Narrative:

We were instructed by the phl tower to taxi into position and hold on runway 17 prior to our departure to rkd (full length). We were also advised by the tower of an aircraft on final approach for runway 17. I believe it was a regional airline turboprop. After lining up on runway 17 and while holding in position, the tower instructed us to be prepared for an immediate takeoff. During this transmission from the tower I noticed the quality of his radio transmitter had deteriorated. He was still quite readable, however. I thought for a moment of moving my aircraft up the runway several ft, suspecting I was parked in a 'dead spot' but I was afraid it might get worse instead of better, so I stayed put. Then I heard the regional airliner declare a go around and saw him pass overhead (at a safe altitude). At this point I moved up several ft and held the squelch switch up on my receiver and heard the tower calling me. He said he had cleared me to take off twice but that we must have been in the dead spot. He said it happens on runway 17 every so often, about once a month, he said. Our departure then proceeded without further incident. I feel that the weak radio reception in the area on runway 17 where we were holding in position is a potential unsafe situation and should be corrected. I've seen dead spots of poor radio reception while taxiing on large airports before, but I've never had one on an active runway. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated there was no follow-up call to the facility to learn more about the blind/dead spot referred to in the report. Reporter said that during their climb out another aircraft made a comment that it was a small spot.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR RPTR LOST COM WITH THE TWR WHILE HOLDING IN POS ON RWY 17 AND HEARD AN ACFT ON FINAL FOR THE SAME RWY DECLARE A GAR. AFTER MOVING THE ACFT A FEW FT, RPTR HEARD THE TWR SAY THAT TKOF CLRNC HAD BEEN GIVEN TWICE AND MADE MENTION OF THE ACFT BEING IN A DEAD SPOT ALLEGING THE LOST COM SIT OCCURS ABOUT ONCE A MONTH.

Narrative: WE WERE INSTRUCTED BY THE PHL TWR TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 17 PRIOR TO OUR DEP TO RKD (FULL LENGTH). WE WERE ALSO ADVISED BY THE TWR OF AN ACFT ON FINAL APCH FOR RWY 17. I BELIEVE IT WAS A REGIONAL AIRLINE TURBOPROP. AFTER LINING UP ON RWY 17 AND WHILE HOLDING IN POS, THE TWR INSTRUCTED US TO BE PREPARED FOR AN IMMEDIATE TKOF. DURING THIS XMISSION FROM THE TWR I NOTICED THE QUALITY OF HIS RADIO XMITTER HAD DETERIORATED. HE WAS STILL QUITE READABLE, HOWEVER. I THOUGHT FOR A MOMENT OF MOVING MY ACFT UP THE RWY SEVERAL FT, SUSPECTING I WAS PARKED IN A 'DEAD SPOT' BUT I WAS AFRAID IT MIGHT GET WORSE INSTEAD OF BETTER, SO I STAYED PUT. THEN I HEARD THE REGIONAL AIRLINER DECLARE A GAR AND SAW HIM PASS OVERHEAD (AT A SAFE ALT). AT THIS POINT I MOVED UP SEVERAL FT AND HELD THE SQUELCH SWITCH UP ON MY RECEIVER AND HEARD THE TWR CALLING ME. HE SAID HE HAD CLRED ME TO TAKE OFF TWICE BUT THAT WE MUST HAVE BEEN IN THE DEAD SPOT. HE SAID IT HAPPENS ON RWY 17 EVERY SO OFTEN, ABOUT ONCE A MONTH, HE SAID. OUR DEP THEN PROCEEDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I FEEL THAT THE WEAK RADIO RECEPTION IN THE AREA ON RWY 17 WHERE WE WERE HOLDING IN POS IS A POTENTIAL UNSAFE SIT AND SHOULD BE CORRECTED. I'VE SEEN DEAD SPOTS OF POOR RADIO RECEPTION WHILE TAXIING ON LARGE ARPTS BEFORE, BUT I'VE NEVER HAD ONE ON AN ACTIVE RWY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THERE WAS NO FOLLOW-UP CALL TO THE FACILITY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BLIND/DEAD SPOT REFERRED TO IN THE RPT. RPTR SAID THAT DURING THEIR CLBOUT ANOTHER ACFT MADE A COMMENT THAT IT WAS A SMALL SPOT.

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.