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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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A low time cessna pilot was cleared across an active runway, but became confused and turned onto the runway instead. The controller did not observe the runway incursion and cleared a gulfstream aircraft for takeoff with the cessna aircraft taxiing approximately 1 mi downfield. The controller cites heavy workload and frequency congestion as a reason for not detecting the cessna.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 377089 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199708 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : bfi |
| State Reference | WA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Cessna Aircraft Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | ground other : taxi |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Gulfstream Jet Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Experience | controller non radar : 12 |
| ASRS Report | 377089 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe incursion : runway non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 2800 vertical : 30 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation Operational Error |
Narrative:
I was working local control at bfi. Ground control requested to cross the cessna at the departure end runway 31L. I approved it. This was a nonstandard operation due to the main taxiway on the airport being closed for construction during our busiest period of the year. The pilot of the cessna, 80 hours total flying time, turned onto the runway instead of crossing it as instructed. The pilot observed a jet turning onto the runway approximately 1 mi away. He moved over to the edge of the runway, but never said anything. The color of the aircraft and his position was such that he blended in with the runway paint. I cleared the gulfstream for takeoff, then observed the cessna just prior to the gulfstream rotating. After the jet passed over the cessna, the cessna asked ground control if he was in the right place. Currently, this has not been classified as a pilot deviation. I feel 2 major factors played into this event. Controller workload and frequency congestion were greatly increased (both local and ground) with the only taxiway on the east side of the runway closed for construction at mid field. Secondly, the aircraft out of the FBO that the cessna is based out of are continually difficult for the tower to work -- often not familiar with local airspace and procedures. The pilot in question said he did not know there was a west side taxiway. Instead of questioning, he used the runway.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A LOW TIME CESSNA PLT WAS CLRED ACROSS AN ACTIVE RWY, BUT BECAME CONFUSED AND TURNED ONTO THE RWY INSTEAD. THE CTLR DID NOT OBSERVE THE RWY INCURSION AND CLRED A GULFSTREAM ACFT FOR TKOF WITH THE CESSNA ACFT TAXIING APPROX 1 MI DOWNFIELD. THE CTLR CITES HVY WORKLOAD AND FREQ CONGESTION AS A REASON FOR NOT DETECTING THE CESSNA.
Narrative: I WAS WORKING LCL CTL AT BFI. GND CTL REQUESTED TO CROSS THE CESSNA AT THE DEP END RWY 31L. I APPROVED IT. THIS WAS A NONSTANDARD OP DUE TO THE MAIN TXWY ON THE ARPT BEING CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION DURING OUR BUSIEST PERIOD OF THE YEAR. THE PLT OF THE CESSNA, 80 HRS TOTAL FLYING TIME, TURNED ONTO THE RWY INSTEAD OF XING IT AS INSTRUCTED. THE PLT OBSERVED A JET TURNING ONTO THE RWY APPROX 1 MI AWAY. HE MOVED OVER TO THE EDGE OF THE RWY, BUT NEVER SAID ANYTHING. THE COLOR OF THE ACFT AND HIS POS WAS SUCH THAT HE BLENDED IN WITH THE RWY PAINT. I CLRED THE GULFSTREAM FOR TKOF, THEN OBSERVED THE CESSNA JUST PRIOR TO THE GULFSTREAM ROTATING. AFTER THE JET PASSED OVER THE CESSNA, THE CESSNA ASKED GND CTL IF HE WAS IN THE RIGHT PLACE. CURRENTLY, THIS HAS NOT BEEN CLASSIFIED AS A PLTDEV. I FEEL 2 MAJOR FACTORS PLAYED INTO THIS EVENT. CTLR WORKLOAD AND FREQ CONGESTION WERE GREATLY INCREASED (BOTH LCL AND GND) WITH THE ONLY TXWY ON THE E SIDE OF THE RWY CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION AT MID FIELD. SECONDLY, THE ACFT OUT OF THE FBO THAT THE CESSNA IS BASED OUT OF ARE CONTINUALLY DIFFICULT FOR THE TWR TO WORK -- OFTEN NOT FAMILIAR WITH LCL AIRSPACE AND PROCS. THE PLT IN QUESTION SAID HE DID NOT KNOW THERE WAS A W SIDE TXWY. INSTEAD OF QUESTIONING, HE USED THE RWY.
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.