Narrative:

At denver (dia) the transition from the west deice pads to ground control is very confusing, especially with many aircraft waiting to deice. I had completed deice and the 'ice man' wanted me to pull forward to make room for others to deice. I pulled out and turned 90 degrees right to hold in front of the ice pad to wait for a ground clearance to taxi. Another aircraft pulled in behind me. At that moment ground control became very upset that I 'pulled onto an active taxiway.' I apologized and he cleared me to taxi. The ice pad seems to be part of the taxiway, but in retrospect, it is not. It's very close. As well, when you have 2 agencies (the deice people and ground) working with you it is confusing. I thought I was doing what the deice crews/controller wanted me to do in order to clear the ice pad, and I was. But, the ground controller was upset. Suggest denver have some kind of ground 'holding area' during deice procedures. This will help on the confusion of working with the deice controller and ground control. This will also clear the deice pad so deicing can continue, and not clog up all the alleyways leading to the deice pad. In this case denver ground control was technically correct, but this is a very confusing coordination phase of ground taxi operations. An after-deice holding area would really help the acrs and a very busy ground control during deicing at dia. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: during the callback the reporter stated, in retrospect, the deice pad could not be exited without entering taxiway G which is not controled by the deice controller. Clutter obscured the taxiway markings and were crossed before ground control advised him clearance was required to enter the taxiway. It was suggested that there could possibly be some coordination between company and ground control that is not in place at this time. The reporter felt the deice control's request to clear the deice pad implied clearance to taxi straight ahead.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT TAXIED WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: AT DENVER (DIA) THE TRANSITION FROM THE W DEICE PADS TO GND CTL IS VERY CONFUSING, ESPECIALLY WITH MANY ACFT WAITING TO DEICE. I HAD COMPLETED DEICE AND THE 'ICE MAN' WANTED ME TO PULL FORWARD TO MAKE ROOM FOR OTHERS TO DEICE. I PULLED OUT AND TURNED 90 DEGS R TO HOLD IN FRONT OF THE ICE PAD TO WAIT FOR A GND CLRNC TO TAXI. ANOTHER ACFT PULLED IN BEHIND ME. AT THAT MOMENT GND CTL BECAME VERY UPSET THAT I 'PULLED ONTO AN ACTIVE TXWY.' I APOLOGIZED AND HE CLRED ME TO TAXI. THE ICE PAD SEEMS TO BE PART OF THE TXWY, BUT IN RETROSPECT, IT IS NOT. IT'S VERY CLOSE. AS WELL, WHEN YOU HAVE 2 AGENCIES (THE DEICE PEOPLE AND GND) WORKING WITH YOU IT IS CONFUSING. I THOUGHT I WAS DOING WHAT THE DEICE CREWS/CTLR WANTED ME TO DO IN ORDER TO CLR THE ICE PAD, AND I WAS. BUT, THE GND CTLR WAS UPSET. SUGGEST DENVER HAVE SOME KIND OF GND 'HOLDING AREA' DURING DEICE PROCS. THIS WILL HELP ON THE CONFUSION OF WORKING WITH THE DEICE CTLR AND GND CTL. THIS WILL ALSO CLR THE DEICE PAD SO DEICING CAN CONTINUE, AND NOT CLOG UP ALL THE ALLEYWAYS LEADING TO THE DEICE PAD. IN THIS CASE DENVER GND CTL WAS TECHNICALLY CORRECT, BUT THIS IS A VERY CONFUSING COORD PHASE OF GND TAXI OPS. AN AFTER-DEICE HOLDING AREA WOULD REALLY HELP THE ACRS AND A VERY BUSY GND CTL DURING DEICING AT DIA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: DURING THE CALLBACK THE RPTR STATED, IN RETROSPECT, THE DEICE PAD COULD NOT BE EXITED WITHOUT ENTERING TXWY G WHICH IS NOT CTLED BY THE DEICE CTLR. CLUTTER OBSCURED THE TXWY MARKINGS AND WERE CROSSED BEFORE GND CTL ADVISED HIM CLRNC WAS REQUIRED TO ENTER THE TXWY. IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT THERE COULD POSSIBLY BE SOME COORD BTWN COMPANY AND GND CTL THAT IS NOT IN PLACE AT THIS TIME. THE RPTR FELT THE DEICE CTL'S REQUEST TO CLR THE DEICE PAD IMPLIED CLRNC TO TAXI STRAIGHT AHEAD.

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.