring those runways when he called for taxi. We were told to taxi to runway 30L, intersection departure approved (common practice for our operations). He responded 'request full length' before I could intervene. Ground control responded 'roger full length approved.' I told my first officer that an intersection departure was ok for medivac (we always use full length for training), and that I wanted to use runway 12R because of the winds. He called ground again with our new request. Ground responded 'roger, cleared to taxi on to either runway 12, full length or intersection departure approved.' we completed our checklists as we neared the runway, cleared both directions and I stated to the first officer, 'we were cleared onto the runway, right?' he said yes, so I continued onto the runway into takeoff position. Suddenly ground called and asked if we had entered the runway. As we responded 'yes' I realized we were still on ground control. I immediately exited the runway as quickly as possible, and switched to tower frequency. After we cleared the runway, a single engine aircraft performed a go around over the infield (with no apparent conflict, but as a precaution only). We discussed the situation with the controllers and realized that the 4- 5 calls between us and ground control created some confusion for both parties. The same controller often handles both position at odd hours, but I should have queried the clearance to taxi 'onto' either runway 12. Contributing factors to the misunderstanding were a very inexperienced first officer not accustomed to our actual operations (but who had completed IOE) and a very fatigued captain, 1 day off in 4 weeks. I also broke a standard habit pattern of always stopping momentarily short of the runway to confirm checklist completion and call tower (if no previous contact).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC TAXIES ONTO RWY WITHOUT TWR CLRNC.

Narrative: ATIS STATED RWYS 12 IN USE. IT WAS MY FO'S FIRST MEDIVAC MISSION AFTER COMPLETING HIS CHKRIDE. I MENTIONED TO HIM AS WE BLOCKED OUT THAT RWY 12 WAS IN USE AND THE WINDS WERE FAVORING THOSE RWYS WHEN HE CALLED FOR TAXI. WE WERE TOLD TO TAXI TO RWY 30L, INTXN DEP APPROVED (COMMON PRACTICE FOR OUR OPS). HE RESPONDED 'REQUEST FULL LENGTH' BEFORE I COULD INTERVENE. GND CTL RESPONDED 'ROGER FULL LENGTH APPROVED.' I TOLD MY FO THAT AN INTXN DEP WAS OK FOR MEDIVAC (WE ALWAYS USE FULL LENGTH FOR TRAINING), AND THAT I WANTED TO USE RWY 12R BECAUSE OF THE WINDS. HE CALLED GND AGAIN WITH OUR NEW REQUEST. GND RESPONDED 'ROGER, CLRED TO TAXI ON TO EITHER RWY 12, FULL LENGTH OR INTXN DEP APPROVED.' WE COMPLETED OUR CHKLISTS AS WE NEARED THE RWY, CLRED BOTH DIRECTIONS AND I STATED TO THE FO, 'WE WERE CLRED ONTO THE RWY, RIGHT?' HE SAID YES, SO I CONTINUED ONTO THE RWY INTO TKOF POS. SUDDENLY GND CALLED AND ASKED IF WE HAD ENTERED THE RWY. AS WE RESPONDED 'YES' I REALIZED WE WERE STILL ON GND CTL. I IMMEDIATELY EXITED THE RWY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, AND SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ. AFTER WE CLRED THE RWY, A SINGLE ENG ACFT PERFORMED A GAR OVER THE INFIELD (WITH NO APPARENT CONFLICT, BUT AS A PRECAUTION ONLY). WE DISCUSSED THE SIT WITH THE CTLRS AND REALIZED THAT THE 4- 5 CALLS BTWN US AND GND CTL CREATED SOME CONFUSION FOR BOTH PARTIES. THE SAME CTLR OFTEN HANDLES BOTH POS AT ODD HRS, BUT I SHOULD HAVE QUERIED THE CLRNC TO TAXI 'ONTO' EITHER RWY 12. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE MISUNDERSTANDING WERE A VERY INEXPERIENCED FO NOT ACCUSTOMED TO OUR ACTUAL OPS (BUT WHO HAD COMPLETED IOE) AND A VERY FATIGUED CAPT, 1 DAY OFF IN 4 WKS. I ALSO BROKE A STANDARD HABIT PATTERN OF ALWAYS STOPPING MOMENTARILY SHORT OF THE RWY TO CONFIRM CHKLIST COMPLETION AND CALL TWR (IF NO PREVIOUS CONTACT).

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.