Narrative:

Centennial airport ground/tower uses locally developed procedures for taxi, ready for takeoff, runway access, and takeoff clearance that do not conform with the procedures mandated by the NAS. Transient pilots are informed of the nonstandard procedures only on the ATIS. In full IFR briefings both into and out of apa, no mention was made of these procedures by the FSS's. In 25 yrs of flying, I have never been so confused by instructions/directions/clrncs given by ground control and tower. The result was the cancellation of my takeoff clearance at brake release, and what I believe to be an unfounded allegation that my aircraft entered the runway without proper clearance. Although the ground/tower personnel were polite and professional and we were able to work out the problems safely through personal communications, the existence of these confusing nonstandard procedures raises my concern for the safety of airport users. We have developed a NAS that is the model for the world. All pilots are responsible for knowing the standard procedures, and all localities and responsible for implementing them so that aircraft can operate safely anywhere within the system. The use of locally developed nonstandard procedures literally throws a wrench in the works of the whole system. If the procedures in use at apa are better than the national procedures, then they should be adopted system- wide and pilots trained accordingly. If not, then for the safety and integrity of the entire system, local controllers should forego any advantage gained by the use of local procedures and conform to the national standard. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the procedure is for reciprocating aircraft taxiing for departure to remain on ground control frequency and advise when ready for takeoff. Ground control will then have the pilot switch to the tower frequency for takeoff. Reporter stated that when he told ground controller he was ready for takeoff, the ground controller cleared him onto the runway and for takeoff. Reporter indicated that before he went on the runway, he contacted the local controller who repeated the clearance. Subsequent to beginning takeoff roll, reporter stated the local controller then said reporter was not cleared on the runway or for takeoff. Reporter called the facility and was informed by the supervisor that the procedure was intended for local pilots and indicated it was to relieve the local control frequency due to traffic volume.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR ALLEGEDLY ENTERED THE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC CLAIMS THE APA TWR HAS DEVELOPED LCL ATC PROCS WHICH DO NOT CONFORM TO THE NAS.

Narrative: CENTENNIAL ARPT GND/TWR USES LOCALLY DEVELOPED PROCS FOR TAXI, READY FOR TKOF, RWY ACCESS, AND TKOF CLRNC THAT DO NOT CONFORM WITH THE PROCS MANDATED BY THE NAS. TRANSIENT PLTS ARE INFORMED OF THE NONSTANDARD PROCS ONLY ON THE ATIS. IN FULL IFR BRIEFINGS BOTH INTO AND OUT OF APA, NO MENTION WAS MADE OF THESE PROCS BY THE FSS'S. IN 25 YRS OF FLYING, I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO CONFUSED BY INSTRUCTIONS/DIRECTIONS/CLRNCS GIVEN BY GND CTL AND TWR. THE RESULT WAS THE CANCELLATION OF MY TKOF CLRNC AT BRAKE RELEASE, AND WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE AN UNFOUNDED ALLEGATION THAT MY ACFT ENTERED THE RWY WITHOUT PROPER CLRNC. ALTHOUGH THE GND/TWR PERSONNEL WERE POLITE AND PROFESSIONAL AND WE WERE ABLE TO WORK OUT THE PROBS SAFELY THROUGH PERSONAL COMS, THE EXISTENCE OF THESE CONFUSING NONSTANDARD PROCS RAISES MY CONCERN FOR THE SAFETY OF ARPT USERS. WE HAVE DEVELOPED A NAS THAT IS THE MODEL FOR THE WORLD. ALL PLTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR KNOWING THE STANDARD PROCS, AND ALL LOCALITIES AND RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING THEM SO THAT ACFT CAN OPERATE SAFELY ANYWHERE WITHIN THE SYS. THE USE OF LOCALLY DEVELOPED NONSTANDARD PROCS LITERALLY THROWS A WRENCH IN THE WORKS OF THE WHOLE SYS. IF THE PROCS IN USE AT APA ARE BETTER THAN THE NATIONAL PROCS, THEN THEY SHOULD BE ADOPTED SYS- WIDE AND PLTS TRAINED ACCORDINGLY. IF NOT, THEN FOR THE SAFETY AND INTEGRITY OF THE ENTIRE SYS, LCL CTLRS SHOULD FOREGO ANY ADVANTAGE GAINED BY THE USE OF LCL PROCS AND CONFORM TO THE NATIONAL STANDARD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE PROC IS FOR RECIPROCATING ACFT TAXIING FOR DEP TO REMAIN ON GND CTL FREQ AND ADVISE WHEN READY FOR TKOF. GND CTL WILL THEN HAVE THE PLT SWITCH TO THE TWR FREQ FOR TKOF. RPTR STATED THAT WHEN HE TOLD GND CTLR HE WAS READY FOR TKOF, THE GND CTLR CLRED HIM ONTO THE RWY AND FOR TKOF. RPTR INDICATED THAT BEFORE HE WENT ON THE RWY, HE CONTACTED THE LCL CTLR WHO REPEATED THE CLRNC. SUBSEQUENT TO BEGINNING TKOF ROLL, RPTR STATED THE LCL CTLR THEN SAID RPTR WAS NOT CLRED ON THE RWY OR FOR TKOF. RPTR CALLED THE FACILITY AND WAS INFORMED BY THE SUPVR THAT THE PROC WAS INTENDED FOR LCL PLTS AND INDICATED IT WAS TO RELIEVE THE LCL CTL FREQ DUE TO TFC VOLUME.

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.