Narrative:

We were flying an A300-600, IFR den-mem. Heavy thunderstorm and lightning in area. I was line check airman in right seat giving a line check to another instructor. Much radio chatter due to WX. On contacting ground leaving the cargo area we were asked if we would accept a north departure due to bad WX to the east of den. Our radar, pointed east, showed large red cells due east and we decided that north was an excellent idea. We were switched to clearance as we neared runway 35L and copied an entire new SID and en route clearance. As the first officer on this leg I entered in the new FMS routing, confirmed. Then clearance sent us to tower, 132.35. I switched, and after a moment of unnatural silence, realized I had dialed in 132.25. We corrected the error and, after checking in with tower, were 'cleared for takeoff, runway 35L.' we finished our takeoff checklist, and were taking the runway. As we did so, I recall several prompts from the tower sending us the idea it was urgent that we get going. The airbus A300-600 does not taxi like a B737 and is slow taking the runway. There were many, many tower xmissions throughout this evolution. After we were airborne some 3 mins, den tower asked us how we read them. I replied the transmission was clear. The tower operator then said, 'the reason I asked you was because I canceled your takeoff clearance.' both of us in the cockpit were stunned. We pulled the cvr circuit breakers immediately. We were sure no such cancellation was given us. Next day our flight safety office confirmed that no less than 5 people listened to the tapes and no cancellation was heard (whew). Now, the real problem, denver's new airport has become, in my mind, a hazard. Pattern speeds are routinely too fast, 13000 ft in close is routine, tailwind lndgs acceptable, etc. Our night 'scare' was due to a rush/rush/rush traffic control due to terrible WX. Things need to slow down in such conditions. Denver is the next landing/takeoff accident site. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this reporter said that he only occasionally operates at den, but he has seen numerous problems with the airport. In this case, he said that while the frequency was busy it was not unusually so and after reviewing the cvr tapes he thinks that there was at least one blocked transmission, but nothing discernible as canceling the takeoff clearance. The reporter said that his company told him that the FAA has notified them that the investigation has been dropped.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A300-600 FREIGHTER WAS CLRED FOR TKOF DURING A BUSY PERIOD OF RADIO COM AND APPARENTLY THE CTLR ATTEMPTED TO CANCEL THE TKOF CLRNC, BUT DID NOT XMIT ON THE FREIGHTER'S FREQ.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING AN A300-600, IFR DEN-MEM. HVY TSTM AND LIGHTNING IN AREA. I WAS LINE CHK AIRMAN IN R SEAT GIVING A LINE CHK TO ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR. MUCH RADIO CHATTER DUE TO WX. ON CONTACTING GND LEAVING THE CARGO AREA WE WERE ASKED IF WE WOULD ACCEPT A N DEP DUE TO BAD WX TO THE E OF DEN. OUR RADAR, POINTED E, SHOWED LARGE RED CELLS DUE E AND WE DECIDED THAT N WAS AN EXCELLENT IDEA. WE WERE SWITCHED TO CLRNC AS WE NEARED RWY 35L AND COPIED AN ENTIRE NEW SID AND ENRTE CLRNC. AS THE FO ON THIS LEG I ENTERED IN THE NEW FMS ROUTING, CONFIRMED. THEN CLRNC SENT US TO TWR, 132.35. I SWITCHED, AND AFTER A MOMENT OF UNNATURAL SILENCE, REALIZED I HAD DIALED IN 132.25. WE CORRECTED THE ERROR AND, AFTER CHKING IN WITH TWR, WERE 'CLRED FOR TKOF, RWY 35L.' WE FINISHED OUR TKOF CHKLIST, AND WERE TAKING THE RWY. AS WE DID SO, I RECALL SEVERAL PROMPTS FROM THE TWR SENDING US THE IDEA IT WAS URGENT THAT WE GET GOING. THE AIRBUS A300-600 DOES NOT TAXI LIKE A B737 AND IS SLOW TAKING THE RWY. THERE WERE MANY, MANY TWR XMISSIONS THROUGHOUT THIS EVOLUTION. AFTER WE WERE AIRBORNE SOME 3 MINS, DEN TWR ASKED US HOW WE READ THEM. I REPLIED THE XMISSION WAS CLR. THE TWR OPERATOR THEN SAID, 'THE REASON I ASKED YOU WAS BECAUSE I CANCELED YOUR TKOF CLRNC.' BOTH OF US IN THE COCKPIT WERE STUNNED. WE PULLED THE CVR CIRCUIT BREAKERS IMMEDIATELY. WE WERE SURE NO SUCH CANCELLATION WAS GIVEN US. NEXT DAY OUR FLT SAFETY OFFICE CONFIRMED THAT NO LESS THAN 5 PEOPLE LISTENED TO THE TAPES AND NO CANCELLATION WAS HEARD (WHEW). NOW, THE REAL PROB, DENVER'S NEW ARPT HAS BECOME, IN MY MIND, A HAZARD. PATTERN SPDS ARE ROUTINELY TOO FAST, 13000 FT IN CLOSE IS ROUTINE, TAILWIND LNDGS ACCEPTABLE, ETC. OUR NIGHT 'SCARE' WAS DUE TO A RUSH/RUSH/RUSH TFC CTL DUE TO TERRIBLE WX. THINGS NEED TO SLOW DOWN IN SUCH CONDITIONS. DENVER IS THE NEXT LNDG/TKOF ACCIDENT SITE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS RPTR SAID THAT HE ONLY OCCASIONALLY OPERATES AT DEN, BUT HE HAS SEEN NUMEROUS PROBS WITH THE ARPT. IN THIS CASE, HE SAID THAT WHILE THE FREQ WAS BUSY IT WAS NOT UNUSUALLY SO AND AFTER REVIEWING THE CVR TAPES HE THINKS THAT THERE WAS AT LEAST ONE BLOCKED XMISSION, BUT NOTHING DISCERNIBLE AS CANCELING THE TKOF CLRNC. THE RPTR SAID THAT HIS COMPANY TOLD HIM THAT THE FAA HAS NOTIFIED THEM THAT THE INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN DROPPED.

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.