Narrative:

A grumman AA5 (aircraft X) called ready to depart from the runup area at the approach end of runway 1. After an arrival to the same runway passed, aircraft X was given 'runway 1, taxi into position and hold.' when the previous aircraft cleared the runway, aircraft X was issued takeoff clearance. Aircraft Y, who was taxiing south on taxiway a to runway 1, called to say that he had cleared taxiway a at taxiway left to avoid an aircraft who was trying to take off north on taxiway a. Aircraft X said he had seen the BE02 (aircraft Y) taxiing on taxiway a head-on, and aborted his takeoff into the grass. Aircraft X reported that he had mistaken taxiway a for runway 1. Although I feel that primarily this was pilot error, I also feel that a mix of many closely spaced lights at the approach end of the runway may make it difficult for controllers to monitor the progress of aircraft at almost 1 mi away -- especially at night. At the approach end we have taxiway and runway lights, cargo building lights, runup pad, and automobile headlights -- all on the same plane of sight from the tower. Very confusing. Supplemental information from acn 437047: I was given clearance to taxi to runway 1, no route specified. Due to the extra parallel taxiway in the FBO area, I thought I was already on taxiway a when I was still on the marked area in the FBO area. I thus did the runup without being on taxiway a. When I was cleared to taxi into position and hold, I then moved to what was really the taxiway, and waited. I did see another aircraft light on what I thought was the runway. After the lights from that aircraft were no longer visible, the controller cleared me for departure. I assumed that I had been waiting for the other aircraft to clear the runway. After starting to roll, I could see the aircraft's lights again and it appeared to be coming toward me. I pulled off the runway onto the grass. At that time I realized I was on a taxiway. It then became clear that the controller could not see me and was unable to determine my position until I could get back on the taxiway and identify the position. Factors here were: 1) the taxiway was much better lit than most runways that I have used (normally this is good), thus the very good lighting allowed a mental override of the wrong colors. 2) the controller was in overload mode. He was doing clearance control, ground control, and tower at the same time. The airport was very active. 3) although visibility was very good, I don't understand how a clearance to depart was given without ever seeing my airplane. If he had seen it, he would have instructed me to move to the correct location. 4) due to the multiple roles the controller had, there was effectively no visual ground control at this airport.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AA5 BECOMES DISORIENTED AND ATTEMPTS TKOF ON A TXWY AT ALB. AA5 REJECTS TKOF OBSERVING A BE02 OPPOSITE DIRECTION ON TXWY.

Narrative: A GRUMMAN AA5 (ACFT X) CALLED READY TO DEPART FROM THE RUNUP AREA AT THE APCH END OF RWY 1. AFTER AN ARR TO THE SAME RWY PASSED, ACFT X WAS GIVEN 'RWY 1, TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD.' WHEN THE PREVIOUS ACFT CLRED THE RWY, ACFT X WAS ISSUED TKOF CLRNC. ACFT Y, WHO WAS TAXIING S ON TXWY A TO RWY 1, CALLED TO SAY THAT HE HAD CLRED TXWY A AT TXWY L TO AVOID AN ACFT WHO WAS TRYING TO TAKE OFF N ON TXWY A. ACFT X SAID HE HAD SEEN THE BE02 (ACFT Y) TAXIING ON TXWY A HEAD-ON, AND ABORTED HIS TKOF INTO THE GRASS. ACFT X RPTED THAT HE HAD MISTAKEN TXWY A FOR RWY 1. ALTHOUGH I FEEL THAT PRIMARILY THIS WAS PLT ERROR, I ALSO FEEL THAT A MIX OF MANY CLOSELY SPACED LIGHTS AT THE APCH END OF THE RWY MAY MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR CTLRS TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF ACFT AT ALMOST 1 MI AWAY -- ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. AT THE APCH END WE HAVE TXWY AND RWY LIGHTS, CARGO BUILDING LIGHTS, RUNUP PAD, AND AUTOMOBILE HEADLIGHTS -- ALL ON THE SAME PLANE OF SIGHT FROM THE TWR. VERY CONFUSING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 437047: I WAS GIVEN CLRNC TO TAXI TO RWY 1, NO RTE SPECIFIED. DUE TO THE EXTRA PARALLEL TXWY IN THE FBO AREA, I THOUGHT I WAS ALREADY ON TXWY A WHEN I WAS STILL ON THE MARKED AREA IN THE FBO AREA. I THUS DID THE RUNUP WITHOUT BEING ON TXWY A. WHEN I WAS CLRED TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD, I THEN MOVED TO WHAT WAS REALLY THE TXWY, AND WAITED. I DID SEE ANOTHER ACFT LIGHT ON WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE RWY. AFTER THE LIGHTS FROM THAT ACFT WERE NO LONGER VISIBLE, THE CTLR CLRED ME FOR DEP. I ASSUMED THAT I HAD BEEN WAITING FOR THE OTHER ACFT TO CLR THE RWY. AFTER STARTING TO ROLL, I COULD SEE THE ACFT'S LIGHTS AGAIN AND IT APPEARED TO BE COMING TOWARD ME. I PULLED OFF THE RWY ONTO THE GRASS. AT THAT TIME I REALIZED I WAS ON A TXWY. IT THEN BECAME CLR THAT THE CTLR COULD NOT SEE ME AND WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE MY POS UNTIL I COULD GET BACK ON THE TXWY AND IDENT THE POS. FACTORS HERE WERE: 1) THE TXWY WAS MUCH BETTER LIT THAN MOST RWYS THAT I HAVE USED (NORMALLY THIS IS GOOD), THUS THE VERY GOOD LIGHTING ALLOWED A MENTAL OVERRIDE OF THE WRONG COLORS. 2) THE CTLR WAS IN OVERLOAD MODE. HE WAS DOING CLRNC CTL, GND CTL, AND TWR AT THE SAME TIME. THE ARPT WAS VERY ACTIVE. 3) ALTHOUGH VISIBILITY WAS VERY GOOD, I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW A CLRNC TO DEPART WAS GIVEN WITHOUT EVER SEEING MY AIRPLANE. IF HE HAD SEEN IT, HE WOULD HAVE INSTRUCTED ME TO MOVE TO THE CORRECT LOCATION. 4) DUE TO THE MULTIPLE ROLES THE CTLR HAD, THERE WAS EFFECTIVELY NO VISUAL GND CTL AT THIS ARPT.

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.