Narrative:

During the afternoon of jan/sat/01, a student pilot and I were practicing full stop taxi backs at the kenosha regional airport in kenosha, wi. After completing a landing, we were cleared to taxi back to runway 24L. During our taxi back to the active runway, a pilot who had just departed runway 24R reported having 'lost his jacket' during the climb out. The controller of the class D airport engaged in a chatty conversation with him. The informal conversation between the controller and the CFI was of the most unprofessional tone I have ever heard on the radio. In the midst of their conversation, my student called the tower ready for departure. I will quote the radio calls beginning with our call ready at the runway in the way that I remember them. The aircraft numbers and personal names are changed. At the time, the only other aircraft in the pattern was the one that lost the jacket and that aircraft was being operated on a parallel runway. Aircraft: 'kenosha tower, cessna aircraft X is ready to go at runway 24L.' (no response.) enw: 'aircraft Y, I'm trying to see if airport operations and can make it out to pick up that jacket. So what altitude did it blow out at?' aircraft Y: 'oh I think it was around 500 ft above the runway. But thanks tower controller, I really appreciate that and I'm really sorry to cause all the problems today.' enw: 'hey, no problem aircraft Y.' 'cessna aircraft X taxi runway 24L.' (having called ready to go at runway 24L my student correctly assumed that the call implied taxi into position and hold. It seems that our initial call was missed by the control tower due to the distrs related to the jacket.) aircraft X: 'taxi into position and hold, aircraft X.' (about 1 min passes.) enw: 'ok, I'm sending airport operations out to retrieve that jacket.' 'aircraft X, don't you ever taxi onto an active runway! You did not have clearance. Now make left closed traffic. You are cleared for takeoff.' although not the exact dialogue, I feel that the importance of summarizing this incident is to show how a lack of professionalism on behalf of the control tower endangered the lives of myself, my student, and potentially the lives of other pilots. I understand my mistake in allowing my student to assume an implication of the radio call from the tower.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT MISUNDERSTOOD CLRNC AND TAXIED INTO POS INSTEAD OF HOLDING SHORT AT KENW.

Narrative: DURING THE AFTERNOON OF JAN/SAT/01, A STUDENT PLT AND I WERE PRACTICING FULL STOP TAXI BACKS AT THE KENOSHA REGIONAL ARPT IN KENOSHA, WI. AFTER COMPLETING A LNDG, WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI BACK TO RWY 24L. DURING OUR TAXI BACK TO THE ACTIVE RWY, A PLT WHO HAD JUST DEPARTED RWY 24R RPTED HAVING 'LOST HIS JACKET' DURING THE CLBOUT. THE CTLR OF THE CLASS D ARPT ENGAGED IN A CHATTY CONVERSATION WITH HIM. THE INFORMAL CONVERSATION BTWN THE CTLR AND THE CFI WAS OF THE MOST UNPROFESSIONAL TONE I HAVE EVER HEARD ON THE RADIO. IN THE MIDST OF THEIR CONVERSATION, MY STUDENT CALLED THE TWR READY FOR DEP. I WILL QUOTE THE RADIO CALLS BEGINNING WITH OUR CALL READY AT THE RWY IN THE WAY THAT I REMEMBER THEM. THE ACFT NUMBERS AND PERSONAL NAMES ARE CHANGED. AT THE TIME, THE ONLY OTHER ACFT IN THE PATTERN WAS THE ONE THAT LOST THE JACKET AND THAT ACFT WAS BEING OPERATED ON A PARALLEL RWY. ACFT: 'KENOSHA TWR, CESSNA ACFT X IS READY TO GO AT RWY 24L.' (NO RESPONSE.) ENW: 'ACFT Y, I'M TRYING TO SEE IF ARPT OPS AND CAN MAKE IT OUT TO PICK UP THAT JACKET. SO WHAT ALT DID IT BLOW OUT AT?' ACFT Y: 'OH I THINK IT WAS AROUND 500 FT ABOVE THE RWY. BUT THANKS TWR CTLR, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT AND I'M REALLY SORRY TO CAUSE ALL THE PROBS TODAY.' ENW: 'HEY, NO PROB ACFT Y.' 'CESSNA ACFT X TAXI RWY 24L.' (HAVING CALLED READY TO GO AT RWY 24L MY STUDENT CORRECTLY ASSUMED THAT THE CALL IMPLIED TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD. IT SEEMS THAT OUR INITIAL CALL WAS MISSED BY THE CTL TWR DUE TO THE DISTRS RELATED TO THE JACKET.) ACFT X: 'TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD, ACFT X.' (ABOUT 1 MIN PASSES.) ENW: 'OK, I'M SENDING ARPT OPS OUT TO RETRIEVE THAT JACKET.' 'ACFT X, DON'T YOU EVER TAXI ONTO AN ACTIVE RWY! YOU DID NOT HAVE CLRNC. NOW MAKE L CLOSED TFC. YOU ARE CLRED FOR TKOF.' ALTHOUGH NOT THE EXACT DIALOGUE, I FEEL THAT THE IMPORTANCE OF SUMMARIZING THIS INCIDENT IS TO SHOW HOW A LACK OF PROFESSIONALISM ON BEHALF OF THE CTL TWR ENDANGERED THE LIVES OF MYSELF, MY STUDENT, AND POTENTIALLY THE LIVES OF OTHER PLTS. I UNDERSTAND MY MISTAKE IN ALLOWING MY STUDENT TO ASSUME AN IMPLICATION OF THE RADIO CALL FROM THE TWR.

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.